The 1956 Westminster Titans football team was an American football team that represented Westminster College as an independent during the 1956 NAIA football season. In their fifth season under head coach Harold Burry, the Titans compiled a perfect 8–0 record and outscored all opponents by a total of 344 to 51.[1]
| 1956 Westminster Titans football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Independent |
| Record | 8–0 |
| Head coach |
|
| Home stadium | Memorial Field |
The 1956 season was part of a 24-game unbeaten streak that began with the second game of the 1954 season (a loss to Carnegie Tech) and ended with the fourth game of the 1957 season (a loss to Geneva). The only setback during the streak was a 7-7 tie with Waynesburg in the fifth game of the 1955 season.
Halfback Bill White led the team in scoring with 11 touchdowns for 66 points.[2] White was selected as a second-team player on the 1956 Associated Press Little All-America team.[3]
Three Westminster players were named to the NAIA District 30 all-star team. Quarterback Harold Davis received more votes than any other player. The other two Westminster honorees were halfback Bill White and end Bill Moss.[4]
Also, in a poll of coaches conducted by The Pittsburgh Press, three Westmminster players won first-team honors on the all-district team. The first-team honorees were quarterback Harold Davis, fullback Bill White, and end Vince Cortese. It was White's third consecutive year on the all-district team. Center Bill Freshwater and tackle Bernie Reilly were named to the second team.[5]
Burry was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.[6]
The team played its home games at Westminster College's Memorial Field in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 29 | at Thiel |
| W 27–21 | [7][8] | |||
| October 6 | Grove City |
| W 60–0 | [9] | |||
| October 13 | Bethany (WV) | Wellsburg, WV | W 40–16 | [10][11] | |||
| October 20 | Geneva |
| W 28–0 | 4,000 | [12] | ||
| October 27 | Waynesburg |
| W 42–7 | [13] | |||
| November 3 | Indiana (PA) |
| W 54–7 | [14][15] | |||
| November 10 | at Slippery Rock | W 45–0 | [16][17] | ||||
| November 17 | Carnegie Tech |
| W 48–0 | 4,200 | [18][19][20] | ||
| |||||||
References
edit- ^ "1956 Football Schedule". Westminster College. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ "District College Football Records". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 27, 1956. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Little All-America: Schultz Named To First Team". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. December 6, 1956. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Westminster Lands 3 NAIA AS Positions". Altoona Tribune. December 7, 1956. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Westminster Places Three on All-District". The Pittsburgh Press. December 9, 1956. p. Section 8, page 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Harold Burry". National Football Foundation. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ "Titans Rally In Third Period, Defeat Thiel". New Castle News. October 1, 1956. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Westminster Edges Thiel: Big Third Period Gives Titans Win". The Record-Argus. October 1, 1956. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Titans Score Easy Win Over Grove City, 60-0". New Castle News. October 8, 1956. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Titans Come From Behind To Swamp Bethany: Captures Third Victory Of Year Without Davis". New Castle News. October 15, 1956. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Westminster Triumphs: Bethany Drops Torrid 40-16 Decision Saturday". Weirton Daily Times. October 15, 1956. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Davis Superb, Westminster Swamps Covies: Geneva Unable To Stop Titans Strong Offense". New Castle News. October 22, 1956. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Titans Have No Trouble Defeating Waynesburg: Whizzer White Scores 2 TD's In First Five Minutes". New Castle News. October 29, 1956. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Westminster Swamps Indiana Teachers 54-7: Titans Chalk Up 19th Victory Without Loss". New Castle News. November 5, 1956. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Teachers Suffer Worst Defeat in History, 54-7: Westminster Titans Roll Over Locals; Bill White Among Stars for Victors". Indiana Evening Gazette. November 5, 1956. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Westminster Wallops Slippery Rock 45-0". The Pittsburgh Press. November 11, 1956. p. Section 8, page 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Carnegie Tech Presents Final Threat To Unblemished Westminster Campaign". New Castle News. November 12, 1956. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ad". New Castle News. November 16, 1956. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Unbeaten Westminster Awaits Bowl Bid". New Castle News. November 19, 1956. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Paul G. Sullivan (November 18, 1956). "Westminster Rips Tech, 48-0: Keep Bowl Hopes Alive". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. pp. III-1, III-4 – via Newspapers.com.