St. Aloysius College ranked as the largest of the local Catholic high schools entering the 1939-40 school year, boasting 50 more students than Jesuit. The administration remained the same.

• Brother Lambert, S.C., returned as president.
• Brother Martin, S.C., continued as the Vice-President (principal) and Athletic Director. He would also serve as vice-president of the New Orleans Prep League.

However, after five years of Sam "Monk" Zelden as head man, Harry "Wop" Glover took over the football program. Brother Martin also hired a new assistant for football, Danny Lyons.

Harry "Wop" Glover and Danny Lyons

The last issue of The Aloysian for the 1938-9 school year gave brief profiles of the new coaches.

The two new coaches are widely known by both prep and College fans as both of them helped to make athletic history in the annals of Tulane and Loyola.

"Wop" broke in at Tulane with such notables as "Baby Grand" Scafide, "Red' Dawson, Don Zimmerman, and "Fanny" Payne ā€“ all under the guidance of Bernie Bierman. In such fast company Glover soon became one of the greatest climax runners in the history of the conference. The outstanding feat of his career was undoubtedly performed in the Rose Bowl contest when, with great satisfaction, he ran some 59 yards against the Trojans in the Pasadena Classic. One of the few four-letter men in the history of sports at Tulane, Glover acquired letters in football, basketball, baseball, and track.

Soon after graduation Glover accepted a coaching position at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, but when that school declared its desire to change to the Notre Dame system, "Wop" took over the reigns at St. Stanislaus [which was his alma mater]. At the Bay he turned out several fine teams and displayed real talent for handling youth.

Next we find Mr. Glover aiding the coach at Behrman as Assistant Coach. He gave to that High School something it had failed to have in the past few years ā€“ a dangerous running attack. He also turned out the first track team in the schoolā€™s history.

The position of assistant to Glover will fall in the hands of Danny Lyons who has the athletic background to rival his chief. Dan began his athletic career at Holy Cross and starred in all sports played at that school. He was the QB of the great Tiger team which won the championship in 1934. Although he tipped the beams at 140, he was the blocking back and brains behind the running attack of Barrett Booth and Warren Brunner.

At Loyola, Lyons again starred at QB. His real forte was basketball. He formed the backbone of the team for three years; captained it in his senior year, and established a new high scoring mark. After having had such a great deal to do with athletics already it was no surprise to many that he decided to take up the coaching reins.

In Glover and Lyons the Crusaders will have a full-time coaching staff.

Lyons would be the head coach for basketball. Aloysius would again field neither a baseball nor a track team.

Aloysius started practice on August 27. Jesuit and Holy Cross hit the field a week later. However, for the second year in a row, the Orleans Parish School Board prohibited its schools from beginning work before the first day of classes, September 7. The superintendent would take an even stronger step during the season to limit football participation by the students under his dominion.

Harry greeted a squad that included only nine lettermen.

• The four lettermen on the line were ends Ernie Pechon and Joe McDonald, G Leon Chaplain, and All-Prep Nolan Delatte, a four-year starter at C/LB.
• Returning monogram winners in the backfield: Bill Briede, "Dutch" Luthringshausen, Johnny Campora, and Lenny Schmitt.

In assessing the upcoming prep race, N. Charles Wicker of The Times-Picayune wrote that, "while their material is limited," Aloysius had "two standout backs."

• He was referring to Luthringshausen and Briede.
• Wicker had no knowledge at that point of a significant addition to the talent pool at 1137 Esplanade Avenue. Wop's younger brother, Joe, transferred from Stanislaus to play his senior year under his sibling's tutelage.
• Joe brought with him three other former Rock-a-Chaws: B Jimmy Filkins, T Frank Bell, a "215-pound giant" (to quote The Aloysian) and "Tiny" Dick Ghergich, "a frail little chap of 255." Ghergich, however, would not see action all year.
• The Aloysian expected a "vastly improved" team, which wasn't saying much considering the '38 Crusaders hadn't won a game. But the new staff did seem to have significantly better material to work with.

The Glover Era began with the first Crusader victory in 12 games.

• The Tigers outplayed the visitors in the first half, but the 20-lbs-per-man advantage enabled the Crusaders to control the final 30 minutes.
• Fumbles marred Q1 for SA. Moss Point scored its lone tally in Q2 when Monte Davis threw a 15y pass to "Toos" Stauer, who sidestepped two tacklers into the EZ. Larry Poillion blocked Delmas' kick for the EP.
• The Saints finally got a drive going in Q3 from their own 46. Glover drove over LT from the 9 for the tying score. He tried to buck the line for the go-ahead point but failed.
• In the final period, Charles Erath blocked Beddingfield's punt on the 10. However, the play was called back because of a penalty. No problem. Glover got in the way of the next kick and fell on the pigskin on the 15. Three runs moved the ball to the 5. Glover drove to the 3, then ran up the middle to pay dirt. Lenny Schmitt took a short lateral and scampered around E for the EP. (No two-point conversions for nearly 20 years.)

Glover went from the frying pan into the fire as the first home opponent was the Jesuit Blue Jays. And it was homecoming for the Crusaders!

• St. Aloysius was 0-14 against their Banks Street rivals.
• The closest game had been 14-12 in 1934.
• Ward Guillot, injured in the Moss Point game, would not play for the Crusaders.

The next game was the one the Glover brothers anticipated since they first saw the Crusader schedule - a return to their old stomping grounds in Bay St. Louis to try to spoil the St. Stanislaus homecoming.

• The Crusaders had not fared well against the Rock-a-Chaws over the years, defeating the varsity just twice and the Reserves (B team) once while losing to the varsity eight times and the Reserves once.
• SSC's undisputed leader was HB Felix Blanchard, future Heisman Trophy winner for West Point. However, Doc was one of only two returning lettermen, the other being Arthur Gianelloni. One of Coach Pete Burge's '38 stars, Joe Glover, who scored four TDs against Aloysius, now led the Crusaders.
• In addition to having more experience, the Crusaders also held the weight advantage. All in all, SA had an excellent chance of avenging the 49-0 shellacking the year before, their worst defeat of 1938.

4,000 fans, most of whom booed the traitorous Glovers, watched the Crescent City visitors dominate the action.

• Q1: The first SA score came after a 37y drive that began shortly before the first period ended.
• Q2: Schmitt skirted end from the 4 into the EZ on the first play. Glover's place kick for the EP misfired. The second TD occurred with a minute left in the half when SSC fumbled on its 3y line, and SA recovered. After an offside penalty put the ball on the 1 1/2, Glover hit the line for the TD. Campora swept the end for the PAT.
• Q3: Taking advantage of 45y in penalties, the Crusaders marched 66y for their final TD. Glover finally went over for the score. Luthringshausen booted the point.
• Q4: SSC, playing without four of its backs, finally dented the scoreboard against the Saints reserves when Blanchard plunged over from the 4 to culminate a 60y drive.

12,000 fans saw a defensive struggle - only 9 first downs - that was decided by one sensational play.

• Q1: Neither team threatened as Jack Pizzano's squad outgained the Crusaders 31-23. DeLatte consistently slipped past blockers to nail the vaunted Tarpon backs - Eddie Fisher, Arthur Porter, Alden Hagardon, and Fred Wendt.
• Q2: Twice the Tarpons recovered a fumble on the SA 25 but were unable to take advantage of the breaks. Both times the Crusaders took over on downs, the second time on the 5. From that point, Luthringshausen unleashed an incredible 95y run aided by beautiful interference from Glover, Campora, and Briede among others. Receiving the snap in the EZ, Dutch "ran like a rabbit" around RE behind three-man interference. By the time he reached midfield, no Tarpon was within 15y of him. Glover took out the last defender at the 30. Despite being winded from the run, Dutch tried to circle LE for the EP but was stopped short of the line. The TD was the senior's second of more than 90y in his career. In 1938, he returned an INT 93y against Peters. The Aloysian called the 95 yarder "a perfect play, the best ever witnessed in the history of Prep Football ..."
• Q3: Each team registered just one first down in the period, Fortier's on a run by Buster Avery while the Crusaders gained theirs via penalty.
• Q4: Glover's punting kept Fortier bottled up throughout the period. Action stayed between the 30s until SA recovered a fumble deep in enemy territory. However, the Tarpons held and took over with 1:50 left. After completing several passes, they lost the ball on downs near midfield. SA ran three plays to run out the clock.

On October 24, Fortier protested the St. Aloysius victory, claiming the Crusaders used an ineligible player in the person of William H. Briede III.

• Fortier's principal, John Conniff, submitted data to LHSAA president J. M. Boyet that indicated Briede had violated the rule that limited a student's participation in athletics to ten consecutive semesters.
• Conniff's records indicated Briede attended Fortier five full semesters and 10 days of a sixth, followed by 17 days at Warren Easton before attending Aloysius for four semesters.
• Since attendance of more than 20 days counted as a full semester, Briede was thus in his 11th semester.
• Brother Martin, the Aloysius AD, responded that, when Briede enrolled at SA, the AD received a written report from a school board official that did not show that Briede was a student at Fortier High School during the semester from September 1935 to February 1936. "According to our records, Briede is now in his 10th semester."

Fortier's protest came almost exactly one year after the LHSAA Executive Committee found the school guilty of using an ineligible player against Holy Cross.

• Originally the committee suspended the Tarpons for the remainder of the season.
• However, upon appeal, the LHSAA relented and allowed Fortier to play out its schedule but with none of the games counting in league standings.

Glover, meanwhile, prepared his team to take the road again, this time against another Brothers of the Sacred Heart school, Catholic High of Baton Rouge, coached by Ralph Springer.

• Pending the outcome of his case, Briede was held out of the game. Poillion would switch from E to G to take Bill's place while Red Rizzo would fill the vacated E spot.
• The Crusaders would also compete without Filkins, who was injured. Joe McDonald would start at QB.
• On the plus side, Guillot would finally see his first action of the season.
• Would you believe the contest would be Catholic High's homecoming? When you're 0-8, you play many homecoming games the next season.
• The Bears' record read 2-3 with wins over Pontchatula and Bolton and losses to Stanislaus, Jennings, and Istrouma.

3500 in LSU's 45,000-seat stadium watched a thrilling game decided in the last minutes.

• Q1: SA scored a short time into the game on an 8y end run by Luthringshausen that culminated a ten-play 66y drive that included four first downs. A 20y pass from Dutch to McDonald keyed the march. After the TD, the ball changed hands frequently the remainder of the half, several times because of turnovers. Dutch ended one Bear thrust by intercepting Bernard's pass on the SA 6. Glover then kicked out of danger.
• Q2: The Saints held the upper hand in field position most of the scoreless period. Chaplain recovered a fumble to halt another CHS threat. Three plays later, Luthringshausen circled end for 45y, the longest run of the day.
• Q3: Shortly after the kickoff, SA started what looked like a sure TD march following Erath's recovery of Bernard's fumble on the CHS 30. However, the Crusaders turned over the ball on downs at the 5. On the next play, Didier dropped back to punt but fumbled the bad pass from C. He quickly threw the ball into the field of play as he was about to be tackled for a safety. On his second try, Didier kicked to Luthringshausen who returned the pigskin to the 15. After Glover gained 14 on two tries, the Crusaders were penalized for offside, which took the starch out of the drive and led to the ball again going over on downs at the 3. Didier got off a better punt this time to the SA 49. After another exchange of punts, the period ended.
• Q4: The Bears took the ball on their 38 and gained two first downs before Wop could get his first stringers back in the game. Bernard, missing the signals and lining up wrong, took the handout, cut off T and raced 35y to pay dirt. Just like that, the game was tied. Delatte blocked Didier's place kick to preserve the tie. Later, the Crescent City crew gained possession on the CHS 46. Campora gained 9, then Glover passed to Johnny for 14 to the 23. After another offside penalty, Campora swept end for the winning TD. For the second week in a row, Glover threw a key block on the scoring play. He also hit the line for the PAT. With a little over a minute to play, the Bears had to take to the air. McDonald stepped in front of one of Bernard's heaves and returned the ball to the 10. SA ran three plays to run out the clock.