A game played in a steady mist at Park Stadium was a turnaround game for the Stillwater Ponies football program in the early 1970s. Starting the season with lofty expectations, the Ponies suffered close back-to-back losses to conference rivals, Hastings 9-6 and North St. Paul 20-12. With their backs to the wall, the Ponies rose to the occasion against a tough Park 11. The defense, led by seniors Bill Barnett, Bob Dorgan and others, totally shut down the Indians’ attack and earned the Ponies their first shut out of the season. Junior quarterback, Al Reichow, directed the Big Red offense, keeping the opposing defense on its heels with a good mix of power football and finesse. Senior running back Darrel Kloeckner was tough to stop and rushed for over 100 yards. The victory enabled the Ponies to come together as a team that night, and they went on to win 7 straight games to end their season with a 7-2 record. This marked the beginning of 27 consecutive winning seasons for the Big Red!