History of Crusader Football

Head Coach Eddie Toribio and assistant Johnny Altobello M. L. Lagarde

Brother André Robichaud, S.C., began his first full year as President of St. Aloysius and director of the community of 31 brothers. The new provincial, Brother Martin, S.C., appointed Brother Augustine, S.C., sub-director, which meant that he supervised the school on a day-to-day basis. On the football front, Eddie Toribio began his second year as head man. His two assistants from 1949, Johnny Altobello and M. L. Lagarde ('45), returned. Eddie Bravo was elected captain for the second year by a vote of 23-1 at the 1949 football banquet. The other E, Jack Ryan, served as alternate captain. Bravo returned as a "fifth-year senior" under LHSAA rules. As the opening game approached, Toribio had to juggle his backfield because of injuries. He had plans to start Fred "Nick" Blount, "a hot-looking freshman," and "shifty" Don Summerhalter, a sophomore, at halfback. But both suffered injuries during preseason practice. So Eddie turned to senior Crit Lorio and junior Al Jacob to join FB Lou Giambelluca and QB Harold Blanchard, both seniors, in the starting lineup. The Crusaders would benefit from the experience gained by a number of young players in the '49 campaign. Sophomore Joe Mahoney and junior Ronnie Senac had played extensively in the pivot following the injury to Earl Burke. Sophomores Richie Gueldner (T) and Gaspar Abene (G) had logged significant minutes as well. The team included a promising group of sophomores and even some freshmen who would form the nucleus of the school's first City Championship team in 1952.

1950 St. Aloysius Varsity

Coach Lagarde and the 1950 JV Team

St. Aloysius Crusaders 1950

No. White	No. Red	Player	Position	Weight	Class	Yrs on Team
10	13	Edward Bravo	E	170	Sr.	4
11	24	Richard Gueldner	T	235	So.	2
12	36	Clarence Guiteau	T	185	Jr.	2
13	29	Albert Jacob	B	183	Jr.	2
15	41	Crit Lorio	B	170	Sr.	2
16	42	Charles Reppel	E	170	Jr.	2
17	44	Carl Didier	T	195	Sr.	3
18	35	Thomas Nelson	G	160	Sr.	1
19	30	Bob Arnoult	T	170	So.	1
20	11	David Campos	G	175	Jr.	3
21	16	Ronald Malinosky				1
22	20	Jack Voelker	E	155	So.	1
23	31	Cyrill Prattini	B	150	Jr.	1
24	15	Gaspar Abene	G	160	So.	2
25	34	Roy Mouras	B	160	So.	1
26	27	Sidney Reso	G	160	So.	1
27	23	Robert Rodrigue	G	165		1
28	39	Dale Lemmon	T	170	Jr.	1
29	43	Gerald Carroll	B	158	Jr.	1
30	37	Ronald Senac	C	172	Jr.	2
31	28	Mike Conlin	C	160	So.	1
32	44	Mike Huber	E	165	So.	1
33	20	Edward Arms	B	140	Fr.	1
34	26	Jack Ryan	E	160	Sr.	2
35	18	Dan Salzer	G	160	Jr.	2
36	12	Don Summerhalter	B	150	So.	2
37	17	Louis Giambelluca	B	155	Sr.	2
38	10	Charles Gele	B	140	So.	1
39	38	Harold Blanchard	B	160	Sr.	2
40	19	Nick Blount	B	155	Fr.	1
41	33	Alejandro Bacuetes	B	150	Fr.	1
42	32	John Breaux	B	145	Fr.	1
43	21	William Terrebonne	T	185	Fr.	1
44	45	Joe Mahoney	C	192	So.	2
45	14	Ralph Schindler	B	150	So.	1
		Bertrand Lindquist	T	170		1

Aloysius kicked off for the eighth straight year with Catholic High of Baton Rouge.

• The Crusaders yearned to avenge a 32-12 thumping at the hands of the Bears in Toribio's maiden game.
• CHS had already played two games, tying one and handing a 37-14 pasting to Bishop Byrne of Galveston.
• Having scouted the Bruins in both contests, Toribio worked his Crusaders hard to stop the dynamic duo of Russ Gauthreaux and J. S. Herrington, who had scored all five TDs against the Texans.
• Eddie Harelson's squad would be hampered by a "virus infection" that knocked three regulars out of action.

SA	0	6	0	0	6
CHS	0	0	0	0	0
TD: Giambelluca First downs: SA 12, CHS 5; Penalty yds: SA 15, CHS 40 Rushing: SA 186; CHS 115 Passing: SA 4-0-1/0; CHS 6-2-1/29 Fumbles - Lost: SA 5-2; CHS 4-3 Punting: SA Bravo 4/36.3; CHS Gautreaux 7/34.9

Toribio's hard work with his D paid off as the Crimson Knights held CHS to one first down in the first half on their way to pitching a shutout.

• Q1: A backfire in strategy gave Aloysius its chance to score. After halting several Crusader advances inside their 30y line, the Bears took over on the 26 late in the period. Ronald Helmke, subbing for sick FB Buddy LeBlanc, lost 4 to begin the series but slashed for 13 on the next play. On the last play of the quarter, Leo Harelson, the coach's younger brother, failed to gain on a QB sneak.
• Q2: Coach Harelson decided to gamble on 4th-and-1, but Gauthreaux ran into a mass of humanity and gained nothing, turning the ball over on the 35. Ryan gained 12 on an end-around. Then Giambelluca cut back to avoid a pair of defenders who almost had him trapped for a loss, angled to his left, and outraced Herrington who made a desperation tackle a shade late, Lou falling over the goal near the red flag. Bravo's EP kick sailed wide. A short time later, the visitors received another break when Clarence Guiteau fell on Harelson's fumble on the CHS 23. However, the defense stiffened, yielding only 5y on four tries.

L: Jack Ryan on an end-around; R: Crit Lorio and Mike Conlin tackle Russ Gauthreaux

• Q3: Midway through the period, C Jimmy Keller intercepted Lorio's flat pass but was downed in his tracks on the 42, giving the Bears possession past midfield for the first time. Hampered by an offsides penalty, the Bruins gained but 3y and were forced to punt. A few plays later, a 15y penalty erased Gauthreaux's punt return and set CHS back to its 16. Gauthreaux swept around his RE, shifted into high gear, and raced down the sidelines until he ran out of gas and was tackled on the 2 by Summerhalter. However, most of his exertion went for naught because he stepped out on his own 29. During the period, the lights went dim and had to be turned off at the end of the quarter and repaired. They functioned fine when they came back on.
• Q4: When play resumed, Harelson passed to Virgets for 8, but Helmke gained 0 on a plunge before Aloysius smeared Justin Fernandez for a yard loss, forcing Gauthreaux to punt. However, Giambelluca immediately fumbled the ball, Joe Roberts recovering on the SA 38. Two plays later, Helmke returned the favor, Giambelluca making up for his bobble, the first of two crucial recoveries for Lou on the evening. A fumble recovery on the SA 37 by T Reuben Ruiz started the Bears on their most serious threat of the evening as they drove to the 5 before a bobble of their own cost them a possible tying TD. Gauthreaux started the march with a 10y gain. Then Herrington ran over several tacklers before being pulled down on the 7. After Gauthreaux's 3y gain, Harelson fumbled while handing off, and Giambelluca pounced on the pigskin at the 7. The Saints ate up precious minutes by pounding out two first downs before finally punting on 4th and 1. Gautreaux returned Bravo's boot to his 20 with a minute to play. Fernandez completed a 20y pass to Tommy Virgets, but Mahoney intercepted another Fernandez pass on the CHS 38 to seal the victory.

Giambelluca and Lorio were Toribio's workhorses. Lou toted the pigskin 16 times for 103y, a 6.4 average. Crit had 18 carries for 46 (2.5 avg.). The Saint D did a good job corraling Gauthreaux (11/53/4.8) and Herrington (7/32/4.6).

Aloysius-CHS pileup

The Crusaders next played Peters. Any AA team playing the class A Wildcats expected an easy game that would allow the coach to clear his bench. That was exactly what happened for Toribio.

SA	20	6	13	12	51
Pet	0	0	0	0	0
TD: Giambelluca 2, Senac, Bravo, Bacuetes, Lorio, Carroll, Arms PAT Bravo 3 (PK) 1st Downs: SA 9, Pet 2; Penalty yds: SA 35, SSC 70

Q1: C Donald Senac, playing LB on D, made a leaping INT of a Peters aerial on the 15 and waltzed across untouched. Bravo place kicked the PAT. Three minutes later, the Saints struck again. Giambelluca was chief engineer of the drive that started on the Wildcat 40. Lou picked up several short gains, then decided to take to the air. He tossed one to Bravo from the 25, and Eddie raced to pay dirt. Bravo again added the point. Before the period ended, Giambelluca scooted 43y through the light Peters line. Seemingly trapped at the 5, Lou got a block from Bravo to cut down the last defender. Q2: With the reserves taking over, Aloysius did not score again until midway through the period. Freshman Alejandro "Allie" Bacuetes did the heavy lifting, scampering 35y off LT to the EZ. Q3: Giambelluca had the honor of scoring the fifth Crimson tally. His 16y run culminated a 57y drive. Bravo booted the point. Lorio got his chance later in the period, scoring TD #6 on a 4y buck. Bacuetes and sophomore Charles Gele tore off several large gains to set up Crit's plunge. Q4: The seventh 6-pointer came via the airways. The Saints had to pass because the gallant Wildcat line held its ground when Aloysius drove to within 3y of the goal. After three runs lost 4, Bacuetes tossed to Gerald Carroll in the EZ. The last score resulted from a bad pass from C when the Cats were punting. The kicker retrieved the ball but was smeared on the 25. With seconds remaining, freshman Eddie Arms ran in from the 7. The horn sounded as the Crusaders lined up for the EP.

Eddie Bravo A Crusader breaks loose against Peters.

The contest marked the last time Aloysius would play Peters, which opened at the corner of Tulane and Broad in 1926 and became a junior high in 1952. The Crusaders compiled a 10-12 record against the Wildcats.

• The Crusaders tied the Blue Jays 6-6 in 1949. However, after two down years, Gernon Brown had brought his squad back into contention.
• The Jays entered the fray 2-0.

SA	7	0	0	0	7
Jes	0	13	6	6	25
TD: SA Summerhalter Jes Duvigneaud, Harter, Dupepe, Beron PAT: SA Bravo (PK); Jes Beron (PK) 1st Downs: SA 4, Jes 8; Penalty yds: SA 45, Jes 85 Rushingys: SA 40, Jes 156; Passing: SA 5-1/33, Jes 4-2/20

A crowd of over 10,000 saw the Saints jump out in front only to have Jesuit dominate the rest of the way.

• All the leaders of the Tarpons' 1948 state championship team had flown the Freret Street coop. That gave SA hope of winning this annual game for the first time since 1946.
• The Crusaders had displayed a stronger offense so far than the Fish, who were outscored 81-6 in losses to Bogalusa, Port Arthur (TX), and Istrouma before downing Murphy of Mobile.
• Fortier sported a "big" line averaging over 190 pounds from end to end.
• Those unable to attend could catch the broadcast on WTPS.

SA	13	7	0	13	33
For	0	0	0	0	0
TDs: Lorio, Bravo, Blount, Giambelluca, Carroll PAT: Bravo 3 (PK) 1st Downs: SA 9, For 1; Penalty yds: SA 30, For 30

The Crusaders enjoyed their largest margin of victory over the Tarpons since the series began in 1931. Toribio's D held Fortier to negative rushing yardage with no completed passes. The furthest Fish penetration was the SA 40. Q1: Giambelluca was the big gun, setting up the opening TD with a fine punt return. With the ball on the 17 a few plays later, Lou ran around LE to the 7. On third down, Lorio scored and Bravo booted the EP. After Fortier punted on third down, Giambelluca returned the kick to the Tarpon 47. Lorio's 2y plunge was followed by a 23y aerial to Bravo. Lou gained 6 up the middle before Lorio got 5 to the 10. One play later, Giambelluca passed to Bravo for the score. Q2: The Tarps registered their only first down of the evening on the second play of the period. Later, Aloysius started its third TD drive after Gerald Wagener punted out on the SA 37. Fortier held, and the Knights punted for the first time in the game. However, a Tarpon infraction resulted in a 15y penalty and a first down. After a pass to Bravo fell incomplete, freshman Nick Blount took matters into his own hands with successive runs of 17 around RE and 23 to pay dirt. Eddie added the point to make it 20-0 at intermission. Q3: The highlight of the period was the punting of Dale Lemmon, who took over the chore from Bravo. That freed Eddie to join his fellow terminal, Jack Ryan, in going down fast to limit the return. Q4: That ability paid off when the Tarpon receiver fumbled a punt. Ryan picked it up and ran to the 23. Giambelluca scored on the second play from scrimmage. Finally, Gerald Carroll picked up a loose pitchout on the 25 and ran in for the final 6 points. Bravo added the PAT.

Nick Blount

Saturday, October 21: St. Aloysius vs Holy Cross @City Park Stadium 8 pm

Carl Didier

Aloysius tallied in the opening minutes when Bravo picked up a punt return fumble by Heap and ran 15y to pay dirt. The Crimson line outfought the Bengals in the first half, "one of the finest seen in City Park Stadium this year" according to TP Prep writer N. Charles Wicker. Markey left early in the fray when he aggravated an old ankle injury. HC scored twice in the second period to take the lead for good, 12-6. Brownson must have given an inspiring talk during the break because the Tigers roared in the second half. Heap (future Notre Dame and New York Giants back) left the game holding his head after scoring his third TD, repeating his performance against the Crusaders in '49. Shannon Diamond tallied twice while Vincent "Pepe" Gonzales (destined for LSU) added a TD and two PATs. Al Guischard and Chet Brown produced the rest of the points. "Lou Giambelluca, Carl Didier, Ed Bravo and Dale Lemmon played their hearts out for the Crusaders." (Wicker)

SA	0	0	0	0	0
WE	7	12	12	14	45
TDs: Hubley 2, Pittman, Saia, Kennedy, Montecino, Fritcher PAT Ursin 3 (PK) 1st Downs: SA 6, WE 12; Penalty yds: SA 5, WE 45

The Eagles trampled the Crusaders for their second straight Prep victory. This time Toribio's boys didn't jump out in front as they did against the other top teams in the league, Jesuit and Holy Cross. Easton didn't have to punt a single time.

Q1: Easton took the kickoff and marched straight down the field 65y to score on Hubley's one-foot C plunge. On the previous play, the Eagles went for it on fourth down and inches and barely made it. Jules Ursin place kicked the first of three EPs. The Saints came right back on their first possession, driving 25y from their 35 before being forced to kick. Shortly thereafter, C Joe Mahoney intercepted a pass on the Eagle 18, but SA went backwards 14y on three plays. So Toribio ordered a punt, but the boot traveled only 3y. Q2: SA had another opportunity when Summerhalter recovered a fumble on the 30, but several passes failed to click, and Easton took over on downs at the 32. After losing 5 on first down, Hubley raced 62y around RE to the 13. The Crimson D yielded ground begrudgingly at that point, forcing the Eagles to take four downs to make a first. Chuck Pittman then went over from the 2. Late in the period, Pittman intercepted on the SA 31. From there, Chuck St. Germain shot a flat pass to Bob Saia on the right sidelines. He cut to the left and crossed the goal untouched to make the count 19-0 at halftime. Q3: Hubley scored his second TD of the evening on a 48y scamper around RE. Later, Bert Kennedy plunged over after a 36y pass from Chuck St. Germain to Jim Badinger put the ball on the 2. Q4: A bad pass from C on fourth down gave the Eagles the ball on the 4. Sal Montecino scored three plays later. The Old Gold and Purple marched 52y for their final TD with Marion Fritcher, the starting C moved into the backfield, doing the honors from the 1.

Joe Mahoney

• The next foe was Central High of Chattanooga, the #1 ranked team in Tennessee according to the Litkenhous system.
• The Purple Pounders ran a powerful "line-split T-formation" O that had produced a 4-1-1 record. Senior HB Leon Henry led his city's league in scoring with 85 points.
• Research showed that no New Orleans Catholic school had ever lost the opening game of an intersectional series.
• Toribio knew maintaining that record would be difficult. "This is our chance. If we can beat the Pounders or even play them a close game, it will mean the beginning of intersectional games, which are fine things. They are educational and help to bring talent into the school."
• Unfortunately, Eddie's charges were ailing. Bravo had an injured ankle and also missed midweek practice with a fever. Didier and Blanchard also had ankle problems while Al Jacob was out with a bum knee, and Ronald Senac battled a groin injury.

SA	0	7	0	0	7
Cen	0	7	7	13	27
TD: SA Lorio; Cen Hofferman 2, Hale, Shamburger PAT SA Lorio (pass); Cen Henry 2 (PK) 1st Downs: SA 8, Cen 14; Penalty yds: SA 0, Cen 94

In what had become a doleful tune, the depleted Crusaders, playing without Captain Bravo among others, battled on even terms for a half before succumbing down the stretch.

Daniel Salzer Crit Lorio

Q1: The teams, adjusting to the wet field in the first chilly weather of the season, played a scoreless opening period. The visitors squandered a golden opportunity when Giambelluca fumbled on the third play after the kickoff, and Wright Childers recovered at the 27. Jimmy Hale and Henry alternated carrying the ball for four plays to the 3 where Henry fumbled into the hands of Dan Salzer. Q2: Another Giambelluca fumble, this one on the first play of the period, started Central to its first TD. Two plays after Henry Jones' recovery, Norman Hofferman took the ball on an end around from the 12 into the EZ. Henry kicked the EP. Later, a break gave the Crusaders their chance to tie the score as Charlie Reppel recovered a fumbled pitchout to Hale at the Pounders 15. SA scored in three plays: Lorio for 5, Giambelluca for 5, and Lorio again for the final 5. Blount passed to Crit for the tying point. Q3: Aloysius took the kickoff and drove from its 27 to the 3 where Don Duncan recovered a fumble. That proved to be the turning point as it was all Central the rest of the way. Punting on first down from his EZ, Hale boomed a rocket that hit on the SA 45 and rolled to the 28. That changed field position so that, on their next possession, the Purples took the lead on QB Bucky Shamburger's 50y bomb to Hofferman. Henry again booted the EP. Q4: With the outcome hanging in the balance, the Shamburger-Hofferman connection struck again to set up Bucky's one-foot sneak to make it 21-7 after Henry's third PAT. Finally, Bob Hoppe picked off Blount's pass on the SA 18 and returned it to the 10. Hale scored from there to round out the scoring.

• Aloysius had never met the Bears in football.
• The return of Bravo and Didier would bolster the line.

SA	0	0	0	14	14
Bol	0	14	6	0	20
TD: SA Schindler, Ryan; Bol Enloe, Ward 2 PAT SA Bravo 2 (PK); Bol Ward 2 (PK) 1st Downs: SA 12, Bol 10; Penalty yds: SA 20, Bol 40

The Aloysians changed the script. They fell behind by three TDs before staging a strong Q4 rally that fell short. Two TDs in a span of a few minutes in Q2 propelled the Bolton victory.

• Q1: The teams needed awhile to warm up in the 32° weather. Bob Roesler wrote that "the cold might have had something to do with the officiating for the game was loosely handled." One player from each team, Lorio and Hal Aymond of the Bears, would be ejected after an attempted fist fight. Roesler added: "More personal fouls were seen from the stands but were not detected by the officials."
• Q2: Led by QB A. J. Cicardo, Bolton pounded the ball 50y on the ground to the 17. From that point, one E, Jerry Ward, threw to the other, Jim Enloe, for the TD. Ward also kicked the point. The Bears went right back to business shortly afterward when they recovered a fumble on the 19. On the first play, Ted Bullock connected with Ward for the second 6-pointer. Jerry's second PAT made it 14-0 at the break.
• Q3: Another Crusader mistake set up what proved to be the decisive TD. A bad pass from C sailed over Giambelluca's head with Bullock recovering on the SA 15. After two line plays failed to gain, Bullock took to the air lanes with Ward again the target for the TD. This time, the E missed the EP for only the second time in 22 attempts for the season.
• Q4: The visitors caught fire when they finally got a turnover, recovering a bobble on the Bolton 46. Needing to score in a hurry, the Saints took to the air. Giambelluca hit Summerhalter for 17, then Bravo for 15 more. After two line plays placed the pigskin on the 2, Ralph Schindler smacked over. Bravo added the point. Midway through the period, the Bears threatened again, but the drive stalled on the 6 thanks to a brilliant goal-line stand. Emboldened, the Saints went to town. Giambelluca tore off 20, then tossed to Bravo for another 20. A penalty and another short gain by Giambelluca put the ball on the Bolton 28 where Giambelluca tossed to Schindler to the 10. After two failed passes, Lou swept RE for the score. Bravo again kicked the point. The game ended six plays later with the Saints owning the ball on the Bolton 33.

• Nicholls coach George Manteris had revamped his team because of injuries and dissatisfaction with production in the 14-0 loss to Fortier the previous Sunday.
• The 3-4 Rebs, like the Saints, had only one league triumph over - Redemptorist 20-13.
• WTPS again broadcast the game as part of its series sponsored by Maison Blanche.

SA	0	7	0	0	7
Nicholls	7	6	0	0	13
TD: SA Bravo; Nic Kattengill, Gilmore PAT SA Bravo (PK); Nic Gilmore (PK) First downs: SA 8, Nic 7; Penalty yds.: SA 1, Nic 40

SA lineup: Ends - Bravo, Ryan; Tackles - Lemmon, Terrebonne, Gueldner, Didier; Guards - Campos, Nelson, Reso; Centers - Mahoney, Senac; Backs - Lorio, Giambelluca, Blanchard, Bacuetes, Jacob, Gele, Summerhalter, Schindler, Blount

The Crusaders experienced their most disappointing game of the season as Marvin Kattengill caught a pass for a TD and hurled one for another.

• Q1: The Rebels took the kickoff on their 37 and drove to the 4 where Russell Davis lost a fumble. The Crusaders punted on first down to the Nicholls 33. After two running plays, Nat Hammond fired a 25y aerial to Kattengill for the score. Otis Gilmore scored the 7th point from placement.
• Q2: Aloysius got on the board when Giambelluca connected with Bravo for a 35y TD. Eddie added the tying point. It looked as though the half might end in a tie with Nicholls on their own 48 and a scant two minutes left. However, Kattengill heaved a 32y aerial to Gilmore who ran the rest of the way for what turned out to be the winning margin.
• 2nd Half: The teams staged a seesaw battle from one end of the field to the other. Each had scoring opportunities, but turnovers ended every threat.

• Aloysius had a chance to make amends for the disappointing 18-7 loss to the Rams to end the '49 season.
• A victory would put the Crimson in a tie for fourth in the Prep league with Nicholls and Fortier.

SA	7	14	7	6	34
Red	0	0	0	12	12
TDs: SA Lorio 2, Bravo, Blount, Ryan; Red Doyle, Dauphin PAT: Bravo 3 (PK), Lorio (pass) 1st Downs: SA 8, Red 6; Penalty yds: SA 15, Red 65

Q1: Lorio got the ball rolling by intercepting a pass and racing 35y for a TD. Q2: The highlight of the game came early in the period when Giambelluca "sent one of his guided missiles to Bravo" from the SA 25. Eddie snagged it and outran the secondary to the promised land. Later, Lorio pushed over from the 5 to send the Saints into the locker room with a 21-0 advantage. Q3: Blount registered the only score of the period. Q4: Ryan scored the final Crusader TD. The Rams finally came alive with a 72y drive headed by D. Drago, Billy St. John, Marion Dauphin, and Leo Doyle, who scored from the 1. Later, Dauphin intercepted a pass and returned it 75y for a second TD.

Jack Ryan

Bravo, who lettered four years in football and two in basketball, left at the end of the semester for Tulane, where a football scholarship awaited him. Eddie would letter four years for the Green Wave, serving as captain as a senior.
Giambelluca, who lettered two years in football and three years in track, received a football scholarship to LSU.

• After the 6-0 decision over Catholic High in the opener, the Crusaders won the other three games by a combined 122-12.
• The Saints' 3-3 league mark put them behind the Big Three of Holy Cross, Jesuit, and Easton.
• The disappointing loss of the season came at the hands of Nicholls, a team the Crusaders could have and should have defeated. A 5-5 record has a more satisfying feel than 4-6.
• With only six seniors, Toribio of necessity played younger players, including freshmen and sophomores. This would pay off in the future.

1951 Season

1949 Season

Summary of the 1940s

Summary of the 1930s

Summary of the 1920s

 

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