1949 West Virginia Tech Golden Bears football team
{{short description|College football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1949
| team = West Virginia Tech Golden Bears
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
| short_conf = WVIAC
| record = 8–0–1
| conf_record = 8–0–1
| head_coach = Herb Royer
| hc_year = 1st
| captain = Neal Baisi
| captain2 = Randy Cooper
| stadium =
| champion = WVIAC champion
}}
{{1949 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}
The 1949 West Virginia Tech Golden Bears football team was an American football team that represented the West Virginia University Institute of Technology of Beckley, West Virginia, as a member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) during the 1949 college football season. In their first year under head coach Herb Royer, the team compiled a 8–0–1 record (8–0–1 against WVIAC teams), won the WVIAC championship, outscored opponents by a total of 243 to 83, and outgained opponents by 2,191 yards to 831 yards.{{cite news|title=Tech's Cooper Tops Nation's Scoring List|newspaper=Beckley Post-Herald|date=November 26, 1949|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123913032/techs-cooper-tops-nations-scoring-list/|via=Newspapers.com}} The team was honored 60 years later at the school's homecoming game.{{cite news|title=WVU Tech to honor three teams|newspaper=Fayette Tribune|date=September 24, 2009|url=https://www.fayettetribune.com/sports/wvu-tech-to-honor-three-teams/article_227129e0-3227-5e66-a9b9-83c4ca317fde.html}}
Halfback Randy Cooper scored 114 points. His total of 19 touchdowns led the nation. Cooper also set new WVIAC records for most net rushing yards in a season (1,228), most rushing yards in a game (276 against Potomac), most yards of total offense in a game (286 against Potomac), and most carries in a season (185).{{cite news|title=Tech's Randy Cooper Has Four New Gridiron Marks|newspaper=Beckley Post-Herald|date=December 7, 1949|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123913348/techs-randy-cooper-has-four-new/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Cooper and guard Neal Baisi were the team co-captains.{{cite news|title=Oak Hill Gridmen Tech Co-Captain|newspaper=Beckley Post-Herald|date=September 15, 1949|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123913759/oak-hill-gridmen-tech-co-captain/|via=Newspapers.com}} Halfback Walter Rapko gained 667 yards from scrimmage and scored seven touchdowns. Quarterback John Grossi completed 10 of 17 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 23||{{cfb link|year=1949|team=Shepherd Rams|title=Shepherd}}||Montgomery, WV|W 23-6||{{cite news|title=Tech In Impressive Win Over Shepherd|newspaper=Beckley Post-Herald|date=September 24, 1949|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123911640/tech-in-impressive-win-over-shepherd/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|September 30||{{cfb link|year=1949|team=Fairmont State Fighting Falcons|title=Fairmont State}}||Montgomery, WV|W 33-7||{{cite news|title=Tech Bears Win Conference Tilt|newspaper=Beckley Post-Herald|date=October 1, 1949|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123911869/tech-bears-win-conference-tilt/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 8|at|{{cfb link|year=1949|team=Glenville State Pioneers|title=Glenville State}}||Glenville, WV|W 33-13||
|October 15||{{cfb link|year=1949|team=Davis & Elkins Senators|title=Davis & Elkins}}||Montgomery, WV|W 37-7||{{cite news|title=Concord, Tech Mark SIC Wins: D&E is 37-7 4th Victim for Golden Bears|newspaper=The Sunday Register|date=October 16, 1949|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123912206/concord-tech-mark-sic-wins-de-is/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 21|at|{{cfb link|year=1949|team=Morris Harvey Golden Eagles|title=Morris Harvey}}||Charleston, WV|W 13-7||{{cite news|title=Tech Passes Way to 13-7 Win Over Fighting Morris Harvey: Fast Game Still Scoreless Going Into 3rd Period|newspaper=The Raleigh Register|date=October 23, 1949|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123905929/tech-passes-way-to-13-7-win-over/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 28||{{cfb link|year=1949|team=West Liberty Hilltoppers|title=West Liberty}}||Montgomery, WV|T 6-6||{{cite news|title=Tech Record Spoiled by West Liberty|newspaper=Hinton Daily News|date=October 29, 1949|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123912439/tech-record-spoiled-by-west-liberty/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 5|at|{{cfb link|year=1949|team=Concord Mountain Lions|title=Concord}}||Princeton, WV|W 25-12||{{cite news|title=Tech Downs Concord 25-12 to Keep SIC Lead|newspaper=The Raleigh Register|date=November 6, 1949|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123905204/tech-downs-concord-25-12-to-keep-sic/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 11||{{cfb link|year=1949|team=West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats|title=West Virginia Wesleyan}}
|November 19|at|{{cfb link|year=1949|team=Potomac State Catamounts|title=Potomac State}}||Keyser, WV|W 43-14||{{cite news|title=Randy Cooper Leads W. Va. Tech to Victory and Conference Crown: Oak Hill Flash Sets Conference Scoring Record|newspaper=The Raleigh Register|date=November 20, 1949|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123905378/randy-cooper-leads-w-va-tech-to/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
Players
West Virginia Tech's football players, based in part on game coverage cited above, included the following:{{cite news|title=Tech Ends Its Grid Slate On Potomac Field|newspaper=Beckley Post-Herald|date=November 19, 1949|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123913537/tech-ends-its-grid-slate-on-potomac/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Tech Coach Pleased By Squd's Showing|newspaper=Sunday Register|date=September 18, 1949|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123913995/tech-coach-pleased-by-squds-showing/|via=Newspapers.com}}
- Neal Baisi, guard and co-captain, senior
- Ralph Basilio, guard
- Randy Cooper, left halfback and co-captain, senior, Oak Hill, West Virginia
- Chuck Cornell, center, senior
- Clinton Frazier
- John Grossi, quarterback, freshman, Weirton, West Virginia
- Brooks Harris, halfback, junior
- John Hess, end
- Ross Hutchens, tackle
- Joe Jarrell, right halfback
- "Bunky" Johnson, quarterback, freshman, Beckley, West Virginia
- Jim Lively, quarterback, senior
- Quentin Maner, back, freshman, Montgomery, West Virginia
- Bob Presson, fullback, junior, Ansted, West Virginia
- Walt Rapko, halfback, Oak Hill, West Virginia
- Jack Sims, end
- Jim Stover, tackle, Kingston, West Virginia
- Jim Turner, center, freshman, Beckley, West Virginia
- Ray Withrow, fullback, freshman