# 1932 VPI Gobblers football team

The 1932 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1932 Southern Conference football season. The team was led by their head coach Henry Redd and finished with a record of eight wins and one loss (8–1).

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 24 | | Roanoke* | Miles StadiumBlacksburg, VA | W 32–7 | |
| October 1 | 3:00 p.m. | at Georgia | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA | W 7–6 | |
| October 8 | 2:30 p.m. | at Maryland | Old Byrd StadiumCollege Park, MD | W 23–0 | 11,000+ |
| October 15 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. William & Mary* | City StadiumRichmond, VA | W 7–0 | 17,000 |
| October 22 | | Kentucky | Miles StadiumBlacksburg, VA | W 7–0 | 8,000 |
| October 29 | 2:30 p.m. | at Washington and Lee | Wilson FieldLexington, VA | W 32–6 | 4,000-5,000 |
| November 5 | | at Alabama | Denny StadiumTuscaloosa, AL | L 6–9 | 11,000 |
| November 12 | | Virginia | Miles StadiumBlacksburg, VA (rivalry) | W 13–0 | 3,000 |
| November 24 | | vs. VMI | Maher FieldRoanoke, VA (rivalry) | W 26–0 | 12,000-15,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Before the season

The 1931 VPI Gobblers football team compiled a 3–4–2 record and were led by Orville Neale in his second season as head coach.

## Game summaries
### Roanoke

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Roanoke | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| • VPI | 19 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 32 |
VPI's first game of the season was a victory over Roanoke at Miles Stadium.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Negri (left tackle), Botnick (left guard), Porterfield (center), English (right guard), Hoenstine (right tackle), Palmer (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Holsclaw (left halfback), Mills (right halfback), Robison (fullback). The substitutes were: Botnick,, Casey, Copenhaver, Dillon, Hall, Hite, Hoblitzell, Howard, Huffman, McIntire, Ochs, Ottaway, Spruill, Thomas and Woodard.
The starting lineup for Roanoke was: Thomas West (left end), Siebert "Pete" Lavinder (left tackle), Jesse Price (left guard), Stuart Thomas (center), Harry Suttner (right guard), Gene Barnett (right tackle), Herbert Copenhaver (right end), Harrison Weeks (quarterback), Harry Russell (left halfback), Claude Matthews (right halfback), Bud Miley (fullback). The substitutes were: Charles Engers, Lawrence Fisher, Lexter Holyfield, Ed Petersen, Gus Quisito, Rice, Robertson and Fred Smith.

### Georgia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • VPI | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Georgia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
After their victory over Roanoke, VPI played the University of Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.
VPI Captain Bill Grinus blocked the tying extra point in the upset over Georgia.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Hoenstine (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Porterfield (center), Hite (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Mills (left halfback), Holsclaw (right halfback), G. Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: Casey.
The starting lineup for Georgia was: McCarthy Crenshaw (left end), Davis (left tackle), John Brown (left guard), J. Vason McWhorter (center), Leroy Moorehead (right guard), Opp (right tackle), Fred Miller (right end), Wendell Sullivan (quarterback), George Chapman (left halfback), Samuel Brown (right halfback), Lloyd Gilmore (fullback). The substitutes were: Graham Batchelor, William David, Paul Hart, Homer Key and Charles Turbeyville.

### Maryland

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • VPI | 7 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 23 |
| Maryland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Negri (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Porterfield (center), Hite (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Mills (left halfback), Holsclaw (right halfback), G. Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: Botnick, Casey, Copenhaver, English, Groth, Hall, Hoenstine, Howard, Huffman, Ottaway, Palmer, Simmons and Thomas.
The starting lineup for Maryland was: Rufus Vincent (left end), Vaul Rouzer (left tackle), Albert Farrel (left guard), Scott (center), John McDonald (right guard), George Cole (right tackle), Bill Wood (right end), Ray Poppelman (quarterback), Dick Nelson (left halfback), Earl Widmyer (right halfback), Al Woods (fullback). The substitutes were: Willis Benner, Bucky Buscher, Joseph Crecca, Donald DeVeau, Hawkins, Frank Hines, George Hockensmith, Charles Keenan, John Mayhew, Stewart McCaw, John Mitchell, Norwood Sothoron and Fred Stieber.

### William & Mary

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| W&M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • VPI | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Grinus (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Porterfield (center), Hite (right guard), Negri (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Holsclaw (left halfback), Mills (right halfback), G. Smith (fullback).
The starting lineup for William & Mary was: C. Sorenson (left end), Waddy Stewart (left tackle), Anderson (left guard), Joseph Bridgers (center), Edwin Meade (right guard), Gerry Quirk (right tackle), Thomas Halligan (right end), Bill Chalko (quarterback), Aime LaCroix (left halfback), William Palese (right halfback), Harry Spack (fullback). The substitutes were: Giles.

### Kentucky

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Kentucky | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • VPI | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Grinus (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Porterfield (center), Hite (right guard), Negri (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Mills (left halfback), Holsclaw (right halfback), G. Smith (fullback).
The starting lineup for Kentucky was: Joe Rupert (left end), Burton Aldridge (left tackle), O. L. "Bud" Davidson (left guard), Frank Seale (center), Ralph Blevins (right guard), George Skinner (right tackle), Howard Kreuter (right end), Ralph Kercheval (quarterback), Ellis T. Johnson (left halfback), Darrell Darby (right halfback), Thomas Cassady (fullback). The substitutes were: Stanley Bach.

### Washington and Lee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • VPI | 14 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 32 |
| W&L | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Negri (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Porterfield (center), Grinus (right guard), Hite (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Mills (left halfback), Holsclaw (right halfback), G. Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: Casey, Groth and Hall.
The starting lineup for Washington and Lee was: S. S. Mosovich (left end), Robert Morris (left tackle), Amos Bolen (left guard), William Grove (center), Charles Elbrick (right guard), Clarence Carman (right tackle), Charles Smith (right end), William Seaton (quarterback), Joseph Sawyers (left halfback), Edwin Bacon (right halfback), John Jones (fullback). The substitutes were: Samuel Mattox and Harvey Pride.

### Alabama

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| VPI | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| • Alabama | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
Against the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama, VPI lost 9–6 in front 11,000 spectators at Denny Stadium, which was the second largest crowd to ever visit the stadium at the time. VPI came into the game undefeated (6-0), while Alabama was 5–1. After a scoreless first quarter, the Gobblers took a 6–0 lead in the second after Ray Mills threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Al Casey. In the third, the score was cut to 6–2 after a bad snap to Casey from the center resulted in a safety. Later in the quarter Alabama took a 9–6 lead that it held to the end of the game when halfback Dixie Howell scored a touchdown on a nine-yard run.
Alabama's assistant coach was former VPI player Hank Crisp.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Negri (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Porterfield (center), Hite (right guard), Grinus (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Mills (left halfback), Holsclaw (right halfback), G. Smith (fullback). The substitutes were: Botnick, Casey, Groth, Huffman, Palmer and Thomas.
The starting lineup for Alabama was: Foy Leach (left end), Carney Laslie (left tackle), Calvin Frey (left guard), Willis Hewes (center), Thomas Hupke (right guard), Newton Godfree (right tackle), Don Hutson (right end), Hillman Holley (quarterback), Howard Chappell (left halfback), Bub Walker (right halfback), Larry Hughes (fullback). The substitutes were: Johnny Cain, James Dildy, Ellis "Red" Houston, Dixie Howell, B'Ho Kirkland, Bill Lee and Donald Sanford.

### Virginia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| UVA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • VPI | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
VPI's 1932 homecoming game was a victory over rival Virginia.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Seaman (left end), Grinus (left tackle), Murphy (left guard), Porterfield (center), Hite (right guard), Huffman (right tackle), McIntire (right end), Morgan (quarterback), Mills (left halfback), Holsclaw (right halfback), G. Smith (fullback).
The starting lineup for Virginia was: William Condon (left end), Ray Burger (left tackle), Cris Tompkins (left guard), Lewis Reiss (center), Horace Hallett (right guard), Charles Poss (right tackle), Gene Wager (right end), Thomas Johnson (quarterback), Eugene Stevens (left halfback), Frank Sippley (right halfback), Spencer Berger (fullback).

### VMI

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| VMI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • VPI | 0 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 26 |

## After the season

In December 1932, the VPI players elected Bill Porterfield as captain of the 1933 VPI Gobblers football team.

## Players
### Varsity letter winners

Eighteen players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1932 VPI team.
| Player | Hometown | Notes |
| Benjamin Botnick | Elmira, New York | World War II veteran (Navy). |
| Alfred Layden Casey | Portsmouth, Virginia | |
| Edward Ralph "Red" English | Altavista, Virginia | World War II veteran (Army). |
| Bill Grinus (Capt.) | | |
| Earl Jenis "Bus" Hall | | |
| Eugene Goliday Hite | | |
| William Duncan Holsclaw | | |
| Richard "Tris" Huffman | | |
| John A. McIntire | | |
| Ray Mills | | |
| Charles Emmett Ashburn Morgan | | |
| John Marshall Murphy | | |
| Warren Anthony "Red" Negri | Danbury, Connecticut | |
| Benny Palmer | | |
| William Breckenridge Porterfield | | |
| Alfred Elsworth Seaman | | |
| George Maxie Smith | | |
| David Thomas | | |

## Coaching and training staff

* Head coach: Henry Redd
* Assistant coaches
** William L. Younger
** Line coach: Sumner D. Tilson
* Manager: H. W. Maddox, Jr.
* Freshman coaches
** Freshman head coach: Herbert McEver
** Backfield coach and trainer: K. A. Esleeck
** Line coach: P. S. Hotchkiss
** Assistant coach: P. H. Spear
** Assistant coach: H. H. Stark
* Freshman Manager: M. A. Johnson