1946 Thiel Tomcats football team

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1946 Thiel Tomcats football
ConferenceIndependent
Record7–0
Head coach
CaptainRalph Demi, John Vitale
Home stadiumPackard Field
Seasons
← 1945
1947 →
1946 Eastern non-major college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Thiel   –   7 – 0 – 0
Muhlenberg   –   9 – 1 – 0
Geneva   –   7 – 1 – 0
Dickinson   –   6 – 1 – 0
Alfred   –   5 – 1 – 0
Buffalo   –   7 – 2 – 0
Washington & Jefferson   –   6 – 2 – 0
Boston University   –   5 – 2 – 1
St. Lawrence   –   5 – 2 – 0
American International   –   4 – 2 – 1
Trinity (CT)   –   4 – 2 – 0
Swarthmore   –   5 – 3 – 0
Cortland State   –   4 – 3 – 0
Hofstra   –   4 – 3 – 0
Springfield   –   4 – 4 – 0
New York A&T   –   3 – 3 – 0
Northeastern   –   3 – 3 – 0
Scranton   –   4 – 5 – 1
Gettysburg   –   4 – 5 – 0
Drexel   –   3 – 4 – 0
Franklin & Marshall   –   3 – 4 – 0
Coast Guard   –   3 – 5 – 0
Tufts   –   1 – 6 – 0
CCNY   –   1 – 7 – 0
Carnegie Tech   –   0 – 6 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1946 Thiel Tomcats football team was an American football team that represented Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania, as an independent during the 1946 college football season. In their eleventh year under head coach Jack Stoeber, the Tomcats compiled a perfect 7–0 record and outscored opponents by a total of 88 to 33.[1] The team played its home game at Packard Field in Greenville, Pennsylvania.

In the fall of 1946, Thiel College had a total enrollment of only 450 students with 30 of them playing for the football team. The players had an average weight of between 165 and 170 pounds, and all but two of them were World War II veterans.[2] Thirteen of the 30 players were locals from Greenville, and only two were from out of state.[3] In describing the strength of the squad, Coach Stoeber emphasized teamwork over raw talent: "Although I have a squad of 30, the quality is not too good, and there are no outstanding individuals. The boys play together, and that is the answer for our good season."[3]

The 1941 Thiel team also compiled an undefeated record,[4] but the football program ceased competition during World War II.[5] After a four-year hiatus, six players from the 1941 team returned to the 1946 team, including Joe DeFebo who served as an assistant coach.[3] In all, Thiel won 15 consecutive games from 1941 to 1948.[4][1][6]

In 1981, the team was inducted into the Thiel Athletic Hall of Fame. In its memorial to the 1946 team, Thiel Athletics note that "the 1946 team was forced to claw its way through", squeaking out narrow wins in a series of "cliff-hangers".[5]

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 27Butler Cubs
W 26–0[7]
October 5at HiramHiram, OHW 14–6[8]
October 12at Slippery RockSlippery Rock, PAW 2–0[9]
October 19Clarion
  • Packard Field
  • Greenville, PA
W 14–13
October 26at EdinboroEdinboro, PAW 7–02,000[10]
November 2Allegheny
  • Packard Field
  • Greenville, PA
W 13–7[11]
November 9Grove City
  • Packard Field
  • Greenville, PA
W 12–7[12]

Roster[edit]

  • Sam Scava
  • Jim Trettle
  • John Bright
  • John Desport
  • Paul Stegkamper
  • David Spargo
  • Jack Beer
  • James Wallace
  • Pete Battisti
  • Emil Charles
  • Carl Maurana
  • Dale Bachman
  • Richard Dennison
  • Dom Ucchino
  • Tony Fahl
  • Burt Larsen
  • Robert Himmelman
  • Tony Donato
  • George Dietrich,
  • William Peterson
  • Dominic Benedetto
  • John Vitale
  • Robert Dell
  • Robert Driscole
  • James Miller
  • James Nichol
  • Guyton Thigpen
  • Bob Henderson
  • John Boliver
  • Ralph Demi
  • Robert Denniston

[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "1946 - Thiel (PA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  2. ^ "Bowl Bid Interests Unbeaten Little Thiel: Undermanned Squad Willing to Play In Tobacco Bowl Contest This Year". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 16, 1946. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c "Thiel Finishes Second Straight Undefeated Season". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 20, 1946. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "1941 - Thiel (PA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Undefeated Football Team 1946". Thiel Athletics. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  6. ^ "1941 - Thiel (PA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  7. ^ "Thiel Routs Butler, 26-0: All Scoring Comes In Second Half". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 28, 1946. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Thiel Beats Hiram, 14-6". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. October 6, 1946. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Thiel, 2-0 Victor Over Slippery Rock". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. October 13, 1946. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Thiel Shuts Out Edinboro, 7 to 0". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. October 27, 1946. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Thiel Tops Allegheny". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. November 3, 1946. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Thiel Wins, 12-7; Ends Unbeaten; Lutherans Run Streak To 14th Straight". The Pittsburgh Press. November 10, 1946. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
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