| History of Crusader Football |
Brother Emmanuel, S.C.The next hurdle was obtaining the Association's approval for the move. With Brother Emmanuel Exbrayat, S.C., representing the school at the September 24 planning meeting, the Association gave its okay despite the fact that the average weight of the SA squad was five pounds over the B limit of 130. So St. Aloysius joined Rugby Academy, New Orleans Academy, Manual Training, and Verrina in the second level of competition, which produced its own champion. All games would consist of 12-minute quarters. Warren Easton, Jesuit, Holy Cross, and Delgado formed the A league, which played 15-minute periods.
Other decisions made at the meeting:
- Schools must arrange for police details at the games.
- All players of teams not playing in the scheduled game must pay the regular admission price to watch a league contest.
St. Aloysius started practice the last week of September. Phillips welcomed 21 candidates. He had a month to prepare his squad for the first contest against Manual Training. During that time, the Saints met Holy Cross in a "practice contest" (probably a pre-season scrimmage in today's terminology). The TP reported that the "Cross youngsters" made a "creditable showing."
In its preview of all the teams, the TP said this about the Esplanade Avenue school:
There is always a dark horse in the prep school race and this year is going to be no exception to the general rule. Judging from the first workouts we would say that "Hippo" Phillips' St. Aloysius gridders seem the probable dope spillers. The Saints are possessed of a light, fast team and carry a bunch of tricky lads.
One of the players listed at E is "Meyers, a St. Stanislaus 135-pound player last year." A scrimmage between the first- and second-teams was scheduled for the end of September.
PAT: SA MartinSA lineup: Meyers LE, jr. Anthony Cuccia LT, sr. Francis Giacona LG, jr. Anthony A. Bologna C, jr. Frank Donze RG, Dunne RT, fr. Louis Martin RE, Johnny Bremer QB, jr. Harry Stille LH, soph. Erston Reisch RH, Salvadore Brocato FB
Subs: Jr. Leonard Enderle FB, Crefasi HB, soph. Peter Chassaignac LEThe Times-Picayune had a new prep writer, Gene Thatcher. His reports form the basis of these summaries.
- St. Aloysius now found itself on the other side of the weight fulcrum. Lewis Erwin's "light but game" Manual Training team fought to a tie after three quarters but succumbed in Q4.
- From the start, the "heavy, rugged St. Aloysius backs" worked the ball downfield. At the beginning of Q2, the Green and White stopped the Saints on downs at the 3.
- SA finally scored when Crefasi returned a punt 30y for a TD after MT had held on the 2. Martin's drop kick for the extra point missed. This score broke a 33-quarter scoreless string dating back to the second-to-last game of the 1921 season!
- Later the Q2, Mackie of Manual Training returned an interception 45y for the tying TD. The drop kick for the PAT missed by inches.
- Neither team threatened during Q3. Crefasi's INT ended the only mild threat.
- With the game seemingly heading for a tie, QB Bremer of the Saints ran back an INT 25y for the winning TD. Martin's PAT was successful.
- St. Aloysius gained 8 first downs to only 3 for MT. SA was penalized 65y to MT's 15.
Thus ended the school's ten-game losing streak. The last victory had been over N.O.A. 48-7 in the second-to-last game of the 1921 season. The last contest that year ended in a 0-0 tie.
Phillips scheduled one non-league game against the Junior team of St. Aloysius's sister school, St. Stanislaus.
Subs: Resch RH, Stille LH
- Each team threatened only once. The Junior Rock-a-Chaws reached the 12 in Q3, but the Saints' D held. In Q4, SA moved to the 13 but lost the ball on an attempted pass that fell over the goal line. Under the rules of the day, the team on defense took the ball at its own 20.
- Brocato and Crefasi, who had moved into the starting lineup after his stellar play in the first game, were the most consistent gainers for the visitors.
- SSC gained 11 first downs while SA managed 9.
Subs: Reisch RH, Stille FB, N. Giacona LT
- Verrina played the same eleven the entire game.
- In the first minutes of the game, SA drove to the 10 but Verrina held and Meyer's drop kick FG attempt went wide.
- At the beginning of Q2, "the Napoleon Avenue youngsters" drove deep but also missed a drop kick FG from the 25 by inches. Later in the period, another Verrina FG sailed wide.
- The only score came in the closing minutes of Q3. After a blocked kick gave the Saints the ball deep in Verrina territory, the plunges of Reisch and Bremer set up Crefasi's TD run around RE from the 2. Martin drop kicked the PAT.
- SA almost scored again late in the game when Crefasi got loose around LE for 25y before being tackled by the safety.
- In the closing minutes, Verrina passed the ball downfield until SA intercepted on the last play of the game.
0 6 6 13 25 0 0 0 0 0
Subs: Reisch RH, Stille RH/FB, N. Giacona LT, Buffa RH, Chassaignac RE, fr. William Vicknair RGThe Saints stood in undisputed possession of first place in the B league since every other team had a loss. NOA entered the contest with a 1-1 record in league play. The team from the "Carondelet Street institution" did not substitute the entire 48 minutes.
- SA's "crushing offense" featured the "unstoppable line plunges of FB Brocato." It often took three or four players to bring down big Salvadore. The Saints piled up 18 first downs to 7 for the Academy.
- The score could have been much worse. The Esplanade juggernaut ran out of downs three times within the shadows of the enemy goal posts.
- Phillips' D bottled up NOA's star RB Captain Percy Johnson, who had "run roughshod over every team he has bucked up against."
- In Q1, Aloysius penetrated the enemy 25 twice without scoring.
- SA drove to the 13 in Q2. From there, line plunges by Bremer and Brocato and an end run by Crefasi put the ball on the 7. After Brocato blasted to the 2 1/2, Crefasi skirted RE for the TD. Martin missed the drop kick for the extra point.
- The Saints came right back to knock on the door at the 10. However, the same misfortune that had befallen them at Stanislaus struck again - an incomplete pass over the goal line.
- After the break, SA cranked up a drive but LB Johnson broke through to drop Enderle for a 12y loss. However, our heroes drove again the next time they gained possession, and this time Crefasi ran up the middle from the 3 to pay dirt. Martin again missed the drop kick.
- Aloysius iced the game with two Q4 scores. Crefasi ran over RG for a 5y TD. Martin again misfired on the PAT. Then QB Bremer threw a 20y pass to Stille who ran the remaining 25y to the goal line. This time Crefasi drop kicked the PAT.
- In the final minutes, NOA opened up its offense with several completions into SA territory as the game ended.
0 16 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0
Subs: Stille RH, Buffa FB, N. Giacona LT, Reisch RH, Chassaignac RE, jr. Frank Gambino LG, Vicknair RGIt was fitting that the B group championship come down to the current leader, St. Aloysius, and the two-time defending champions from Rugby.
- SA dominated Q1, gaining yardage with a 20y pass from Bremer to Enderle, who ran 25 more to the Academy 25. After Brocato gained four, Rugby recovered a fumble on the 21. After the Saints held for three downs, King punted to midfield..
- More Bremer-Enderle connections highlighted a drive that reached the 9 before another fumble was lost. King immediately punted out of danger. Then more frustration for the Red and Black. Enderle broke through the middle to the 2 only to fumble and see Rugby recover yet again, this time at the 1. The redoubtable King boomed another spiral for 45y on the next play.
- Aloysius finally stopped shooting itself in the foot. Bremer hit his favorite receiver, Enderle, for 23 to the one-foot line. Crefasi lunged over the middle for the score. Brocato bucked RG for the point after.
- On the ensuing kickoff, the Rugby receiver was downed behind the goal line for a safety. The Saints then embarked on another long march interspersing end runs, plunges, and long passes. At the 6, the St. Charles Avenue boys were penalized 5y for offsides. Brocato then crashed over for the TD. Bremer drop kicked the PAT.
- Rugby outplayed the favorites in the scoreless Q3. In the last stanza, SA almost scored again as Crefasi got loose around LE and seemed on his way to a TD when the S brought him down. Crefasi then twisted and turned through numerous tacklers around LE for 35y to the 14. However, three incomplete passes gave Rugby the ball on the 5.
- To show that the game was not as close as the final score indicated, the Saints amassed 14 first downs to Rugby's two, both achieved in the last period.
Warren Easton upended Jesuit 12-7 in the annual final game for the Class A championship.St. Aloysius jumped from last to first after it moved down to the B division. Only one TD was scored on Phillips' squad and that came in Q2 of the first game of the season on an INT return.Semmes Walmsley, who refereed almost every prep game, chose his sixth annual All-Prep team.
- Crefasi (LHB), Cuccia (LT), and Bologna (RG) made his 1924 Class B first team.
- Honorable Mention went to Bremer, Enderle, and Brocato.
TP prep writer Gene Thatcher picked his own team.
- He agreed with the selections of Cuccia and Bologna for first team but placed Brocato on his list at FB.
- Thatcher's honorable mention included "Meyer" at T (he undoubtedly meant Meyers at E), Martin (E), Bremer (QB), and Crefasi (HB).
CONTENTS
1924 Season