Jesuit made several announcements related to athletics to start its second session on Carrollton Avenue.

• Construction had started on a new $5,000 athletic field behind the main building.
• The "Notre Dame System" of physical education would be implemented at the school. Every student would be coached in football during the daily one hour recreation period. Seven freshmen, five sophomore, four junior, and two senior teams were being formed by the new coaches, "Doc" Erskine and "Ike" Carriere. Father Dorn, "former Spring Hill star," would assist.

None of this held any immediate import for the St. Aloysius College football team since it would once again play in the Class B division for lighter teams while Jesuitwould continue in Class A with Warren Easton, Holy Cross, and Delgado Trade School. The Saints would compete against Rugby, Isidore Newman Manual Training, New Orleans Academy and S. J. Peters High School of Commerce in games consisting of 12-minute quarters. The league set the admission price at 25 cents.

Brother William, S.C.

A new athletic director and coach greeted the student body for the 1927-8 school year. Brother William Sharkey, S.C., replaced Brother Emmanuel as AD. Brother Paul continued as principal. C. P. "Kip" Kessler from Bloomfield IN and Wabash College took over the gridiron program, replacing Milton "Hippo" Phillips. "Red" Bruchez described Kessler in The Aloysian this way: The coach is a man of stocky and brawny build, of reserved tongue and temper, an unmatchable athletic strategist and the possessor of a winning personality. Mr. Kessler has captivated the students of Aloysius by his winning ways and his enthusiastic interest in their activities, scholastic as well as athletic. The boys of St. Aloysius feel certain that they have the best coach in the county. Kessler's first squad, which he began training on the opening day of school, was expected to contend for the B championship, which Rugby had won four of the last five years, the exception being 1924 when the Saints dethroned the Academy. All-Prepper Ernest "Red" Bruchez captained the Red and Black team and led the line on both O and D. Other returning forward wall veterans were the Siragusa brothers and Stanton Chassaignac. However, the backfield would be 100% new. In addition to the Siragusas, the '27 squad featured two more pairs of brothers: the Miltenbergers and the Chassaignacs.

"Kip" Kessler

The season began with a trip to Reserve for the fourth year in a row.

Sunday, October 9: St. Aloysius vs Leon Godchaux @ Reserve (aft.)

SA	0	0	0
LG	26	6	32

According an article written by Bruchez in the first issue of a new publication called The Aloysian, Coach Noel's Godchaux squad (commonly referred to as "Reserve") included "likely college material in Captain Keller, Waguespack, the Duhe brothers, and Jacob." After falling behind 26-0 at the half, the Saints had their best scoring chance in Q3, driving to the 3 only to lose a fumble. Reserve got off a poor punt from behind the goal line, and Mark "Monkey" Bendish returned the ball 8y to the 30. On first down, Clarence "Kop Kop" Smith toted the ball around LE and, using his speed and a straight arm, gained 15y. On the next play, Bendish gained 5 through the line by means of a "goose play." But the bobble bug bit again, and Reserve recovered. Altogether SA fumbled five times, losing four. Kessler was pleased with the play of his reserves, who held Godchaux to just 6 points in the second half.

SA	0	6	0	12	18
MT	0	0	0	0	0
TDs: SA Bendish, Smith, Meyer 1st Downs: SA 10, MT 3 Penalties: MT 5y, SA 25

SA lineup: T. "Gus" Miltenberger LE, sr. Joseph Siragusa LT, sr. Ernest Bruchez (C) LG, L. Siragusa C, Terrell RG, Cassagne RT, sr. Stanton Chassaignac RE, sr. Mark Bendish QB, soph. Joseph Miltenberger LH, jr. Clarence Smith RH, jr. George Celles FB
Subs: Jr. Hubert Bayhi LH, jr. Emile Meyer FB, sr. Arthur Chassaignac RG, Carlos LH, J. Burke LE, sr. Garland Garth RT, soph. Harold Lafaye QB, Gunard RH

Gus Miltenberger

The first B league game of the season drew a large crowd in perfect weather. Q1: After an exchange of punts, Milton "Irish" Levy's first Newman team reached the 10, but the Red and Black held. Soon after, SA started a drive that carried into the next period. Q2: In the opening minutes, QB Bendish hit the center of the line for the Saints' first points in 27 quarters going back to the end of the ’25 season. However, his place kick went low. Soon the Saints were driving toward pay dirt again when Clarence "Midget" Smith fumbled on the 15. Q3: Manual played better on both sides of the ball and held SA scoreless. Q4: After gaining possession on an INT by "Bendy," SA moved smartly to its second TD. Long runs by Smith and Meyer set up Smith for the tally. Once again, Bendish's kick was low. Shortly thereafter, the electrifying Smith got loose on another long run around LE, but the Saints were penalized 15y for holding. So Smith ripped off three "healthy gains" to put the ball close enough for Meyer to plunge over. Harold Lafaye took a try at drop kicking the PAT, but the ball went wide left. TP reporter Gene Thatcher wrote that Bruchez seemed to be everywhere, on every play, whether on defense or offense. He also opined that the Saints boasted a "pair of dandy E" in Gus Miltenberger and Stanton Chassaignac.

Both Kessler and HC Coach Joe Lynch needed a game to fill a gap in their schedules.

• Kessler decided to play a strictly defensive game. No sooner we received possession of the ball than we would kick to Holy Cross. (Bruchez in The Aloysian) As a result, Aloysius gained only one first down and that on a penalty.
• HC started slowly, scoring only one TD in the first half as a result of a fumbled punt. The winners used nothing but straight football in the early minutes but opened up with passes and trick plays in the last half.
• One score came on a 60y INT return by Bush. Fumbles continued to plague the Saints.
• From the brief TP article: Bendish punted well for Aloysius, which looks like a strong contender for the Class B title.
• However, a number of Aloysians, including Bruchez, suffered injuries that handicapped them in the next game.

A large crowd gathered on a warm day to watch the two favorites for the Class B crown. Rugby no longer boasted triple-threat QB Adolph Jastrum, but new coach Eddie Morgan still fielded a strong eleven. Unfortunately, Kessler's Saints didn't perform up to expectations and, outside of a sparkling 30y run by Clarence "Midget" Smith for their only score and a bevy of nicely-executed forward passes in the last Q, the winners seemed to always hold the upper hand.

• Q1: Rugby took the opening kickoff and drove to the 7. Then "Blondy" Fitzpatrick smashed to the 2 before Captain Mills, playing without a helmet, scored over C. Fitzpatrick passed to Mills for the PAT, but an offsides penalty nullified the point. (No retry.)
• Q2: After a punting battle, Smith, recovering a muffed pass from C, swept LE near the end of the half for the only SA TD of the day. The scatback reversed his field at the enemy 25 to escape three or four tacklers and complete the 80y scamper. Bendish's drop kick was wide, leaving the score tied at the break.
• Q3: The second half started badly when Andry recovered a Saint bobble at the 12. Mills, then Fortier, then Mills again pushed across the go-ahead TD. Fitzpatrick's drop kick was blocked.
• Q4: Early in the period, Rugby drove deep only to turn over the ball when Fitzpatrick's pass to Doerr was hit the ground in the end zone. After forcing a punt, the Cadets came right back with a Fitzpatrick-to-Fortier aerial to the SA 43. Doerr turned RE all the way to the 1, from where Fortier scored. Fitz's PAT pass was knocked down. Kessler's squad then unleashed an aerial assault. Smith and Bendish shot passes to Meyer and Burke for 40y and the Saints' only two first downs of the afternoon. However, Doerr halted it with an INT. Rugby reached the 10 against numerous subs as the final whistle blew.

For some unstated reason, possibly injury, Bruchez didn't start the game. Smith, despite being only a junior, was listed as captain in Red's place.

SA lineup: A. Chassaignac LE, Garth LT, Bruchez (C) LG, R. Siragusa C, Terrell RG, Meyer RT, J. Siragusa RE, Bendish QB, Smith LH, Bayhi RH, Celles FB
Subs: G. Miltenberger LE, Burke RE, Lafaye QB

Coach Ralph Harris's Cadets had yet to be scored on this season. However, the Saints, fighting to remain in the title chase, ended that string and posted their biggest victory of the year before a crowd that taxed the standing capacity of the sidelines. Gene Thatcher gushed, There has never been a more exciting hard-fought and vicious 'B' contest this year or any other year. NOA won the statistical battle but lost on the scoreboard.

• Q1: NOA swept Aloysius off its feet with a crushing rushing attack to put over a TD on the fifth play. Marty McDiamand skirted RE to the SA 40. Then Captain Al Tipping rumbled over LT for the TD. Both sides were offsides on the PAT; so there was no seventh point. There was every reason to believe the Cadets would add more points, but that would not be the case.
• Q2: NOA mounted another drive, this one to the 15. However, "Lolly" Burt was thrown for a big loss to give the ball to the Saints on downs. Then Smith fumbled, Tipping recovering on the 7. Two plunges put the pigskin on the 1. Burt rammed over, but backfield-in-motion nullified the score. Tipping gained 1 to set up the play of the game and, for SA, the play of the year. Burt threw a fourth-down pass that Smith intercepted on the 4 and returned all the way for a TD. Smith's pass for the EP was too high. Kessler left the field at halftime happy to be tied after being dominated the entire first half. The second half would be a decidedly different story.
• Q3: The Saint O showed some life as Smith rambled 30y around LE to the 15. But three plunges gained little before an incomplete pass ended the drive.
• Q4: Smith launched a 35y pass to Joseph Siragusa to the 8. Next, the Do-Everything Midget swept LE to the 4. After Celles met a stonewall, Bendish plunged up the middle for the winning TD. Smith again threw an incompletion on the PAT try.

The Saints needed to win their last game against Commy High and hope that NOA downed Rugby to throw the race into a three-way tie.

After their best game of the season, the Saints produced their worst. Commy, in its second year of football, got stronger as the game wore on.

• Q1: Commy recovered a fumble in SA territory but relinquished the ball on downs.
• Q2: "Spectacular punting" by Bendish kept the foe in check until "Bunny" Simmons returned one of the kicks to the SA 40. On the next play, Bunny hopped through C for a TD only to have the ball brought back to the 25 for clipping. So Simmons took to the air to Stuart, and "Red" Martory threw to Jackie Granen to the 10. Then "Mighty" Casey (don't you just love the nicknames of this era?) ran around LE to the EZ. Simmons' PAT pass was blocked. Smith took the kickoff and seemed headed to the promised land before being tackled by Nuss and slightly injured. However, the Mighty Mite returned to action in a few minutes.
• Q3: Any hope the Saints had of repeating their second-half performance against NOA quickly vanished when Granen returned Bendish's kickoff well into SA territory to set up a two-play drive for the go-ahead score. Simmons flipped a long pass to Casey, then Martory hit Graner for six. The year-long futility of all teams to convert PATs continued as Simmons' kick went wide. In no time, Commy was back in business after receiving still another punt. Casey ripped off 10 and 15y gains through the weakening D, reaching the 15 before he was injured. Three plays later, Martory scored from the 5. Stamp place kicked the PAT.
• Q4: SA tried long passes to catch up without success. Donze and Simmons dashed 15 and 20y to the 4, from where Donze tallied the final TD. This time Stamp's kick was low.

A week later, NOA upheld its end of the bargain by upsetting Rugby 16-6 at Old Tulane Stadium to claim the school's first Class B title.

St. Aloysius improved from 0-3-1 in 1926 to 2-6 in '27. However, the offense produced little outside of Smith's spectacular runs. Not winning the time-of-possession war, Kessler's crew wilted on D, being outscored 56-18 in the second half (not counting the Reserve game, of which nothing is known).

The high point of the season was undoubtedly the upset of eventual B champion NOA. The low point occurred just a week later - the 25-0 loss to Commy. This ranks below the 31-0 defeat by Holy Cross because the Micks, as a Class A team, were expected to blow away their smaller B opponent.

Speedy HB Clarence "Midget" Smith provided the most Saint thrills since the 1924 Class B champions. Only a junior, he promised even more excitement for '28.

1928 Season

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