Chapter 124

Up Next- Four Games with Southern Conference Members

The Colonels found themselves in totally unfamiliar territory. Not since 1917 when they lost the second game of the season had they failed to have a winning record. Now, the team was 1-1-1. There were 4 games left, all with big flagship state schools, each of which was a member of the Southern Conference.

The schedule after West Virginia and the return from New York was:

Nov.   1      Kentucky at Lexington
Nov.   8     Tennessee at Knoxville
Nov. 15      Alabama at Birmingham
Nov. 29     Georgia at Danville 

As student manager of the Lieutenants, I knew pretty much everything that was going on, not only with the freshmen, but since Red also was helping with the varsity, I was involved with everything going on there, too. Naturally, Red sat in on all of the meetings, and since I was Red's shadow, I was right there in the middle of everything.

There were some really intense meetings after the West Virginia game. The seven senior starters led by Herb Covington made a vow that they were going to go out winners, just like they'd been all during their careers.

Later, the Chief began to call them "The Seven Immortals." The seven were Herb Covington, Ed Kubale, Minos Gordy, Cliff Lemon, who we called Hennie, Case Thomasson, the boy from Newport who blew up the beaker in our chemistry lab, Frank Rubarth, and Howard Lynch. They deserved to be called "The Immortals" for all that they accomplished while they were at Centre.

I was at Centre during the great seasons of 1921 through 1924. I'd seen some wonderful football games, but what happened during the rest of the '24 season, after the loss in New York, is what I believe was Centre's finest moment.

The seniors made a simple declaration. They would not lose another game, and they would not give up a point. They'd have to be carried off the field if they weren't able to play every minute left in the season.

It was like the determination that Howard had told me he had seen in Boston just before the 1921 game when we beat Harvard. The seven senior starters said they had represented Centre with the pride that only putting on the gold and white jerseys of Centre could produce. They had spent 4 years helping build what the Chief, Uncle Charlie, Bo, Red Weaver, Red Roberts, Army, Bill James, Ben Cregor, Hump, Terry Snowday, and all of the great players who'd gone before them had accomplished.

They had been winners, and they were going out winners. They made that vow in a meeting.

And then they began that cheer which the players sometimes started to reinforce just who and what they were.

"We are Centre!" 

"We are Centre!" 

Over and over. 

"We are Centre!" 

"We are Centre!" 

They truly were.

The seven starting seniors, "The Seven Immortals," and their hometowns and nicknames, were;

Herbert Hunt Covington- Mayfield, Ky. "Covey or Flash"
Edwin Kubale- Fort Smith, Ar. "Kube"
Minos Thomas Gordy- Abbeville, La. "Cajun"
Clifton Wilson Lemon- Mayfield, Ky. "Hennie"
Howard W. Lynch- Amarillo, Tx. "Bull"
Robert Frank Rubarth- Gatesville, Tx. "Rube"
Robert L. Thomasson- Newport, Ky. "Case"

The "Immortals" as dubbed by Chief Myers