Who Were The Ravenna Sentries?

The Ravenna Sentries were a group of local players who had played in 1916 as the Ravenna Cubs. Most of them signed up for military service in 1917 and serviced together in the 136th Machine Gun Battalion Company C from Massillon, Ohio in the Great War. While at Camp Sheridan they formed a company team that beat all their opponents. When they returned a new team was formed using the name Sentries. The team leader was quarterback Clarence Baxter (blockingback in the singlewing which they played) who called the plays and was the leading receiver. William Trexler, founder of Trexler Rubber Company was one of the halfbacks. The Sentries finished the 1919 season 8-0-3, scored 149 points to 13 and finished with eight straight shutouts. They were a light (average weight of 140 pounds per player) team that used the modern passing game. In a 1920 contest against the Williams Warren Tire squad posted a 133-0 victory. That season they had a 7-2-2 record and out scored opponents 353-25.Their final season appears to have been in 1926.