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History of Crusader Football |

Brother Lambert, S.C.

Lee Happel
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St. Aloysius College started school on September 7 with 870 students, the largest student body ever for the fourth straight year.
- The Aloysian 10/22/37: "The school is filled to capacity; in fact the large attendance has necessitated the erecting of two more classrooms."
- The parishes contributing the most students were: St. Rose 90, Holy Rosary 58, Holy Name of Mary (Algiers) 50, St. James Major 46, and St. Augustine 40. 24 students listed themselves as non-Catholic.
The school would get a new president in October.
- The leader for the last six years, Brother Martinian, S.C., was appointed Provincial Superior of the New Orleans Province of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart for a term of three years.
- Brother Lambert, S.C., the outgoing provincial, swapped places with Brother Martinian. In the end-of-year issue of The Aloysian, Brother Lambert would be identified as "Principal," a term that had not been officially used at the college and should not be interpreted the same way it is today. "President" would be the modern title. Before becoming provincial for six years, Brother Lambert had served as "director" (president) of St. Aloysius for the 1930-1 school year.
- Brother Martin, S.C., continued as "Vice-President" and Athletic Director.
- Brother Macarius, S.C., in his A Century of Service for the Sacred Heart in the United States (1947), explained the administrative setup this way.
In October of 1937, Brother Martinian was made Provincial of the Province, and Brother Lambert was appoined to succeed him as director of St. Aloysius. Brother Lambert was already favorably known to the patrons of the school; he had already spent a year there as director and so the good will of the former administration was readily given to him. Brother Martin still directed the school activities.
- The school hired a new teacher who would assist the athletic program, Leo Happel, who had played football at Notre Dame for three years. He was brought down from Evansville IN to direct the new physical education program that was now mandated by the state. Leo did not join the faculty until November 15, too late to help with the football team. He did get right to work as JV basketball coach.
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Coach Monk Zelden

Jimmy Thibaut
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Head football coach Sam "Monk" Zelden returned for his fourth year but faced a challenging season after losing 12 seniors from the 1936 squad that finished 4-4-1.
- Monk would again be assisted by Denny Miller.
- The use of the "Panthers" nickname was finally put to rest. The Aloysian and the Times-Picayune now referred to the football team as "Crusaders" although prep writer N. Charles Wicker occasionally slipped in "Crimson Tide."
The roster of only 20 players included just seven returning lettermen.
- One of the veterans, Jimmy Thibaut, ranked as one of the best players not only in the city but also in the state. The second largest player on the roster at 183 lb, he would be the squad's best runner, passer, punter, and tackler. (Remember that, in this era, substitutions were limited - a player who left the field could not return until the next quarter. So players routinely competed on both offense and defense.)
- C Nolan Delatte had played solid ball as a freshman, earning Honorable Mention All-Prep.
- A number of newcomers would have to contribute for the team to have a successful season. One of those newcomers was a 170 lb sophomore G named Tom Gilmore (destined to be the 1975 Alumnus of the Year).
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St. Aloysius Crusaders 1937
No. |
Player |
Position |
Weight |
Age |
Class |
Yrs on
Team |
64 |
Donald Robillard |
HB |
141 |
16 |
Sr. |
1 |
66 |
John Sullivan |
HB |
144 |
17 |
Sr. |
1 |
68 |
Nolan Delatte |
C |
165 |
17 |
So. |
2 |
70 |
Roland Ladreyt |
T |
172 |
17 |
Sr. |
2 |
70 |
James Thibaut |
FB |
183 |
19 |
Sr. |
4 |
71 |
John Stroebel |
E |
177 |
19 |
Jr. |
2 |
72 |
Pete Judlin |
T |
198 |
16 |
Sr. |
2 |
73 |
Larry Poillion |
G |
151 |
17 |
So. |
1 |
74 |
Charles Longmire |
QB |
128 |
14 |
Jr. |
1 |
76 |
Walter Fontaine |
HB |
140 |
15 |
Jr. |
1 |
? |
Samuel Guillot |
E |
142 |
16 |
So. |
1 |
81 |
George O'Dowd |
E |
130 |
16 |
Jr. |
2 |
82 |
Wilbert Hennessey |
HB |
163 |
18 |
Sr. |
2 |
88 |
Joseph Folse |
G |
162 |
17 |
Sr. |
1 |
89 |
Joseph Quintas |
T |
179 |
18 |
Sr. |
3 |
90 |
Thomas Jenny |
E |
143 |
17 |
Sr. |
1 |
91 |
Ray Lala |
C |
158 |
18 |
Jr. |
1 |
92 |
Elmo Laudumiey |
E |
160 |
18 |
Jr. |
1 |
93 |
Ray Luthringshausen |
HB |
166 |
16 |
So. |
1 |
94 |
Thomas Gilmore |
G |
170 |
15 |
So. |
1 |
1937 St. Aloysius Crusaders Varsity Football Team

The players can be identified by their numbers from the roster above.
Standing at far left is Assistant Coach Denny Miller; next to him (not in uniform for some reason) is Jimmy Thibaut.
At far right in back row is Coach Monk Zelden. Kneeling at far right is Manager "Dooley" Schellhaas.
Looking to the future, Brother Ralph, S.C. again coached the second team (JV) while Brother Aquinas, S.C. returned as mentor of the 135 lb team.
1937 Second Team (JV)
1937 Third Team (135 lb)
The LHSAA enacted a rule for 1937 that would not affect the Crusaders but would cause a huge controversy in the New Orleans prep league. The regulation aimed to eliminate tie games in determining the league champion by mandating that the team with more first downs would be declared the winner. If the sides deadlocked in first downs, the team that penetrated the opponent's 20y line more often would win.
- The regulation would lead to the 1937 Jesuit-Holy Cross game being voided for purposes of determining the prep champion.
- 35 years later, the same statute would require Brother Martin and Neville to replay their semifinal contest.
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Aloysius began the season on the road in Reserve for the third year in a row. The game, originally scheduled for Sunday, September 27, was moved up to Wednesday so that Leon Godchaux could play Catholic High in Baton Rouge on the 27th.
Wednesday, September 22: St. Aloysius vs Leon Godchaux @ Reserve (aft.) |
SA |
6 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
| Res |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
TDs: Sullivan, Hennessey
First downs: SA 10, Res 3;
Penalty yds: SA 25, Res 15 |
SA lineup: Sr. Thomas Jenny LE, sr. Roland Ladreyt LT, so. Larry Poillion LG, so. Nolan Delatte C, so. Thomas Gilmore RG, sr. Joseph "Red" Quintas RT, jr. John Stroebel RE, sr. James Thibaut QB, sr. John Sullivan HB, so. Ray "Dutch" Luthringshausen HB, sr. Wilbert Hennessey FB
Subs (no positions listed): Jr. Charles Longmire, jr. Walter Fontaine, jr. George O'Dowd, jr. Elmo Laudumiey, so. Samuel Guillot, sr. Donald Robillard

J. T. Sullivan

Wilbert Hennessey |
- Delery of Godchaux fumbled the opening kickoff and Sullivan, "St. Aloysius player-manager," recovered on the enemy 38. But Reserve held, and Thibaut punted out of bounds on the 5. After one plunge failed to gain, Coach Joe Keller decided to punt out of danger as was often done in those days. But Boudreaux got off a poor punt out of bounds on the 27. Given great field position a second time, Thibaut, Sullivan, and Hennessey followed good blocking to move the pigskin to the 8. From there, Sullivan scored the first TD of the season. Thibaut's place kick was blocked.
- Aloysius got another break on the second play after the kickoff. Falgoust bobbled the ball, and the Crimson recovered on the Godchaux 40. Hennessey culminated the short march by hitting off the right side to pay dirt. Thibaut tried running for the extra point but was stopped short.
- Reserve failed to make a first down until the final play of the half when Williams hit the right side of the line for 6.
- In the second half, the Crusader D continued to dominate, holding Reserve to "20 odd yards" for the game. Despite the line of scrimmage staying on Reserve's side of the field most of the time, Aloysius failed to add more points. Twice the Crusaders drove deep only to be denied on fourth down.
Wicker's report said that "Sullivan and Fontaine looked good in the backfield, and Ladreyt, DeLatte, and Stroebel stood out on the line." The Aloysian singled out Joseph Quintas, "a lineman out for practice only a week," for playing a "bang-up" game.
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The Crusaders now had ten days to prepare for another trip upriver, this one to Lutcher. Fortunately the game was not scheduled for Saturday when 3" of rain hit New Orleans, causing Tulane to postpone its game with Auburn to the following Monday. Lutcher, a school Aloysius had not faced before on the gridiron, lost star HB Mofrin Lucca with a broken arm in the 7-0 victory over Westwego. (The Bulldogs had also clobbered Kenner 37-0.) Lutcher was also without its starting QB who was "ill with malaria." (That sounds like more than just "ill"!)
Sunday, October 3: St. Aloysius vs Lutcher @ Lutcher (aft.) |
SA |
0 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
20 |
| Lut |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
TDs: Thibaut 2, Delatte; PATs: Thibaut 2 (place kicks)
First downs: SA 8, Lut 3;
Penalty yds: SA 45, Lut 10
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SA lineup: Laudumiey LE, sr. Pete Judlin LT, Gilmore LG, DeLatte (cap't) C, Poillion RG, Quintas RT, O'Dowd RE, Luthringshausen QB, Sullivan HB, Robillard HB, Thibaut FB Subs: Ladreyt, Hennessey, Longmire, Fontaine, Stroebel
- Q1: The opening period consisted of exchanges of punts as neither team threatened. Julian Brignac of the home team ran for the only first down of the quarter.
- Q2: The scoreless contest dragged on until SA senior E Thomas Jenny recovered a fumble on the 13 with four minutes left in the half. As they did against Reserve, the Saints took advantage of the break. Line plunges moved the ball to the 2. Thibaut banged to the 1. After a 5y penalty, Thibaut picked up 1 on second down, then blasted off tackle into the EZ. Jimmy also kicked the PAT.
- Q3: SA received the kickoff and started a drive from its 44. Thibaut and Hennessey ran to the 23. From there, Thibaut went off tackle for the score and then booted the PAT for a 14-0 lead.
- Q4: The teams traded INTs. However, the one for Aloysius resulted in a TD as "Willie" Delatte picked off De Roche's pass and ran 60y to pay dirt aided greatly by a fine block by "Whitey" Luthringshausen. 60y was the exact same distance he ran with a pilfered pigskin against Fortier last season. Sullivan's end run for the PAT came up short.
The victory gave St. Aloysius a 2-0 record for the first time in 17 years of football competition.
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Thomas Jenny

Nolan "Willie" Delatte
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For perhaps the first time in the 13 meetings between the two schools, St. Aloysius entered the fray with a better record than Jesuit, who had beaten Behrman 12-6 but tied Bogalusa 0-0. Also the Crusaders were alleged to have a slight weight advantage on their rivals, who were nagged by injuries. Coach Gernon Brown proclaimed, "Unless all of the injured players come around and are able to play, we'll be the luckiest team in the world if we beat the Crusaders Sunday afternoon." Zelden: "If my first-stringers can hold up, I don't see why we shouldn't have an even chance with the Jays."
The two student bodies once again competed to see which side could sell more tickets. After losing to Aloysius by 1,000 ducats in 1936, Jesuit outsold their Esplanade Avenue counterparts by a mere five, 3398-3393. The result was a crowd of 9,500, which turned out to be the largest for any prep game at Loyola all season.
Sunday, October 10: St. Aloysius vs Jesuit @ Loyola Stadium 2:30 pm |
SA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Jes |
0 |
16 |
0 |
6 |
22 |
TDs: Webb, Fletterich, Kenny (pass from Key)
Saf: Luthringshausen (fumbled punt through EZ)
PAT: Hauth (place kick), Strobel (drop kick)
1st Downs: SA 7, Jes 10;
Penalty yds: SA 6, Jes 60
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SA lineup: Jenny LE, Judlin LT, Gilmore LG, Delatte C, Poillion RG, Quintas RT, Stroebel RE, Luthringshausen QB, Hennessey HB, Fontaine HB, Thibaut FB
Subs: Sr. Joseph Folse, Laudumiey, Ladreyt, Sullivan, Robillard, O'Dowd, Longmire, Fontaine, Guillot

Ray "Dutch" Luthringshausen |
- Q1: The Crusaders outplayed the Jays in the opening stanza, allowing their territory to be penetrated only once on the final play of the period. However, a scoreless tie was all they could accomplish.
- Q2: A "peculiar ruling" by referee Abe Mickal, an all-SEC RB at LSU earlier in the decade, started a disastrous chain of events for the Saints. Connie Ryan, future National League infielder for 12 seasons, dropped back to punt for Jesuit after three straight tries had failed to gain a first down to start the period. Luthringshausen showed his inexperience by trying to field the punt inside the 5, but it squirted away from him. Several Blue Jays tried to corral the spheroid but succeeded only in knocking it out of the EZ. The officials huddled to discuss the play while both Brown and Zelden ran to that end of the field to put their two cents in. After a lengthy discussion (20 minutes by one account), Mickal gave the safety signal, which satisfied neither side. Brown wanted a TD and Zelden, a touchback. The officials further mystified the crowd by marking the ball at the 20 and signaling first down for Aloysius. (After a safety, the Crusaders should have free-kicked from the 20.) Monk would quickly rue their mistake because, on fourth down, the Jays partially blocked Thibaut's punt and recovered on the 27. On the play, Jimmy suffered a broken finger that would cause him to miss the next game. Jesuit again had difficulty moving the ball, but on fourth down Ryan passed to Hooper to the 4. It took Webb three tries at tackle, but he finally banged into the EZ. Hauth's place kick moved the score to 9-0. Unfortunately, the nightmare was not over for Aloysius. On the ensuing possession, a Blue Jay intercepted Thibaut's pass and returned it to the 5. After a 15y penalty moved the ball back to the 20, Jesuit marched to another TD, Fletterich doing the honors around E. Willie Stroble used an old-fashioned drop kick to add the 16th point.
- Q3: To their credit, Zelden's boys righted the ship and held Jesuit scoreless in the period. On their first possession, with Thibaut playing despite a numb hand, they moved from their own 40 to the 15, making three successive first downs. However, they couldn't make a fourth and turned the ball over.
- Q4: The Blue Jays finally pushed across another TD when freshman TB O. J. Key passed to Kenny from the 17. The PAT try failed.
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The next opponent, Fortier, was undefeated, having topped Behrman 13-6, Lafayette 14-0, and Peters 13-0. Playing without Thibaut, who spent the game holding one end of the first down chain, Zelden moved Delatte from C to FB.
Friday, October 15: St. Aloysius vs Fortier @ Loyola Stadium 8:00 pm |
SA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| For |
7 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
19 |
TD: Hymel, Porter, Jaubert; PAT: Hymel (place kick)
1st Downs: SA 1, For 10; Penalty yds: SA 25, For 35
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SA lineup: Jenny LE, Judlin LT, Poillion LG, jr. Ray Lala C, Gilmore RG, Quintas RT, Stroebel RE, Luthringshausen QB, Sullivan HB, Fontaine HB, Delatte FB
Subs: O'Dowd LE, Ladreyt RG, Guillot LE, Folse RG
Without his star, Monk played a defensive game, often punting on early downs. As a result, the offense made only one first down against the heavier foe. To add to the Crimson's woes, referee Abe Mickal struck again. Still they hung in there, down only 7-0 until they wore out in the last period.
- Q1: Five minutes into the contest, Fortier took over on its 40 and began a scoring drive. LeRoy Hymel scored on a 35y run. He also place kicked the EP on the second try after SA was offside on the first.
- Q2: Zelden's strategy kept the Tarpons within reach throughout the scoreless period.
- Q3: Near the end of the period, the Silver and Blue completed two "lucky passes" to set up their second TD. The first came when Hymel was rushed but shot the ball to Wilton Clay for 27y to the SA 35. The next occurred a short time later on fourth down when a group of Crimson players deflected Charley Friedel's pass into the hands of Clay on the 2.
- Q4: On the first play, Porter bucked the center of the line for 6. Captain Bernie Lipkis's PAT kick sailed wide. Down 13, Zelden had to open up the O. Unfortunately, Mickal's quick whistle negated the Crusaders' longest play of the evening. Sullivan started up the middle but broke around RE for 37y before being brought down on the 28. However, Mickal called the play back because he had blown his whistle when the ball carrier was temporarily stopped in the center of the line. Boos cascaded from the Aloysius side. A few minutes later, Jaubert scored Fortier's final TD on a 32y end-around. At least the Saints finally registered a first down before the final horn sounded.
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 John Sullivan |
Two items in N. Charles Wicker's "What's What in Prep Sports" column in the TP on Sunday, October 17:
It looks like local prep fans will have to wait at least another year before expecting Brother Peter to take over the presidency at St. Aloysius.
News that the stadium in City Park is not a prep stadium has started the rumor that the preppers will probably have to build their own stadium. There is some talk that one of the local prep schools will build some sort of stadium on Carrollton avenue if they can secure the ground.
The first item was undoubtedly a response to the news that Brother Lambert, the outgoing provincial, was taking over the top spot on Esplanade Avenue. Apparently there had been a rumor that Brother Peter, the dynamic principal of Catholic High in Baton Rouge, would replace Brother Martinian, the new provincial, at Aloysius. As it turned out, Brother Peter never served at St. Aloysius, moving instead to St. Stanislaus a few years later until his untimely death from cancer at age 59 in 1948.
The second item also proved false. The $563,641 Municipal Stadium at City Park opened October 24 with Loyola hosting DePaul before a crowd of over 20,000. (The TP headline that day read, "Gay Ceremonies Scheduled with Mayor Kicking First Ball," which illustrates how language has changed over the decades.) On October 31, Wicker wrote: "It is very doubtful if prep fans will see many prep games at the new Municipal Stadium in City Park next season. The fact that there are no lights and the rumored heavy rental fee seem the possible drawbacks." Yet two prep games were played there before the 1937 season ended: St. Aloysius vs Holy Cross on Saturday, November 20 and Jesuit vs Fortier the next day. Apparently the rental fee was not as steep as rumored.
The LHSAA board decided in mid-season to divide schools into three classes for football.
- Class AA: 300 or more male students
- Class A: 110-299 male students
- Class B: Fewer than 110 boys
Any school had the privilege of playing in a higher classification. However, if a school elected to do so, it must remain in that group for three years.
Pete Burge's Catholic High Bears had scored a big win over Bolton of Alexandria 12-0 as well as victories over Reserve 32-12 and Pontchatula 20-0. CHS lost to Holy Cross 13-6. The Bear line was anchored by returning all-stater Marvin Poole, 6' 205, and C Milton Martin. Thibaut returned to the Aloysius lineup. However, Quintas missed the contest because of water on the knee.
Sunday, October 24: St. Aloysius vs Catholic High @ LSU Stadium (aft.) |
SA |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
6 |
| CHS |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
TD: CHS Cooper, SA Hennessey
PAT: Dicharry (place kick) |
SA lineup: Jenny LE, Judlin (Cap't) LT, Poillion LG, Delatte C, Gilmore RG, Ladreyt RT, Stroebel RE, Luthringshausen QB, Fontaine LH, Hennessey RH, Thibaut FB; No subs listed

Thomas Jenny |
- Q1: Catholic's "light team" struck from its own 39 in the closing minutes after an exchange of punts. 135 lb HB Bobby Hebert dropped back and lofted a great pass to Justin Cooper far downfield. Cooper broke past the S to take the ball on the dead run and continue another 30y to pay dirt. Eldon Dicharry booted the all-important PAT.
- Q2: Plagued by fumbles, INTs, and other misplays, neither side mounted a serious threat before halftime. According to the TP article, "frequently ball carriers fell trying to cut back on the hard turf of the Tiger Stadium."
- Q3: Midway through the period, Dicharry fumbled, and Jenny recovered on the 30. Walter Fontaine passed to Stroebel for a first down on the 11. On the next play, Hennessey skirted LE and skipped down the sidelines to score standing up. Hennessey ran for the tying point but was stopped just short of the goal line by Martin's driving tackle.
- Q4: The score stood throughout the period. Finally, on the last play, Cooper traded roles with Hebert, shooting a long pass to Bobby, who slipped and fell just as he broke into the open behind the secondary. (No explanation of why CHS was passing on the last play.)
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Monday, November 1: St. Aloysius vs Behrman @ Loyola Stadium (2:30) |
SA |
0 |
7 |
7 |
13 |
27 |
| Beh |
0 |
0 |
6 |
7 |
13 |
TDs: SA O'Dowd (pass from Sullivan), Hennessey, Fontaine 2
Beh Brechtel, Buhler (pass from Brechtel)
PATs: SA Thibaut 3 (place kicks); Beh Dickey (run)
1st Downs: SA 10, Beh 14; Penalties: SA 21y, Beh 11
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SA lineup: Jenny LE, Judlin LT, Poillion LG, Lala C, Gilmore RG, Quintas RT, O'Dowd RE, Fontaine QB, Sullivan HB, Delatte HB, Thibaut FB
Subs: Hennessey, Ladreyt, Guillot, Luthringshausen, Longmire, Robillard
The game was played on All-Saints Day on a Monday because of stadium availability. A crowd of 1,300 saw the Saints explode for four TDs after scoring only 38 points in the first five games. It was one of the most entertaining games of the year, if not the most artistic.

George O'Dowd
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- Q1: The scoreless first period gave no hint of the fireworks to come. Twice in the first half O'Dowd recovered fumbles. Hennessey intercepted a pass, and Quintas and Judlin blocked a punt which SA recovered. But none of the turnovers led to points.
- Q2: Aloysius finally got on the scoreboard midway through the period when Sullivan passed 15y to O'Dowd who raced 27y down the sideline to the EZ. Thibaut's placement made it 7-0. The floundering Bees finally got their act together, unleashing "a beautiful passing attack" to drive from their own 20 to the 13 as the half ended.
- Q3: SA took the kickoff and marched 65y. Thibaut and Hennessey ripped off gains to advance to the enemy 30. From there, Hennessey broke loose up the middle for the TD. Thibaut booted the PAT to extend the lead to 14. The Behrman O picked up where it left off before the break, leaving no doubt that they had "the best passing attack in the league." They marched 50y with Lionel Brechtel hitting J. Buhler on several aerials. Brechtel drove over RT for the tally. Co-captain Cuyler's PAT kick was too low, leaving the Saints in front by 8, which in that era before the 2-point conversion would be referred to in today's lingo as a "two-possession lead."
- Q4: Behrman, with "fire in its eyes," scored again early in Q4. Passing - what else? - paved the way until Brechtel tossed to Buhler for the TD. Dickey bucked over to pull within 1. When SA couldn't move, the Bees got the ball back and started passing again. With momentum on their side, they had confidence that they would pull ahead. But their plans were thwarted by the play of the game. Fontaine intercepted on the 35 and took it over the goal standing up. Thibaut again added the point to make the scoreboard read 21-13. Still another turnover led to the last Saint TD. After the Crimson recovered a fumble on the Behrman 30, Fontaine gained 15, and a penalty for "unnecessary use of hands" advanced the ball to the 1. Fontaine took it over from there. Thibaut missed the PAT. Brechtel and Company didn't quit, moving all the way to the 1 when the game ended. During the spirited Q4 action, Gilmore of Aloysius and Ballay of Behrman were ejected for fighting.
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Walter Fontaine
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Saturday, November 6: St. Aloysius vs Warren Easton @ Loyola Stadium 8:00 pm |
SA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| WE |
0 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
19 |
TD: Ghersanich, Ardona 2
(passes from Altobello)
PAT: Thomas (place kick)
1st Downs: SA 3, WE 14; Penalties: SA 5, WE 20
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SA lineup: Jenny LE, Judlin LT, Gilmore LG, Delatte C, Pouillion RG, Ladreyt RT, O'Dowd RE, Sullivan QB, Thibaut HB, Luthringshausen HB, Hennessey FB
Subs: Quintas, Stroeble, Lala, Guillot, Robillard, Longmire, Fontaine
Johnny Brechtel's defending prep champs would make it three shutouts in a row against Aloysius.

Johnny Altobello |
- Q1: For the second week in a row, the Saints held the opponent scoreless in Q1. SA got a great break when Hennessey raced downfield under Thibaut's punt to be Johnny-on-the-Spot when Giesman fumbled on the 15. Jenny gained 6 on an end-around. But Thibaut hurled three straight incompletions to end the threat.
- Q2: Shortly after the period began, Easton drove 80y to break the scoring ice. Twice the Eagles converted on fourth down. Facing fourth down at the SA 26, Johnny Altobello (future basketball and baseball coach at St. Aloysius) passed to Milton "Monk" Clavier (another future coach) who caught the ball on the run and sped to the 10. After three plays gained 8, Vernon Ghersanich scored the TD on a fourth down plunge. Lou Thomas booted the extra point.
- Q3: Easton drove 83y to pay dirt. Ghersanich's 37y run highlighted the march which culminated in a 25y Altobello pass to Ardona.
- Q4: The Eagles marched 70y to their third TD which came on another 25y Altobello-Ardona connection. At some point in the game, Thibaut passed to Jenny for a 52y gain to supply the high point of the evening for Crusader fans.
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During the season, the principal of Samuel J. Peters High School of Commerce (on Broad Street across from the Criminal Courts building at Tulane Avenue) requested that his school not be called "Commy High" since that was not its official name. The Wildcats had compiled a 1-6 record. They lost to the Confederates, a local independent team, 14-7, before beating Franklinton 48-0. Then came prep losses to Fortier (13-6), Easton (25-0), Jesuit (24-6), and Holy Cross (25-0). Peters lost at St. Stanislaus 14-0 the previous week. All in all, a team the Crusaders had a good chance to beat even with Monk's ranks thinned by injuries.
Peters chose this game for its homecoming. On Friday, they staged a parade after school with the band leading a procession of automobiles and students on bicycles through the business district.
Sunday, November 14: St. Aloysius vs S. J. Peters @ Loyola Stadium 2:30 pm |
SA |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
12 |
| Pet |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
TD: Pet Stoltz; SA Thibaut, Hennessey
1st Downs: SA 12, Pet 7; Penalties: SA 25y, Pet 55 |
SA lineup: Jenny LE, Quintas LT, Folse LG, Lala C, Gilmore RG, Judlin RT, O'Dowd RE, Thibaut QB, Hennessey HB, Fontaine HB, Delatte FB
Subs: Ladreyt, Guillot, Sullivan, Poillion
- Q1: After an exchange of punts, the fired-up Wildcats marched 75y to take a 6-0 lead. Lloyd Lagasse's 40y run planted the ball deep in SA territory. A series of plays moved the pigskin to the 3, where the Crusaders held for two downs before "Red" Stoltz took a lateral from Vic Cousins and rounded LE into the EZ. The PAT sailed wide. The points were the first against Aloysius in the opening period in three games.
- Q2: The Crimson and White mounted a 62y drive but failed to score. With first-and-goal at the 6, the Wildcats smothered two straight runs. On the next play, the Black and Gold were penalized to the 1. Thibaut plunged into the EZ but the play was nullified, and SA penalized 5y for "backfield in motion." Two more tries failed to dent the goal line, and Peters took over. (Prep teams rarely attempted FGs in this era.)
- Q3: Aloysius took the kickoff and advanced 63y only to lose possession on Hennessey's fumble on the 1. When Thibaut & Company got the ball back on their 32, they set sail for the goal again. Sullivan, Hennessey, and Thibaut moved the ball to the 4 from where Jimmy finally removed the goose egg next to Aloysius on the scoreboard. However, his PAT boot flew wide of the mark to leave the score tied just before the period ended.
- Q4: One spectacular individual effort produced victory for the Crusaders. When Cousins faded back to pass, Hennessey broke through and batted the ball into the air, caught it, and pranced 55y for the go-ahead TD. The play recalled Wilbert's 97y INT return against the same foe the year before. Thibaut's PAT attempt was blocked. Cousins barely escaped injury on another play in the period. Racing down the sidelines, he tumbled into the yard sticks when tackled, producing a slight cut above his eye. The unidentified SA tackler hurt his arm but not seriously.
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Wilbert Hennessey
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A boxed article in the middle of the report of the Peters game stated that Brother Martin, St. Aloysius AD, announced that the St. Aloysius-Holy Cross game scheduled for the following Saturday would be played at "Municipal stadium" in City Park, making it the first prep game at the new stadium.

Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers finishing end zone section of City Park Stadium.

City Park Stadium scoreboard
Saturday, November 20: St. Aloysius vs Holy Cross @City Park Stadium 2:30 pm |
SA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| HC |
7 |
2 |
7 |
6 |
22 |
TD: Frey, Suberville (pass from Frey), Crespino
SAF: Fontaine; PAT: Crespino 2 (place kicks)
1st Downs: SA 4, HC 14; Penalties: SA 15y, HC 40
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SA lineup: Jenny LE, Judlin LT, Poillion LG, Delatte C, Ladreyt RG, Quintas RT, O'Dowd RE, Sullivan QB, Hennessey HB, Fontaine HB, Thibaut FB
Subs: Stroebel, Gilmore, Guillot, Laudumiey, Robillard, Luthringshausen, Lala, Folse
The Tigers, who had beaten Aloysius four years in a row, sported a 2-2-1 record: Catholic High 13-6, Gulf Coast Military Academy 0-7, Peters 25-0, Jesuit 6-6, and Fortier 0-14.
The tie with Jesuit provoked controversy because of the new LHSAA rule. Abe Mickal's officiating crew tabulated five first downs for each team and awarded the victory to the Blue Jays on the basis of a 4-1 lead in penetrations. But Holy Cross coach Chuck Jaskwhich maintained that his squad had achieved six first downs. The LHSAA president heard HC's appeal at which both schools presented evidence in their own favor. The president ruled the game "no contest," which meant it didn't count in the league standings.
For the second year in a row, both schools made this clash their homecoming. Still, only 2,500 fans gathered in the 24,500-seat stadium.
 Iggy Frey |
- Q1: After an exchange of punts, Tiger star Iggie Frey passed to E Al Suberville who continued 43y for the TD. Vincent Crespino kicked the point. The rest of the period was fought on even terms.
- Q2: Each side gained two first downs this period. HC got a safety when Fontaine unwisely fielded a long punt in the EZ only to be downed by two tacklers.
- Q3: Midway through, the Tigers recovered a fumble on the SA 24. It took four plays to make the 10y. Then Crespino circled RE for the TD, then booted the PAT.
- Q4: HC took the ball on their own 31 and marched to the 4, with most of the gains contributed by Cardinales, fleet-footed HB. Frey drove over for the TD. His placement was low. Aloysius's only threat came when they gained possession on the HC 20. But an end sweep resulted in a lost fumble.
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Two other articles involving Aloysius accompanied the summary of the Holy Cross game.
- The new $45,000 St. Aloysius gymnasium would be dedicated on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. An open house would follow the ceremony with a dance held that evening to secure funds to add more seating capacity. The facility would be "the finest high school gym in the city and will rank with any in the state."
- The other article announced that Aloysius would play a post-season football game against Columbia High School (MS). The occasion was the dedication of the new high school at which Mississippi Governor Hugh White and Senator Pat Harrison would be present. The game would be played on Thanksgiving Day.
Thursday, November 20: St. Aloysius vs Columbia @Columbia MS (aft.) |
SA |
6 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
| Col |
6 |
7 |
12 |
0 |
25 |
TD: SA Thibaut 2; Col: Burkett 3 (passes from Matulich), Matulich
PAT: Matulich (run)
1st Downs: SA 10, Col 6 ; Penalties: SA 4/30, Col 3/25
Passing: SA 7-11-2/18y; Col 4-6-4/62y
Total Yards: SA 187, Col 279
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Columbia "cashed in on breaks to down a hard-fighting St. Aloysius team" according to the special correspondent's article for the TP.
- Q1: Perhaps it was the long bus ride, but Aloysius got off to a bad start. The Wildcats recovered a fumble on the 15 right after the opening kickoff. However, the defense rallied and held the home team on downs. But two plays later another fumble turned the ball over again. Ed Matulich passed to captain Burkett for the TD. The PAT failed. But Aloysius struck right back after returning the kickoff to the Columbia 40. Thibaut ended the drive by covering the final 14y on a reverse down the sideline. The PAT failed, keeping the score tied at 6.
- Q2: After an exchange of punts, Columbia took the lead for good on a 75y pass from Matulich to Burkett who ran the final 30y. The plunge for the EP succeeded. The visitors responded with a sustained drive resulting in Thibaut's 3y TD run. His PAT try bounced off the upright.
- Q3: Matulich broke off the longest run of the contest when he started over RT, cut back, and romped 83y. The PAT failed. Later in the period, Matulich tossed to Burkett in the EZ for the third TD by that combo. The kick went wide.
- Q4: No further scoring.
Summary
Considering the fact that Monk had only 20 players and many of those suffered injuries during the season, the 4-6 record was not bad.
- Nine seniors would leave, including Thibaut, who made the Times-Picayune Class A All-Prep first team and second-team All-State. Jimmy ranked right up there with Eddie Daigle and Al Liska as the best players in Aloysius football history to that point. Thibaut also played basketball and baseball and ran track. He would earn three letters for Tulane and play a year of pro football after World War II.
- Hennessey, Judlin, Sullivan, and Delatte made Honorable Mention All-Prep. Only Delatte would return.
When the disastrous 1938 season ended, Zelden would look back fondly on the four wins of 1937.
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CONTENTS
1937 Season
Reserve
Lutcher
Jesuit
Fortier
Catholic High
Behrman
Warren Easton
Peters
Holy Cross
Columbia
Summary
1936 Season
Summary of the 1920s
Crusader Sports History Home
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