# 1933 VPI Gobblers football team

The 1933 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute, now known as Virginia Tech the 1933 college football season. The team was led by their head coach Henry Redd and finished with a record of four wins, three losses and three ties (4–3–3).

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | | Roanoke* | Miles StadiumBlacksburg, VA | W 7–0 | |
| September 30 | | at Tennessee* | Shields–Watkins FieldKnoxville, TN | L 0–27 | 15,000 |
| October 7 | | vs. Maryland | Bain FieldNorfolk, VA | W 14–0 | |
| October 14 | | vs. William & Mary* | City StadiumRichmond, VA | W 13–7 | 9,000 |
| October 21 | 3:00 p.m. | at Richmond* | City StadiumRichmond, VA | W 7–0 | |
| October 28 | | South Carolina | Miles StadiumBlacksburg, VA | L 0–12 | 10,000 |
| November 4 | | Washington and Lee | Miles StadiumBlacksburg, VA | T 7–7 | 3,500 |
| November 11 | | at Alabama* | Denny StadiumTuscaloosa, AL | L 0–27 | 10,000 |
| November 18 | | at Virginia | Scott StadiumCharlottesville, VA (rivalry) | T 6–6 | 5,000 |
| November 30 | | vs. VMI | Maher FieldRoanoke, VA (rivalry) | T 0–0 | 11,000-13,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Before the season

The 1932 VPI Gobblers football team compiled a 8–1 record and were led by Henry Redd in his first season as head coach.

## Game summaries
### Roanoke

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Roanoke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • VPI | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
VPI's first game of the season was a victory over Roanoke at Miles Stadium.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Negri (left end), Copenhaver (left tackle), English (left guard), Porterfield (center), Murphy (right guard), Hoenstine (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Holsclaw (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Smith (right halfback), Robison (fullback). The substitutes were: Cunningham, Huffman, Lindsay, Morgan, Ochs, Simmons, Smith, Stevens and Stump.
The starting lineup for Roanoke was: Lex Holyfield (left end), Gene Barnett (left tackle), Earl Fisher (left guard), Norman Wermick (center), Lawrence Fisher (right guard), Harry Suttner (right tackle), Charles Engers (right end), Charles Patrone (quarterback), Ward Akers (left halfback), Harrison Weeks (right halfback), Bud Miley (fullback). The substitutes were: Roy Ringstaff and Thomas West.

### Tennessee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Tennessee | 7 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
After their victory over Roanoke, VPI played the University of Tennessee at Shields–Watkins Field in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Negri (left end), Hoenstine (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Portfield (center), English (right guard), Copenhaver (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Mills (left halfback), Casey (right halfback), Smith (fullback).
The starting lineup for Tennessee was: Al Mark (left end), Milton Frank (left tackle), Howard Stewart (left guard), Talmadge Maples (center), J. B. Ellis (right guard), Howard Bailey (right tackle), Murray Warmath (right end), Deke Brackett (quarterback), Leo Petruzze (left halfback), Beattie Feathers (right halfback), Herman Wynn (fullback). The substitutes were: Richard Dorsey, Fred Moses, Edwin Palmer and Spruill.

### Maryland

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Maryland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • VPI | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Thomas (left end), Negri (left tackle), Murray (left guard), Porterfield (center), English (right guard), Huffman (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Holsclaw (right halfback), Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: Hoenstine, Howard, Lindsay, Mills, Ochs, Ottaway and Stump.
The starting lineup for Maryland was: Louis Ennis (left end), Tom McLaughlin (left tackle), Walter Bradley (left guard), Thomas Webb (center), John Simpson (right guard), Charles Callahan (right tackle), Carl Stalfort (right end), Dick Nelson (quarterback), Charles Yaeger (left halfback), Earl Widmyer (right halfback), George Sachs (fullback). The substitutes were: Willis Benner, Joseph Coulehan, Joseph Crecca, William Garrott, Luther Goldman, John Mayhew and Robert Snyder.

### William & Mary

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| W&M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • VPI | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Thomas (left end), Negri (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Porterfield (center), English (right guard), Hoenstine (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Holsclaw (right halfback), Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: Andrews, Copenhaver, Howard, Huffman, Lindsay, Ochs, Robison, Simmons, Spruill and Tyler.
The starting lineup for William & Mary was: Murray (left end), Waddy Stewart (left tackle), Ned LeGrande (left guard), Joseph Bridgers (center), I. Upson (right guard), Gerald Quirk (right tackle), Felix Troyano (right end), Bill Chalko (quarterback), William Yerkes (left halfback), Melville Bryant (right halfback), David Young (fullback). The substitutes were: C. Franklin, Bob Henderson, Junie Smith, C. Sorenson, Harry Spack and Dale Worrall.

### Richmond

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • VPI | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Richmond | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### South Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • South Carolina | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Thomas (left end), Huffman (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Copenhaver (center), English (right guard), Hoenstine (right tackle), Negri (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Groth (right halfback), Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: Lindsay, Mills, Ochs, Reynolds, Robison, Simmons, Spruill, B. Stump and Tyler.
The starting lineup for South Carolina was: John Epps (left end), Joe Johnson (left tackle), Nelson Fortson (left guard), Joe Shinn (center), Buddy Morehead (right guard), Freeman Huskey (right tackle), Tom Craig (right end), Harold Mauney (quarterback), Fred Hambright (left halfback), Ed Clary (right halfback), Allie McDougall (fullback). The substitutes were: Wilburn Clary, Fred Craft, William McCrady, Henry McManus, Roy Stroud, Henry Willard, Wolfe and Walker Yonce.

### Washington and Lee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| W&L | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| VPI | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
VPI's 1933 homecoming game was a tie against Washington and Lee.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Thomas (left end), Huffman (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Copenhaver (center), English (right guard), Hoenstine (right tackle), Negri (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Mills (right halfback), Smith (fullback).
The starting lineup for Washington and Lee was: Charles Smith (left end), Clarence Carman (left tackle), Thomasson Boland (left guard), George Glynn (center), Amos Bolen (right guard), William Dyer (right tackle), John Hanley (right end), William Seaton (quarterback), Joseph Sawyers (left halfback), Samuel Mattox (right halfback), Jack Bailey (fullback). The substitutes were: Joseph Arnold, William Ellis and Samuel Todd.

### Alabama

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Alabama | 6 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 27 |
Against the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama, VPI lost 27-0 in front 10,000 spectators at Denny Stadium. Alabama took a 6–0 first quarter lead after Riley Smith scored on a five-yard touchdown run. They extended their lead to 18–0 at halftime on touchdown runs of one-yard by Joe Demyanovich and ten-yards by James Angelich in the second quarter. Alabama then closed the game with a 16-yard Dixie Howell touchdown run and a tackle of the Gobblers' Ray Mills for a safety in the third for the 27–0 win.
Alabama's assistant coach was former VPI player Hank Crisp.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Negri (left end), Huffman (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Copenhaver (center), English (right guard), Hoenstine (right tackle), B. Stump (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Mills (right halfback), Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: Andrews, Botnick, Cunningham, Howard, Lindsay, McIntire, Ottaway, Russell, Simmons and A. Stump.
The starting lineup for Alabama was: Thomas McMillian (left end), Jim Whatley (left tackle), Charles Marr (left guard), Joseph Dildy (center), Bob Ed Morrow (right guard), Arthur MacGahey (right tackle), Bear Bryant (right end), Tilden Campbell (quarterback), James McDanal (left halfback), Charles Stapp (right halfback), Riley Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: James Angelich, Ben Baswell, Angelo Danelutti, Joseph Demyanovich, James Dildy, Ralph Gandy, Raymond Glass, Dixie Howell, Larry Hughes, John Hundertmark, Thomas Hupke, Don Hutson, B'Ho Kirkland, Foy Leach, Bill Lee, Frank Moseley, Lee Rogers, Hilman Walker and Jimmy Walker.

### Virginia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| UVA | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Thomas (left end), Huffman (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Porterfield (center), English (right guard), Negri (right tackle), B. Stump (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Robison (right halfback), Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: Ottaway.
The starting lineup for Virginia was: John Leys (left end), George Coles (left tackle), Horace Hallett (left guard), Gene Wager (center), John Dial (right guard), Ray Burger (right tackle), Kenneth Morton (right end), Thomas Johnson (quarterback), Gene Munger (left halfback), Bucky Harris (right halfback), Spencer Berger (fullback). The substitutes were: Philip Fryberger.

### VMI

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| VMI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: B. Stump (left end), Huffman (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Copenhaver (center), English (right guard), Negri (right tackle), Thomas (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Casey (left halfback), Robison (right halfback), Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: Holsclaw.
The starting lineup for VMI was: Phil Rutschow (left end), Samuel Lowe (left tackle), John Burgess (left guard), James Nimmo (center), Charles Straub (right guard), Russ Coleman (right tackle), Gil Minor (right end), Billy Smith (quarterback), Merideth Urick (left halfback), Tucker Watkins (right halfback), Dick Dodson (fullback). The substitutes were: Ed Law.

## After the season

In December 1933, the VPI players elected George Smith as captain of the 1934 VPI Gobblers football team.

## Players
### Varsity letter winners

Eighteen players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1933 VPI team.
| Player | Hometown | Notes |
| Alfred Layden Casey | Portsmouth, Virginia | |
| James Henry Copenhaver | | |
| Edward Ralph "Red" English | Altavista, Virginia | World War II veteran (Army). |
| Garland Woodrow Hoenstine | | |
| William Duncan Holsclaw | | |
| Richard "Tris" Huffman | | |
| Kenneth Thomas "Hank" Lindsay | Cumberland, Maryland | |
| John A. McIntire | | |
| Ray Mills | | |
| Charles Emmett Ashburn Morgan | | |
| John Marshall Murphy | | |
| Warren Anthony "Red" Negri | Danbury, Connecticut | |
| John Norman Ochs | | |
| William Breckenridge Porterfield (Capt.) | | |
| Carl Francis Robison | Watertown, New York | World War II veteran (Lieutenant Commander, Navy). Awarded the Navy Cross. |
| George Maxie Smith | | |
| Robert McClanahan Stump | Bristol, Tennessee | |
| David Thomas | | |

## Coaching and training staff

* Head coach: Henry Redd
* Assistant coaches
** William L. Younger
** Sumner D. Tilson
* Manager: Abie Urquhart
* Freshman coaches
** Freshman head coach: Herbert McEver
** Assistant freshman coach: Sumner D. Tilson
** Assistant freshman coach: Bill Grinus
* Freshman Manager: J. V. D. Moore