09/10/2026
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 8, 1972, Waterloo East lost in football for the first time since 1965. East set the state record for 56 consecutive unbeaten games while dominating opponents and capturing six straight state championships.
The streak started in an innocuous way: East tied Cedar Rapids Regis 6-6. With no overtime provisions in place at the time, the tie started off the historic run of the Trojans, spanning nearly six years. After a win over Waterloo West to close out the season, East finished with a 4-4-1 record. Without football playoffs in Iowa until 1972, the Trojans stood poised to enter the following season with some momentum. With a 53-0 win over Burlington to start 1966, a special season got underway at East to build the streak to three consecutive games unbeaten. The Trojans proceeded to run off a perfect 9-0 record to claim the 4-A state football title. In 1967, East again went undefeated while dominating opponents. On one memorable evening, the Trojans held Dubuque Wahlert to a total of -64 yards.
Still riding the streak, 1968 culminated in a 28-27 win for the top-ranked Trojans over their second-ranked crosstown rivals at Waterloo West, capturing another state championship. In 1969, the Trojans continued to roll behind star running back Jerry Moses, who contributed a whopping 244 points to East's record-setting 504 points scored over the season, which included a 98-6 beating of Newton. 1970 and 1971 played out similarly: the Trojans torched opponents in front of large crowds while racking up records and state championships. However, in 1972, a missed extra point opened the door for Sioux City East to upset the Trojans and snap the Trojans' unbeaten streak of 56 games.
Ironically, Waterloo East also holds the state’s longest losing streak in football. From 1999 to 2006, the Trojans lost a record-setting 62-game losing streak. From 2010 to 2014, Iowa City Regina won 56 consecutive games, setting a state record for consecutive wins while tying Waterloo East's unbeaten streak.
