Pendleton football has a tradition of success and as rich a history as any prep football program in the state of Oregon and possibly the northwest.

It all started in 1899 when Alexander Moir, from Salem, came to the community of Pendleton and begin recruiting kids to play.

Pendleton High school football was born.

The first contest occurred against the Umatilla Indians. Many of whom had played at Chemawa Indian School before coming to the reservation in Eastern Oregon.

The young upstarts of PHS would win the first ever contest 16-12, Nov. 25, 1899. Then known as the Pendleton Wheatraiser’s, the program has never looked back

Some 104 years of football has left hundred’s of young Pendleton boys with Pendleton pride and tradition, a reflection of our entire community.

The Buckaroo name was adopted by the school soon after the great Pendleton Round-Up became an event in 1910.

No mascot around depicts what this town seems to be all about. Pride, toughness, the stadium, the painting of the famous Buckaroo – it just all fits with what Buckaroo football seems to have always been.

There have been periods of up’s and down’s during our history, but it seems that nearly all teams have had a certain toughness and pride that can be seen in every young man who has donned the Green and Gold.

Pendleton has claimed two mystical state titles under the great coach and mentor Dick Hanley, a former All Coast back at WSU in the teens.

Hanley came to the Buckaroo fold and in two years, the seasons of 1920-1921, built a 14-1 record and two state titles. Hanley it was reported, brought in some “ringer” from the state of Washington which began a natural rivalry against most all our close friends of Eastern Oregon.

Pendleton football has amassed 721 wins 412 losses in their over 100 years of football. Medford is the only close rival in wins at the 4A level in the state of Oregon.

With those victories Pendleton has produced hundreds of great kids, a few stars, but mostly small and tough Eastern Oregon lads who loved to play for their school and city.

PHS has produced tons of small college football players who went on to perform at the likes of Eastern Oregon, Willamette, Linfield and junior colleges as well.

Then there have been a group of PHS alumni who left their talents at major colleges at the PAC-8 and PAC-10 levels. The most famous being a 1957 PHS grad in Bob Lilly who may go down in football history as the greatest down lineman ever in the game of football, a hall of famer at both college and NFL levels.

At Oregon, OSU, WSU and Washington there have been the likes of Jens Terjeson, Mark Temple, Monk Carden Jay Graybeal, Jack Hoxie, Emile Holeman, Doug Doyle, Jim Lilly, Ladd Horn, Tim Temple, Steve Bunker, Rod Anderson, Bill Cook, Tony Hilde, Kyle Rosselle, Adam Hawkins, Blair Hawkins, Steve Bisnette, Roy Schuening and Shaun Perkins just to name a few who have played at the top level of collegiate football.

All are Pendleton products and they all played with that Buckaroo pride we so often talk about.

PHS has produced over 90 Shrine football players, again only Medford has placed more in this annual all star contest. Sixty-five Buckaroo’s have received at least honorable mention all state honors over the past 60 years since all state selections were derived, including 15 All-State first teamers. If the standard of success is just winning state titles, well we have fallen a bit-short, but if the standard is competing at the highest level in spite of the odds that may not always seem enviable.

Pendleton football is one of the great storied traditions ever in this state. Don Requa never won a state title but from 1951 until 1987 won 279 games and 23 IMC championships and made it to the semifinals 6 times in his hall of fame career and at the time of his retirement left football as the all-time winningest coach in Oregon history

Whatever the future holds, it will be with Pendleton pride and a great commitment to the kids that wear the green and gold.

Note: The Pendleton High School football program is developing a website and this column is a bit of history to offer a glimpse of Pendleton Football.