1956 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

1956 West Virginia Mountaineers football
1956 West Virginia Mountaineers football
SoCon champion
Conference	Southern Conference
Record	6–4 (5–0 SoCon)
Head coach	Art Lewis (7th season);
Home stadium	Mountaineer Field
	Seasons ← 1955 1957 →

The 1956 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1956 college football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Art Lewis, the Mountaineers compiled an overall record of 6–4 with a mark of 5–0 in conference play, winning the SoCon title for the fourth consecutive season.

1956 Southern Conference football standings
v t e	Conf.					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
West Virginia $	5	–	0	–	0	6	–	4	–	0
VPI	3	–	0	–	0	7	–	2	–	1
No. 17 George Washington	5	–	1	–	0	8	–	1	–	1
Davidson	2	–	2	–	1	5	–	3	–	1
Furman	2	–	2	–	0	2	–	8	–	0
VMI	2	–	3	–	1	3	–	6	–	1
Richmond	2	–	5	–	0	4	–	5	–	0
The Citadel	1	–	3	–	0	3	–	5	–	1
Washington and Lee	0	–	1	–	0	1	–	7	–	0
William & Mary	0	–	5	–	0	0	–	9	–	1

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22	No. 10 Pittsburgh*		Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV (rivalry)	L 13–14	34,800	^[1]
September 29	Richmond		Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	W 30–6	17,000	^[2]
October 6	at Texas*		Memorial Stadium Austin, TX	W 7–6	30,000	^[3]
October 13	at Syracuse*	No. 20	Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY (rivalry)	L 20–27	25,000	^[4]
October 20	at William & Mary		Cary Field Williamsburg, VA	W 20–13	10,000	^[5]
October 27	at No. 18 Penn State*		New Beaver Field University Park, PA (rivalry)	L 6–16	27,814–29,244	^[6]
November 3	No. 14 George Washington		Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	W 14–0	22,000	^[7]
November 10	VMI		Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	W 13–6	12,000	^[8]
November 17	Furman		Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	W 7–0	5,000	^[9]
November 23	at No. 6 Miami (FL)*		Burdine Stadium Miami, FL	L 0–18	37,073	^[10]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[11]

Roster

1956 West Virginia Mountaineers football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
QB	`10`	Alex Szuch	Sr
End	`84`	Joe Kopnisky	Sr
End	`12`	Walter Beene	Sr
End	`87`	Roger Chancey	Jr
End	`89`	Jim Jones	Jr
OL-LT	`77`	Dick Guesman	Jr
OL-LG	`64`	Gene Lathey	Sr
OL-RG	`65`	Jerry Urda	Sr
Tackle	`66`	Chuck Howley	Jr
Guard	`72`	Paul Sharkady	Jr
Tackle	`74`	Jim Pickett	Jr
Guard	`55`	Barry Blake	Sr
Guard	`56`	Chuck Billak	Jr
Guard	`63`	Bob Guenther	Jr
Center	`61`	Joe Nicely	Jr
HB	`21`	Paul Shepherd	Sr
HB	`22`	Victor "Jack" Rabbits	Sr
HB	`24`	Ralph Anastasio	Jr
HB	`41`	Sammy Sizemore	Jr
FB	`23`	Ray Borst	Sr
FB	`49`	Larry Krutko	Jr
FB	`34`	Noel Whipkey	So
QB	`15`	Mickey Trimarki	Jr
Tackle	`75`	Jim Hillen	So
Tackle	`79`	Ed Sommer	Jr

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
DE	`84`	Joe Kopnisky	Sr
DE	`12`	Walter Beene	Sr
DE	`87`	Roger Chancey	Jr
DE	`89`	Jim Jones	Jr
DT	`77`	Dick Guesman	Jr
DT	`74`	Jim Pickett	Jr
DT	`75`	Jim Hillen	So
DT	`79`	Ed Sommer	Jr
NG	`72`	Paul Sharkady	Jr
DG	`64`	Gene Lathey	Sr
DG	`65`	Jerry Urda	Sr
DG	`55`	Barry Blake	Sr
DG	`56`	Chuck Billak	Jr
DG	`63`	Bob Guenther	Jr
LB	`66`	Chuck Howley	Jr
LB	`61`	Joe Nicely	Jr
LB	`23`	Ray Borst	Sr
LB	`49`	Larry Krutko	Jr
LB	`34`	Noel Whipkey	So
DB	`21`	Paul Shepherd	Sr
DB	`22`	Victor "Jack" Rabbits	Sr
DB	`24`	Ralph Anastasio	Jr
DB	`41`	Sammy Sizemore	Jr
S	`10`	Alex Szuch	Sr
S	`15`	Mickey Trimarki	Jr

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
P	`10`	Alex Szuch	Sr
K	`23`	Ray Borst	Sr
KR	`22`	Victor "Jack" Rabbits	Sr
KR	`41`	Sammy Sizemore	Jr
PR	`21`	Paul Shepherd	Sr
PR	`24`	Ralph Anastasio	Jr

Head coach

Art "Pappy" Lewis

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Gene Corum (Ends)
Russ Crane (Defensive Line)
Ed Shockey (Backfield)
Bob Snyder (Backfield)
Quentin Barnette (Freshman Coach)
Charles Donaldson (Freshman Coach)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

References

↑ "Alert Pitt Panthers edge West Virginia, 14 to 13". Tampa Sunday Tribune. September 23, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "West Virginia wins, 30–6, over Spiders". Asheville Citizen-Times. September 30, 1956. Retrieved November 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "W. Virginia trips Texas by 7 to 6". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. October 7, 1956. Retrieved April 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Syracuse strikes twice in last stanza to defeat West Virginia squad, 27–20". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 14, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Mountaineers edge W&M, 20–13". The Times and Democrat. October 21, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Early Penn State drive tops West Virginia gridders, 16–6". The Baltimore Sun. October 28, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ Harry Keck (November 4, 1956). "West Virginia cops, 14-0, nears conference title". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. p. 3-1 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "West Virginia nips VMI, 13–6". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 11, 1956. Retrieved January 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "West Virginia barely defeats Furman, 7 to 0". Rocky Mount Telegram. November 18, 1956. Retrieved September 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Miami Hurriicanes beat West Virginia". The Shreveport Journal. November 24, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "1956 West Virginia Mountaineers Schedule and Results".

[1] "Alert Pitt Panthers edge West Virginia, 14 to 13". Tampa Sunday Tribune. September 23, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[2] "West Virginia wins, 30–6, over Spiders". Asheville Citizen-Times. September 30, 1956. Retrieved November 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

[3] "W. Virginia trips Texas by 7 to 6". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. October 7, 1956. Retrieved April 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] "Syracuse strikes twice in last stanza to defeat West Virginia squad, 27–20". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 14, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[5] "Mountaineers edge W&M, 20–13". The Times and Democrat. October 21, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[6] "Early Penn State drive tops West Virginia gridders, 16–6". The Baltimore Sun. October 28, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[7] Harry Keck (November 4, 1956). "West Virginia cops, 14-0, nears conference title". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. p. 3-1 – via Newspapers.com.

[8] "West Virginia nips VMI, 13–6". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 11, 1956. Retrieved January 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

[9] "West Virginia barely defeats Furman, 7 to 0". Rocky Mount Telegram. November 18, 1956. Retrieved September 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

[10] "Miami Hurriicanes beat West Virginia". The Shreveport Journal. November 24, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[11] "1956 West Virginia Mountaineers Schedule and Results".

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