St. Ignace Saints 1956 Football Team includes (front, from left) Robert Bomia, Jack Russell, Ray Popp, Gary Gustafson, David Earl, Joe Frazier, John MacDonald, Larry Paquin, and Jim Ferguson; (middle) Head Coach Bud Vecillo, Bob Kalbfleisch, Calvin "Bucky" McPhee, Tom Johnson, George Hill, Bernard Alkire, George Alward, Calvin Prout, Selden Kalbfleisch, Gerald Lambert, Jim McLeod, and Robert Law; (back) Ducky Nelson, Jim Kelly, John Gold, Rudy Wartella, Mike Doud, Stan Ferris, Roger Beers, Paul Donnelly, Ed Turner, Ken Smith, Jim Perry, and Mike Flanders. Fifty years ago in 1956, six schools from the area were sponsoring football. St. Ignace, Cedarville, Pickford, DeTour, Rudyard, and Brimley had already started programs, and Engadine began its gridiron team in 1960.

The records that are available show that St. Ignace didn't have football during the 194445 school year, but in the fall of 1945 the Saints, coached by Ed Ossman, defeated DeTour four times and in the next three seasons (2-0, 3-0, and 6-0) posted a combined 11-0 record.

The first seven years, 1945 to 1951, the Saints played eight-man football and in 1952 started 11-man football. St. Ignace went 4-2, 4-1, 2-1-1, and 5-2 from 1949 to 1952 before suffering their first losing season (3-4) in 1953. The Saints posted a 4-4 mark in 1954, 5-1-1 in 1955, and 4-3 in 1956.

The 1956 Saints Marching Band was led by drum major Jim McMillan and majorettes Roberta Paquin (left) and Judy Miller. In 1956 the Saints defeated Soo Collegiate of Ontario 22-6, East Jordan 19-7, Rogers City 12-6, and Cheboygan Catholic 37-0, while falling to Escanaba Holy Name 25-14, Cheboygan High 12-0, and Petoskey St. Francis 13-0.

The Saints were led by the backfield of quarterback Jim McLeod, runningbacks Selden Kalbfleisch, Jim Perry, and Ken Smith, receivers George Alward, Bernard Alkire, and Bob Law, and the line that included Calvin Prout, George Hill, Bernard Alkire, and Ducky Nelson. Kalbfleisch and Alkire received All-State honors.

St. Ignace was a member of the Little Eight Conference from 1950 to 1954, went independent from 1955 to 1958, was in the Huron Straits League from 1959 to 1967, the Michigan Huron Shores Conference from 1968 to 1996, and the Straits Area Conference from 1997 to the present.