# 1934 VPI Gobblers football team

The 1934 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute in the 1934 college football season. The team was led by their head coach Henry Redd and finished with a record of five wins and five losses (5–5).

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 22 | | Roanoke* | Miles StadiumBlacksburg, VA | W 21–0 | |
| September 29 | | at Temple* | Temple StadiumPhiladelphia, PA | L 0–34 | 12,000 |
| October 6 | | Florida* | Miles StadiumBlacksburg, VA | L 13–20 | |
| October 13 | | vs. William & Mary* | City StadiumRichmond, VA | W 6–0 | 9,000 |
| October 20 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. Maryland | Bain FieldNorfolk, VA | L 9–14 | > 4,500 |
| October 27 | 11:00 a.m. | at Washington and Lee | Wilson FieldLexington, VA | L 7–13 | 8,000-10,000 |
| November 3 | 2:30 p.m. | at South Carolina | Columbia Municipal StadiumColumbia, SC | L 0–20 | |
| November 10 | 2:15 p.m. | vs. NC State | Washington Street ParkPortsmouth, VA | W 7–6 | 7,000 |
| November 17 | | Virginia | Miles StadiumBlacksburg, VA (rivalry) | W 19–6 | 3,000 |
| November 29 | | vs. VMI | Maher FieldRoanoke, VA (rivalry) | W 13–0 | 10,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Before the season

The 1933 VPI Gobblers football team compiled a 4–3–3 record and were led by Henry Redd in his second season as head coach.

## Game summaries
### Roanoke

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Roanoke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • VPI | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
VPI's first game of the season was a victory over Roanoke at Miles Stadium.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Reynolds (left end), Dodge (left tackle), Copenhaver (left guard), Jones (center), English (right guard), Banks (right tackle), Negri (right end), Smith (quarterback), Ottaway (left halfback), Russell (right halfback), Dickerson (fullback). The substitutes were: Botnick, Cunningham, Dailey, Fittro, Ingles, Ochs, Rankin, Sodaro, Spruill, Stowe, Thomas and Wagley.
The starting lineup for Roanoke was: Ward Akers (left end), George Pitzer (left tackle), Gus Quisito (left guard), Weldon Plank (center), Earl Fisher (right guard), Harry Suttner (right tackle), J. "Buss" Irvin (right end), Harrison Weeks (quarterback), Gregory Wroniewicz (left halfback), Herman Smith (right halfback), Bud Miley (fullback). The substitutes were: Carey Brewbaker, Edward Gough and John Pitzer.

### Temple

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Temple | 7 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 34 |
After their victory over Roanoke, VPI played Temple University at Temple Stadium in Philadelphia.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Thomas (left end), Banks (left tackle), English (left guard), Jones (center), Copenhaver (right guard), Dodge (right tackle), Negri (right end), Smith (quarterback), Ottaway (left halfback), Russell (right halfback), Dickerson (fullback).
The starting lineup for Temple was: Wise (left end), J. Russell (left tackle), John Boyd (left guard), Peter P. Stevens (center), Schaefer (right guard), Zukas (right tackle), Zanin (right end), Glenn Frey (quarterback), John Stonik (left halfback), Daniel Testa (right halfback), David Smukler (fullback). The substitutes were: Hartman, Wilfred Longsderff and Horace Mowrey.

### Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Florida | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Thomas (left end), Banks (left tackle), English (left guard), Wagley (center), Ochs (right guard), Dodge (right tackle), Negri (right end), Smith (quarterback), Holsclaw (left halfback), Carpenter (right halfback), Dickerson (fullback).
The starting lineup for Florida was: Chuck Rogers (left end), Hal Starbuck (left tackle), Bill Turner (left guard), Alton Brown (center), Carlisle Hughes (right guard), Bill Stark (right tackle), Robert Rickett (right end), Wally Brown (quarterback), Billy Chase (left halfback), Jack Beckwith (right halfback), Charlie Stoltz (fullback).

### William & Mary

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| W&M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • VPI | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Thomas (left end), Dodge (left tackle), English (left guard), Copenhaver (center), Ochs (right guard), Negri (right tackle), Fittro (right end), Smith (quarterback), Holsclaw (left halfback), Sodaro (right halfback), Dickerson (fullback). The substitutes were: Botnick, Cunningham, Huffman and Russell.
The starting lineup for William & Mary was: Albert Michaels (left end), Waddy Stewart (left tackle), Frank Livesay (left guard), Joseph Bridgers (center), Joseph Marino (right guard), Norman Murray (right tackle), Walter J. Zable (right end), Charles Shade (quarterback), Melville Bryant (left halfback), Arthur Woodward (right halfback), William Yerkes (fullback). The substitutes were: Marshall Brickell, Albert DeGutis, Preacher Franklyn, Hatke, Ned LeGrande, Reginald Pinch, Harry Spack and John Truehart.

### Maryland

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Maryland | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| VPI | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Fittro (left end), Huffman (left tackle), Ochs (left guard), Copenhaver (center), Botnick (right guard), Dodge (right tackle), Thomas (right end), Holsclaw (quarterback), Smith (left halfback), Sodaro (right halfback), Dickerson (fullback). The substitutes were: Daily, Negri, Ottaway, Reynolds, Russell and Stowe.
The starting lineup for Maryland was: Louis Ennis (left end), Ed Minion (left tackle), John Birkland (left guard), Bill Andorka (center), John Simpson (right guard), Carl Stalfort (right tackle), Victor G. Willis (right end), Norwood Sothoron (quarterback), Bill Guckeyson (left halfback), George Sachs (right halfback), Charles Yaeger (fullback). The substitutes were: Brooks Bradley, Bernie Buscher, Joseph Crecca, Edmond Daly, Charles F. Ellinger, Edward Fletcher, William Garrott, John Gormley, Harry Gretz, Coleman Headley, Charlie Keller, Stewart McCaw, Tom McLaughlin, Dick Nelson, Edward Quigley, Jack Stonebraker and Earl Widmyer.

### Washington and Lee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| • W&L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Fittro (left end), Negri (left tackle), Copenhaver (left guard), Jones (center), Banks (right guard), Dodge (right tackle), Thomas (right end), Holsclaw (quarterback), Carpenter (left halfback), Smith (right halfback), Dickerson (fullback).
The starting lineup for Washington and Lee was: William Ellis (left end), William Dyer (left tackle), Porter Berry (left guard), George Glynn (center), Hugo Bonino (right guard), Howard Owings (right tackle), Charles Smith (right end), William Seaton (quarterback), Samuel Mattox (left halfback), Alfred Moore (right halfback), Jack Bailey (fullback). The substitutes were: Joseph Arnold and Edward Seitz.

### South Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| VPI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • South Carolina | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Fittro (left end), Banks (left tackle), Copenhaver (left guard), Jones (center), Botnick (right guard), Dodge (right tackle), Thomas (right end), Smith (quarterback), Carpenter (left halfback), Ottaway (right halfback), Dickerson (fullback).
The starting lineup for South Carolina was: Tom Craig (left end), Paul Gaffney (left tackle), Donald Tomlin (left guard), Strod (center), Dean Fowble (right guard), Freeman Huskey (right tackle), John Rowland (right end), Harold Mauney (quarterback), Clay "Bud" Alexander (left halfback), Bob Robbins (right halfback), Allie McDougall (fullback). The substitutes were: William McCrady and Walker Yonce.

### NC State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| NC State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| • VPI | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Thomas (left end), Banks (left tackle), Copenhaver (left guard), Jones (center), Botnick (right guard), Dodge (right tackle), Fittro (right end), Smith (quarterback), Russell (left halfback), Carpenter (right halfback), Dickerson (fullback). The substitutes were: Holsclaw, Ochs, Piland, Reynolds and Stump.
The starting lineup for NC State was: J. Kenneth Stephens (left end), C. T. Isaacs (left tackle), John Stanko (left guard), Steve Sabol (center), Barnes Worth (right guard), Cliff Daugherty (right tackle), Raymond Redding (right end), L. H. McCulley (quarterback), Jack Gattis (left halfback), Howard Bardes (right halfback), Ray Rex (fullback). The substitutes were: C. E. Bernhardt, Dom Cara, W. J. Dusty, A. J. Edwards, Vincent Farrar, N. H. Hayden, Herbert Kirschner, Roger Mass, Roscoe Roy and Joseph Ryneska.

### Virginia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| UVA | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| • VPI | 0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 19 |
VPI's 1934 homecoming game was a victory over rival Virginia.
The starting lineup for VPI was: Fittro (left end), Banks (left tackle), Copenhaver (left guard), Jones (center), Ochs (right guard), Dodge (right tackle), Reynolds (right end), Holsclaw (quarterback), Carpenter (left halfback), Smith (right halfback), Dickerson (fullback). The substitutes were: Botnick, Daily, Howard, Ingles, Ottaway, Piland, Russell, Shafer, Sodaro, Spruill and Stowe.
The starting lineup for Virginia was: Wier Tucker (left end), Edward Andrews (left tackle), William Zimmer (left guard), Horace Hallett (center), Peyton Hoge (right guard), Leonard Trell (right tackle), Cullen Wilkin (right end), Thomas Johnson (quarterback), Vincent Cardwell (left halfback), Griffith Dodson (right halfback), Spencer Berger (fullback). The substitutes were: Andrew Conner, Philip Fryberger, Randolph Garnett, Sanford Haskell, Kenneth Morton, Willard Quarles, Gordon Regan and George Seibels.

### VMI

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| VMI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • VPI | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
The starting lineup for VPI was: Reynolds (left end), Banks (left tackle), Copenhaver (left guard), Jones (center), Ochs (right guard), Dodge (right tackle), Fittro (right end), Smith (quarterback), Carpenter (left halfback), Russell (right halfback), Dickerson (fullback). The substitutes were: Botnick, Daily, Holsclaw, Howard, Ingles, Ottaway, Piland, Rankin, Shafer, Sodaro and Spruill.
The starting lineup for VMI was: Charles Hancock (left end), Russ Coleman (left tackle), John Burgess (left guard), Jack Zimmerman (center), James Farley (right guard), Harry Hightower (right tackle), Morris Haas (right end), Bo McMillin (quarterback), Wayt Clark (left halfback), Tucker Watkins (right halfback), Dick Dodson (fullback). The substitutes were: Maxie Bair, John Childress, David Kane, Bill Oglesby, John Penn and Archie Witt.

## After the season

In December 1934, the VPI players chose Louis Fittro as captain of the 1935 VPI Gobblers football team.

## Players
### Varsity letter winners

Twenty players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1934 VPI team.
| Player | Hometown | Notes |
| F. M. "Mac" Banks | | |
| Benjamin Botnick | Elmira, New York | World War II veteran (Navy). |
| Jack A. "Buck" Carpenter | | Son of former VPI player Hunter Carpenter. |
| James Henry Copenhaver | | |
| Herman Edward "Foots" Dickerson | Reidsville, North Carolina | World War II veteran (Major, Army). First Virginia Tech player to be chosen in the NFL draft. |
| Benjamin Walter Dodge | Norfolk, Virginia | |
| Louis Leonard Fittro (Capt.) | | |
| William Duncan Holsclaw | | |
| Harry Worden Howard | | |
| Richard "Tris" Huffman | | |
| David Jones | | |
| John Norman Ochs | | |
| James Edward Ottaway | Sherrill, New York | World War II veteran (Lieutenant Commander, Navy). |
| Oscar Glazier "Flinky" Piland | | |
| Lawrence Samuel "Buck" Reynolds | | |
| Joseph Decatur Russell | | |
| George Maxie Smith (Capt.) | | |
| George Edward Sodaro | | |
| Howard Arnold "Hank" Spruill | | |
| David Thomas | | |

## Coaching and training staff

* Head coach: Henry Redd
* Manager: B. D. Spangler
* Freshman coaches
** Freshman head coach: Herbert McEver
** Assistant freshman coach: Sumner D. Tilson
** Assistant freshman coach: W. B. Porterfield