# Detroit City College football, 1918–1929

The Detroit City College football teams (later known as the Wayne State Tartars) represented Detroit Junior College and Detroit City College (later renamed Wayne State University) in American football from 1918 to 1929. Highlights of the school's first 12 years of intercollegiate football include the following:
* The 1918 Detroit Junior College football team compiled a perfect season with a 4–0 record while outscoing opponents, 99 to 0. The first game, played on October 5 in Canada, was a 41–0 victory over Assumption College. The first home game, played on November 2, was an 18–0 victory over Michigan State Normal.
* In 1918, David L. Holmes became the school's head coach. He held that position for eleven (11) years through the 1928 season.
* The 1921 Detroit Junior College football team compiled the program's second undefeated season with a 6–0–2 record, including victories over Baldwin–Wallace (28–0), Michigan State Normal (3–0), and Toledo (13–0). They outscored opponents, 165 to 0.
* The 1922 team failed to score a point for four consecutive games from October 14 to November 11.

## 1918

The 1918 Detroit Junior College football team represented Detroit Junior College (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1918 college football season. The team was coached by David L. Holmes and compiled a 4–0 record and outscored opponents by a total of 99 to 0. The team was made up of members of the school's Student Army Training Corps.
Two of the victories, including the first in program history, were against Assumption College. The first game was played in Canada at Windsor. Fullback Wayne Brenkert scored three touchdowns in the first game against Assumption. The team also defeated the University of Detroit (on Thanksgiving Day) and Michigan State Normal in the first meetings with each of those two schools. A game with Western State was initially scheduled but cancelled.
The team played its three home games at Goldberg Field, which was located at Ferry Avenue and Hastings Street in Detroit. Wayne considers the 1918 team to be its first intercollegiate football team, though contemporary press accounts also reference a 1917 football team.
Detroit Junior College, the first junior college in the state of Michigan, was established by David D Mackenzie who was the principal of Detroit Central High School. The junior college was located on the campus of the high school, Old Main. Wayne Brenkert played for both Detroit Central High School (winning a High School National Championship in 1915) and Detroit Junior College and is a member of Wayne State University Hall of Fame.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| October 5 | at Assumption (ON) | Windsor, ON | W 41–0 |
| November 2 | Michigan State Normal | Goldberg FieldDetroit, MI | W 18–0 |
| November 23 | Assumption (ON) | Goldberg FieldDetroit, MI | W 35–0 |
| November 28 | Detroit | Goldberg FieldDetroit, MI | W 6–0 |

## 1919

The 1919 Detroit Junior College football team represented Detroit Junior College (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1919 college football season. In its second year under head coach David L. Holmes, the team compiled a 3–5 record.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 27 | at Alma | Alma, MI | L 0–14 |
| October 4 | at Western State Normal | Western State Teachers College FieldKalamazoo, MI | L 0–88 |
| October 11 | Adrian | Goldberg FieldDetroit, MI | L 0–20 |
| November 1 | at Assumption (ON) | Windsor, ON | L 0–13 |
| November 8 | Toledo | Goldberg FieldDetroit, MI | W 8–7 |
| November 15 | Central Michigan | Goldberg FieldDetroit, MI | W 42–14 |
| November 20 | Assumption (ON) | Goldberg FieldDetroit, MI | W 20–0 |
| November 27 | Michigan Agricultural freshmen | Goldberg FieldDetroit, MI | L 0–24 |

## 1920

The 1920 Detroit Junior College football team represented Detroit Junior College (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1920 college football season. In its third year under head coach David L. Holmes, the team compiled a 5-1-1 record.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| October 9 | Toledo | Grindley FieldDetroit, MI | W 14–2 |
| October 15 | Assumption (ON) | Grindley FieldDetroit, MI | W 24–0 |
| October 30 | Ferris Institute | Detroit, MI | W 48–0 |
| November 6 | at Michigan State Normal | Ypsilanti, MI | L 7–21 |
| November 13 | at Grand Rapids Junior College | Grand Rapids, MI | W 20–0 |
| November 20 | at Defiance | Defiance, OH | W forfeit |
| November 25 | Central Michigan | Grindley FieldDetroit, MI | T 6–6 |

## 1921

The 1921 Detroit Junior College football team represented Detroit Junior College (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1921 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach David L. Holmes, the Detroit team compiled a 6–0–2 record, did not allow any of its opponents to score, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 165 to 0.
The season opener against Assumption College was played in Canada at Sandwich. The Central Michigan game was played on Thanksgiving Day at Grindley Field in Detroit.
On December 9, 1921, the student council held a banquet and dance in honor of the football team for having not allowed a point to be scored against them during the 1921 season.
Hazen Dever was the team captain. Other players included Cameron Cunningham, Jack Duncan, Newman Ertell, Norm Heym, Raymond Humphrey, Harold Grant Iler, Russell Lightbody, Thomas MacKay, and M. Cole Seager, and players with the surnames Allen, Becklein, Boyd, Breslin, Grant, Grove, Johnson, Monihan, Plauman, and Richards. Frank Olney was the manager.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 24 | at Assumption (ON) | Windsor, ON | W 26–0 |
| October 1 | Ferris Institute | | Cancelled |
| October 8 | Alma | Grindley FieldDetroit, MI | T 0–0 |
| October 15 | Baldwin–Wallace | Grindley FieldDetroit, MI | W 28–0 |
| October 29 | Michigan State Normal | Grindley FieldDetroit, MI | W 3–0 |
| November 5 | Olivet | Grindley FieldDetroit, MI | W 26–0 |
| November 12 | Grand Rapids Junior College | Grindley FieldDetroit, MI | W 39–0 |
| November 19 | at Toledo | Toledo, OH | W 13–0 |
| November 24 | Central Michigan | Grindley FieldDetroit, MI | T 0–0 |

## 1922

The 1922 Detroit Junior College football team represented Detroit Junior College (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1922 college football season. In its fifth year under head coach David L. Holmes, the team compiled a 2-3-2 record.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| October 7 | Ferris Institute | | W 19–0 |
| October 14 | at Baldwin-Wallace | | L 0–32 |
| October 28 | at Michigan State Normal | Ypsilanti, MI | T 0–0 |
| November 4 | Olivet | Roosevelt FieldDetroit, MI | T 0–0 |
| November 11 | at Grand Rapids Junior College | | L 0–3 |
| November 18 | Toledo | Roosevelt FieldDetroit, MI | W 6–2 |
| November 30 | Central Michigan | Codd FieldDetroit, MI | L 7–20 |

## 1923

The 1923 Detroit City College Tartars football team was an American football team that represented Detroit City College (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1923 college football season. In their sixth year under head coach David L. Holmes, the Tartars compiled a 4–3–1 record.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| October 13 | Ferris Institute | Roosevelt FieldDetroit, MI | W 54–0 |
| October 20 | Hope | Roosevelt FieldDetroit, MI | W 20–0 |
| October 27 | at Adrian | Adrian, MI | L 0–13 |
| November 3 | Grand Rapids Junior College | Detroit, MI | W 42–8 |
| November 10 | at Olivet | Olivet, MI | T 7–7 |
| November 17 | at Toledo | Toledo, OH | L 0–38 |
| November 24 | Findlay | Detroit, MI | W 28–0 |
| November 29 | Central Michigan | Detroit, MI | L 7–21 |

## 1924

The 1924 Detroit City College Tartars football team represented Detroit City College during the 1924 college football season. In their seventh year under head coach David L. Holmes, the Tartars compiled a 2–5 record.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| October 4 | at Assumption | | W 6–0 |
| October 18 | at Olivet | | L 14–19 |
| October 25 | Ferris Institute | Detroit, MI | W 3–0 |
| November 1 | Adrian | Detroit, MI | L 6–19 |
| November 8 | at Grand Rapids Junior College | Grand Rapids, MI | L 7–10 |
| November 15 | Toledo | Roosevelt FieldDetroit, MI | L 0–27 |
| November 29 | Central Michigan | Codd FieldDetroit, MI | L 6–38 |

## 1925

The 1925 Detroit City College Tartars football team was an American football team that represented Detroit City College (later renamed Wayne State University) as an independent during the 1925 college football season. The team compiled a 4–3–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 118 to 58. Leigh Pascoe was the team captain.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| October 4 | at Ferris Institute | Big Rapids, MI | L 12–13 |
| October 10 | Assumption (ON) | Codd FieldDetroit, MI | W 9–0 |
| October 17 | Olivet | Codd FieldDetroit, MI | T 6–6 |
| October 24 | Hope | Hamilton & Lysander Aves.Detroit, MI | W 7–0 |
| November 1 | at Adrian | Adrian, MI | L 0–20 |
| November 8 | Grand Rapids Junior College | College fieldDetroit, MI | W 55–0 |
| November 14 | at Toledo | Toledo, OH | W 23–0 |
| November 26 | Central Michigan | Codd FieldDetroit, MI | L 6–18 |

## 1926

The 1926 Detroit City College Tartars football team represented Detroit City College during the 1926 college football season. In their ninth year under head coach David L. Holmes, the Tartars compiled a 2–4-1 record (.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Result |
| October 9 | at Assumption | W 7–0 |
| October 16 | Michigan State Normal | L 0–6 |
| October 23 | at Hope | W 3–0 |
| October 30 | at Hillsdale | L 0–19 |
| November 13 | Toledo | L 7–14 |
| November 20 | Bowling Green | T 0–0 |
| November 25 | Central Michigan | L 0–9 |

## 1927

The 1927 Detroit City College Tartars football team represented Detroit City College as a member of the Michigan Collegiate Conference (MCC) during the 1927 college football season. In their tenth year under head coach David L. Holmes, the Tartars compiled a 2–6 record (0–3 in conference games) and finished in last place in the MCC.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Result |
| October 7 | Assumption | W 13–0 |
| October 15 | at Toledo | L 0–13 |
| October 21 | at Bowling Green | L 0–6 |
| October 29 | at Western Michigan | L 0–44 |
| November 5 | at Valparaiso | W 6–0 |
| November 12 | Hillsdale | L 6–22 |
| November 19 | at Michigan State Normal | L 6–33 |
| November 24 | Central Michigan | L 6–32 |

## 1928

The 1928 Detroit City College Tartars football team represented Detroit City College as a member of the Michigan Collegiate Conference (MCC) during the 1928 college football season. In their eleventh and final year under head coach David L. Holmes, the Tartars compiled a 2–5–1 record (0–3 in conference games) and finished in last place in the MCC.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| October 6 | at Detroit Junior College frosh | Detroit, MI | W 24–0 |
| October 13 | at Manchester | North Manchester, IN | T 6–6 |
| October 20 | at Hillsdale | Hillsdale, MI | L 0–12 |
| October 27 | Western State | Detroit, MI | L 0–45 |
| November 3 | Toledo | Detroit, MI | W 13–6 |
| November 10 | Bowling Green | Detroit, MI | L 0–20 |
| November 17 | Michigan State Normal | Roosevelt FieldDetroit, MI | L 0–55 |

## 1929

The 1929 Detroit City College Tartars football team represented Detroit City College (later renamed Wayne State University) in the Michigan Collegiate Conference during the 1929 college football season. In its first season under head coach Norman G. Wann, the team compiled a 2–7 record.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 5 | Olivet | Detroit, MI | L 0–6 | |
| October 12 | at Hope | Holland, MI | W 7–0 | |
| October 19 | Hillsdale | Detroit, MI | L 0–32 | |
| October 26 | at Western State Teachers (MI) | Kalamazoo, MI | L 0–40 | |
| November 2 | at Wilmington (OH) | Wilmington, OH | L 0–14 | |
| November 9 | at Toledo | Toledo, OH | L 0–17 | |
| November 16 | at Bowling Green | Bowling Green, OH | L 2–25 | |
| November 23 | Michigan State Normal | Detroit, MI | L 0–31 | |
| November 28 | Central State (MI) | Central FieldDetroit, MI | W 6–0 | 3,000 |