As it had throughout the 1930s, St. Aloysius College once again began school with a record enrollment, although not by much. The 880 students topped the 1937 starting figure by 10.

• The student body broke down like this: 134 seniors, 186 juniors, 190 sophomores, 219 freshmen, and 151 in the grammar grades (5th through 7th grades).
• The Aloysian reported that "many boys have been refused admittance, particularly the Freshman applicants." Coleman Beranger ('39) continued his article:

Obviously there is a reason for this continued rise in attendance. It is this - the realization of the advantages of such a school as St. Aloysius. Of course supreme among the many advantages enjoyed is the fact that we have one of the most capable and experienced group of instructors in the South - The Brothers of the Sacred Heart.

The school leadership team remained intact.

• Brother Lambert, S.C., continued his second stint as president after taking over in October 1937 when he was replaced by Brother Martinian as provincial.
• Brother Martin, S.C., remained the Vice-President and Athletic Director.

The first issue of The Aloysian included this tribute to the returning football mentor.

Zelden's squad began practice at Crescent Park on September 2 after Monk returned from vacation in his home town of Toledo OH. Only Jesuit began work sooner.

• The Crusader squad included only six lettermen: Willie Delatte, Larry Pollion, Ray Lala, Walter Fontaine, Dutch Luthringshausen, and George O'Dowd. Another letterman, G Tom Gilmore, would miss the season while recovering from a knee operation. Just one other player, Elmo Laudumiey, had any varsity experience.
• Only 24 players comprised the varsity roster. They would practice in "light togs" until the heat wave besetting the area abated.
• Times-Picayune Prep Writer N. Charles Wicker had this report on September 11: "Just when it looked as if he had a fine backfield lined up, Monk Zelden was told that four of the youngsters will not be available." Two of the losses were the Fontaine brothers, Walter and Frank, who transferred to Warren Easton.
• As the first game approached, Wicker opined that "Zelden will have a fair first eleven but will not be very strong with reserves."

• The Crusaders were considered to have the more experienced line, with C Nolan Delatte ranked as the best in the city. As a resident of Algiers, Nolan would be fired up to beat his neighborhood school. On the negative side, E Elmo Laudumiey would miss the contest because of an injury.
• Coaches Nolan Richard and "Wop" Glover of the Bees fielded the better passing and backfield threats. They hoped their team would bounce back from a heart-breaking loss to Jesuit 6-0 on a last-minute TD.

The Jesuit game scheduled for the following Sunday at Loyola Stadium was moved to Pelican Stadium (formerly Heinemann Park) at the intersection of Carrollton and Tulane Avenues.

• No "official reason" was given for the shift. However, the fact that Loyola charged $575 for games at its stadium was the cause. The schools saved over $400 by playing at the baseball field.
• Times-Picayune: "It was announced that fans will be able to enjoy the game from the grandstand as Pelican park workmen have lined out the field so that it will run from home plate to right field. There will be no need for circus seats."
• The Crusaders were adjudged "at full strength for the first time this year."

Almost 5,000 fans witnessed the game. "The first half was very close and interesting, but like in previous game, the Crusaders were scored on early because of an inexperienced kicker to punt them out of danger when they were deep in their own territory." (Wicker)

• The Rock-a-Chaws would be celebrating their homecoming. "Many old grads, including Zeke Bonura, who starred for the coast school when a high school youngster, are expected to attend the gala occasion." Bonura had just completed his fifth major league season, this one with the Washington Senators after four with the Chicago White Sox.
• "Rock-a-Chaw supporters ... will be able to rejoice over the fine team Brother Peter and Coach Slick Morton have. This season marks the return of Brother Peter to the coast school after an absence of six years, during which he was at Catholic High of Baton Rouge."
• Morton led Tallulah High to back-to-back Louisiana football championships as a player in 1932 and 1933. He was personally recruited by Huey Long to attend LSU, where he played from 1934 through 1937, being named captain his senior year. After a brief stay at SSC, he became a college head coach at Southeastern Louisiana, VMI, and Mississippi State.
• The Rocks boasted victories over Mount Olive, Biloxi, and Leakesville by at least three TDs each. Veterans observers called his SSC squad the best in 20 years.
• Stanislaus held a 7-2 advantage in its tilts with Aloysius, although SA won the last contest in 1936 13-0.

Stanislaus won its fourth straight with ease before a crowd of 1,500 at Rock-a-Chaw Field. The Crusaders endured their third shutout in four outings. The star for the home team was Joe Glover, younger brother of "Wop," former Tulane star who was an assistant coach at Behrman. The Saints were hurt by the absence of star C Nolan Delatte with a bad shoulder.

The Saders returned to prep league play against Fortier. The Tarpons were 2-1 overall and 1-0 in prep, although that victory had been protested by Holy Cross on the grounds that Fortier used an ineligible player.

Ineligible players were the least of Zelden's worries. His already-thin squad would be without its best player, C Nolan Delatte, and another starter, FB William Briede, because of injuries.

Three days later, the LHSAA, responding to an appeal by the Superintendant of the New Orleans Public Schools, agreed to allow the Tarpons to complete their football schedule. However, the school could not share in any championship honors, and its games would not count in the standings. The compromise was made to prevent negative consequences, including loss of revenue, for the remaining schools on Fortier's schedule.

The Saints would hit the road again to play another Brothers of the Sacred Heart school, Catholic High. The Bears had a new coach, Ralph Springer, replacing Pete Burge, who joined the LSU staff. Springer, from Fermont IA, also assisted in Tigertown, where he played QB, before moving to CHS. His maiden team would be in a foul mood, having lost to Istrouma 20-7 after four victories - Reserve (18-0), Holy Cross (21-12), Bolton (7-0), and Jennings (40-18). Like Stanislaus several weeks before, Catholic High would be celebrating its homecoming when Aloysius came to town.

After the Fortier debacle, Zelden would enjoy the return of Delatte and Briede to the lineup.

A crowd of 3,000 watched the Crusaders play arguably their best game of the season. True, they failed to dent the scoreboard for the fifth time in six games. But they held the powerful Bears to only 12 points. CHS played without its star back, Bobby Hebert, whose father died suddenly Saturday afternoon.

The Saints' next opponent, Peters, did not rank as formidable as the preceding foes. The Wildcats had compiled a 1-2-1 record, defeating Lutcher (20-7) and tying Behrman (0-0) before consecutive losses to Easton (27-0), Holy Cross (14-0), and Fortier (18-12). The game was billed as determining who would finish in the cellar in the prep league. For the second year in a row, Peters made the Aloysius game its homecoming.

"Baffling the St. Aloysius Crusaders with their full spinner play," Peters ended its losing streak before 2500 at the Municipal Stadium. It was the Broad Street school's first intraprep victory since defeating Aloysius in 1935.

The Crusaders had one last chance to win a game, but the task would be formidable. Ray Scheuering's Holy Cross Tigers, like three other SA opponents during the season, would be celebrating homecoming. HC was 3-3 overall and 3-2 in prep league play. After Aloysius, they would play Bogalusa on Thanksgiving to end their season. One of Scheuering's top players, Jerome Daly, was doubtful for the SA game after being knocked unconscious in the Easton game.

SA lineup: O'Dowd LE, Clark LT, Lala LG, Delatte C, Schopfer RG, Laudumiey RT, Poillion RE, Guillot QB, Luthringshausen HB, Campora HB, Briede FB
Subs: Stowell, Manders, Turner, Schmitt, Chehardy, Chaplain, McDonald, Cuccia, Nunmaker

Nolan Delatte, despite missing several games with an injury, made the Times-Picayune Class A All-Prep team at C. He was listed on the roster as 5-11 170 Senior, but he was only a junior. The third team All-Prep included George O'Dowd at RE and Dutch Luthringshausen at FB. William Briede, William Stowell, Ray Lala, Eddie Schopfer, and Elmo Laudumiey earned Honorable Mention.

Zelden's five-year career at St. Aloysius began and ended with winless seasons to finalize his record at 10-35-1. He was much more successful in basketball, winning several prep championships. The end-of-year issue of The Aloysian reported: "Mr. Zelden's retirement from the coaching profession was the result of increasing duties in his position with the Federal government [as an attorney] which made it difficult to give full time to coaching activities."

The bright spot of the 1938 football season was the performance of Brother Ralph's undefeated JV team.

• The Baby Saints twice defeated Thibodaux College (another school staffed by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart) home-and-home by identical 13-0 scores.
• The B team also handed Peters its worst setback of the season, 20-2.
• The high point of the season was a 20-0 thumping of Catholic High in Baton Rouge.
• The JV completed their excellent campaign with a 14-6 victory over St. Stanislaus in Bay St. Louis.

1939 Season

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