The 1921 VPI Gobblers football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute in the 1921 college football season. The team was led by their head coach B. C. Cubbage and finished with a record of seven wins and three losses (7–3).

Schedule

Before the season The 1920 VPI Gobblers football team compiled a 4–6 record and were led by Stanley Sutton in his only season as head coach.

Game summaries Hampden–Sydney VPI's first game of the season was a victory over Hampden–Sydney at Miles Field.

The starting lineup for VPI was: Hardwick (left end), Tilson (left tackle), Rea (left guard), Resh (center), Moore (right guard), Sherertz (right tackle), Wilson (right end), Wallace (quarterback), Sutton (left halfback), Gettle (right halfback), Hess (fullback). The substitutes were: Baker, Beck, Dean, Hutcheson, Jones, Linkous, Long and Owens.

The starting lineup for Hampden–Sydney was: Watson (left end), William Fuqua (left tackle), William Saunders (left guard), Edwin Sands (center), Ed Sager (right guard), Robert Stoltz (right tackle), Hugh Brenaman (right end), Ben Smith (quarterback), Bailey Tyson (left halfback), Johnson (right halfback), Rex Blankenship (fullback). The substitutes were: Boynton Breitenhirt, H. S. Buchanan, William Day, M. A. Lush, A. J. McKelway and W. H. Simmerman.

William & Mary

After their victory over Hampden–Sydney, VPI played the College of William & Mary at Miles Field.

The starting lineup for VPI was: Hardwick (left end), Tilson (left tackle), Rea (left guard), Resh (center), Moore (right guard), Hutcheson (right tackle), Wilson (right end), Wallace (quarterback), Sutton (left halfback), Gettle (right halfback), Hess (fullback). The substitutes were: Baker, Beck, Flory, Jones, Rutherford, Sheppard and Sherertz.

The starting lineup for William & Mary was: W. S. Harwood (left end), A. C. Bennett (left tackle), T. J. Young (left guard), John Todd (center), Julius Wilson (right guard), Williams (right tackle), W. S. Sorg (right end), Jack Chalkley (quarterback), Fairmount White (left halfback), Harvey Hastings (right halfback), Thomas Jordan (fullback). The substitutes were: Earnest Dietz, George Flanders, J. C. Fuller, Jones, Paul Keister and Levvy.

Centre

The starting lineup for VPI was: Hardwick (left end), Tilson (left tackle), Rea (left guard), Resh (center), Moore (right guard), Sherertz (right tackle), Wilson (right end), Wallace (quarterback), Sutton (left halfback), Gettle (right halfback), Hess (fullback). The substitutes were: Flory.

The starting lineup for Centre was: Bradley (left end), Red Roberts (left tackle), George Jones (left guard), Ed Kubale (center), Ben Cregor (right guard), Bill James (right tackle), Minos Gordy (right end), Bo McMillin (quarterback), Thomas Bartlett (left halfback), Norris Armstrong (right halfback), John Tanner (fullback). The substitutes were: J. Greene.

Richmond

The starting lineup for VPI was: Hardwick (left end), Tilson (left tackle), Rea (left guard), Resh (center), Sheppard (right guard), Sherertz (right tackle), Wilson (right end), Wallace (quarterback), Sutton (left halfback), Gettle (right halfback), Hess (fullback). The substitutes were: Baker, Beck, Dean, Flory, Hutcheson, Jones, Moore and Rhodes.

The starting lineup for Richmond was: William Rucker (left end), Graham Carlton (left tackle), Yewell Hodges (left guard), Ralph Bethel (center), Henry Johnson (right guard), Albert Klevesahl (right tackle), Claude Reams (right end), Thurman Towill (quarterback), Waverly Jones (left halfback), William Ziegler (right halfback), E. Hobson Snead (fullback). The substitutes were: Russell Booker, Crosby, John Fray, McAster, Davis Ratcliffe and Hubel Robins.

Maryland

The starting lineup for VPI was: Hardwick (left end), Tilson (left tackle), Rea (left guard), Resh (center), Moore (right guard), Sherertz (right tackle), Wilson (right end), Wallace (quarterback), Sutton (left halfback), Gettle (right halfback), Hess (fullback). The substitutes were: Flory, Hutcheson, Jones and Rhodes.

The starting lineup for Maryland was: Walter H. Young (left end), Andy Nesbit (left tackle), Mac Brewer (left guard), George Pollock (center), Jesse Gundry (right guard), Joseph C. Burger (right tackle), Cecil Branner (right end), Eddie Semler (quarterback), Brooke Brewer (left halfback), Romeo Pagnucci (right halfback), Jack McQuade (fullback). The substitutes were: John Groves, Lewis and John Moore.

Washington and Lee

The starting lineup for VPI was: Hardwick (left end), Tilson (left tackle), Sheppard (left guard), Baker (center), Moore (right guard), Sherertz (right tackle), Wilson (right end), Wallace (quarterback), Sutton (left halfback), Gettle (right halfback), Hess (fullback). The substitutes were: DeLaBarre, Flory, Linkous, Rea, Resh and Rhodes.

The starting lineup for Washington and Lee was: Thomas Bemis (left end), Lindsay Moore (left tackle), George Vogel (left guard), L. P. Collins (center), W. W. Rangeley (right guard), R. C. Potts (right tackle), Joseph Herndon (right end), Robert Frew (quarterback), D. M. Tucker (left halfback), Marv Mattox (right halfback), J. W. McDonald (fullback). The substitutes were: Bernard Arbogast, Eddie Cameron, J. E. Leake, James Kay Thomas, C. L. Walters and D. P. Wingo.

Morris Harvey

NC State

The starting lineup for VPI was: Hardwick (left end), Tilson (left tackle), Moore (left guard), Baker (center), Sheppard (right guard), Hutcheson (right tackle), Wilson (right end), Wallace (quarterback), Sutton (left halfback), Jones (right halfback), Hess (fullback). The substitutes were: Beck, Dean, Rea, Resh, Rhodes and Sherertz.

The starting lineup for NC State was: Samuel Homewood (left end), Averette Floyd (left tackle), Toxey Whitaker (left guard), Thomas Bostian (center), Earl Pasour (right guard), Herbert Weathers (right tackle), William Wearn (right end), J. T. Faucette (quarterback), Nathaniel Pierson (left halfback), Robert Holland (right halfback), Thomas Park (fullback). The substitutes were: David VanSant.

Roanoke

The starting lineup for VPI was: Hardwick (left end), Tilson (left tackle), Rea (left guard), Baker (center), Sherertz (right guard), Hutcheson (right tackle), Wilson (right end), Dean (quarterback), Sutton (left halfback), Wallace (right halfback), Hess (fullback). The substitutes were: Gillette, Owens, Reese, Rhodes, Shankland and Sheppard.

The starting lineup for Roanoke was: H. S. Rice (left end), T. W. Potter (left tackle), E. G. Ould (left guard), F. L. Logan (center), Gordon C. White (right guard), P. H. Neese (right tackle), E. A. Roades (right end), G. M. Caldwell (quarterback), G. S. Stevens (left halfback), P. B. Gray (right halfback), M. D. Couk (fullback). The substitutes were: Whitescarver.

VMI

The starting lineup for VPI was: Hardwick (left end), Tilson (left tackle), Sheppard (left guard), Baker (center), Sherertz (right guard), Hutcheson (right tackle), Wilson (right end), Wallace (quarterback), Sutton (left halfback), Gettle (right halfback), Hess (fullback). The substitutes were: Flory, Jones, Rea, Resh and Rhodes.

The starting lineup for VMI was: William Drewry (left end), Frank Summers (left tackle), William Wescott (left guard), Peter Miller (center), William Harrison (right guard), Robert Hunt (right tackle), Ruxton Ridgely (right end), Worthington Faulkner (quarterback), Jere Bunting (left halfback), Hal Costolo (right halfback), William Shannon (fullback). The substitutes were: Attwell, Edwin Clark, Wallace Douglas, Farley, Thomas Gray, Carl Hammond, Edward Ryder, William Venable and Mortimer Watkins.

Players Roster

VPI 1921 roster Robert Lindsay Baker C. O. Beck Dean Cecil Franzen DeLaBarre Charles Laurence Flory Herbert Houston Gettle Gillette Hank Hardwick H. W. Hess Allen Farrar Hutcheson Melvin Rivers Jones Linkous Long Ralph Erskine Moore Owens Robert James Rea Reese Franklyn Senator Resh Charles Douglas Rhodes Donald Hurt Rutherford Andrew Nimmo Shankland Hubert Austin Sheppard William Shields Sherertz Harry McMullen Sutton Sumner D. Tilson (Capt.) John Graham "Rip" Wallace Victor Peters Wilson

Monogram Club members Fifteen players received monograms for their participation on the 1921 VPI team.

Player Hometown Notes Robert Lindsay Baker Norfolk, Virginia Herbert Houston "Pasco" Gettle Hank Hardwick Blacksburg, Virginia The 22nd head football coach at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. H. W. Hess Allen Farrar Hutcheson Boydton, Virginia Melvin Rivers Jones Richmond, Virginia Ralph Erskine Moore Augusta County, Virginia World War I veteran (USAAS). Robert James Rea Franklyn Senator Resh Norfolk, Virginia Hubert Austin Sheppard Front Royal, Virginia William Shields Sherertz Roanoke, Virginia Harry McMullen Sutton Suffolk, Virginia Sumner D. Tilson Childress, Texas VPI's head football coach for one season, in 1942, compiling a record of 7–2–1. John Graham "Rip" Wallace Hampton, Virginia Victor Peters Wilson Hampton, Virginia

Coaching and training staff Head coach: B. C. Cubbage Assistant coach: William L. Younger Graduate Manager: Sally Miles Manager: Robert Henry Shultz Junior varsity head coach: M. J. Bresnahan

References