History of Crusader Football

Brother Andre, S.C.

St. Aloysius's president, Brother André, began his first full school year in office presiding over an enrollment of 946 students, including 192 seniors and 256 freshmen. The entire football staff returned as well. Head coach: Eddie Toribio, beginning his third season on the job Assistant: John Altobello JV: M. L. Lagarde 1951 Football Coaches "Bro. Cory" is actually Bro. Curry and "Bro. Sydney" is Bro. Sidney. Toribio expected to have to fill the shoes of E Eddie Bravo, B Crit Lorio, E Jack Ryan, G Carl Didier, and B Lou Giambelluca. However, he experienced an unexpected blow when senior T and stellar punter Dale Lemmon transferred to Catholic High when his father's job forced the family to move to Baton Rouge. On the bright side, 13 lettermen returned, from whom came the 1951 Captain, senior G Dave Campos, and the Alternate Captain, junior C Joe Mahoney, who had played regularly since his freshman year. Picayune Prep writer N. Charles Wicker branded the Saints as the "dark horse" of the Prep league.

1951 St. Aloysius Varsity

St. Aloysius Crusaders 1951

No. White	No. Red	Player	Position	Weight	Class	Yrs on Team
10	42	Mike McAdam	C	167	Jr.	1
11	18	Richard Gueldner	T	247	Jr.	3
12	21	James Naquin	G	180	Jr.	1
13	40	James Schmidt	B	140	So.	1
14	20	Joe Mahoney	C	202	Jr.	3
15	24	Clarence Guiteau	T	193	Sr.	3
16	35	Jack Voelker	E	170	Jr.	2
18	27	Gerald Lyttle	E	180	Sr.	1
19	22	Daniel Arceneaux	T	180	Jr.	1
20	29	David Campos	T	190	Jr.	4
22	38	Charles Reppel	E	188	Sr.	3
23	44	William Chimento	E	158	Sr.	1
24	15	Gaspar Abene	G	160	Jr.	3
25	31	Roy Mouras	G	171	Jr.	2
26	32	Sidney Reso	G	161	Jr.	2
27	13	Dan Salzer	G	160	Sr.	3
28	33	Alfred Theriot	B	158	Jr.	1
29	26	Gerald Carroll	B	165	Sr.	2
30	34	Ronald Senac	C	175	Sr.	3
31	17	Mike Conlin	T	170	Jr.	2
32	36	Mike Huber	E	164	Jr.	2
33	28	Edward Arms	B	162	So.	2
34	39	William Connick	B	170	Jr.	1
35	45	Robert Mathews	B	154	So.	1
36	14	Don Summerhalter	B	160	Jr.	3
38	12	John Breaux	G	155	So.	2
39	41	Robert Neyrey	B	159	So.	1
40	10	Nick Blount	B	161	So.	2
41	30	Alejandro Bacuetes	B	148	So.	2
42	16	Bob Arnoult	T	175	Jr.	2
43	19	William Terrebonne	T	185	So.	2
44	37	John Habisreitinger	E	155	Jr.	1
45	43	Gerald Pfister	B	145	Jr.	1
46	11	Ralph Schindler	B	155	Jr.	2

• The Bears brought an improved squad to the Crescent City. As Wicker wrote: Frightened little bears of the past two seasons but big burly grizzly growlers this year ...
• The Bruins had a game under their belt, defeating Baker 25-0.
• Well stocked with linemen, coach Eddie Harelson moved his prize transfer Lemmon to E. G James "Cooter" Zimmerle would play well enough to make All-State and earn a football scholarship to Tulane.
• Harelson made newcomer Lemmon a co-captain for the game against his previous school.

CHS starting backfield: (L-R) FB Joseph Heuvel, HB Andrew Sceroler, QB Leo Harelson, HB Justin Fernandez
At the right is lineman Dale Lemmon, a transfer from St. Aloysius

SA	7	0	0	0	7
CHS	6	0	7	6	19
TD: SA Summerhalter; CHS Sceroler 3 PAT: SA Blount (PK); CHS Zimmerle (PK) First downs: SA 6, CHS 6; Penalty yds: SA 35, CHS 100

Prof Taverna's St. Aloysius band played the National Anthem before the teams arrived on the field for the kickoff. This move, which was not the norm at that time, pleased Coach Toribio, a World War II veteran. When other schools followed suit, a new tradition was born.

A paid attendance of 2,666 saw Aloysius jump on top before the Black and Orange tide rolled over them.

• Q1: Andy Sceroler fumbled on the opening kickoff, Gerald Pfister recovering for Aloysius on the CHS 32. Nick Blount passed to Jerry Carroll for 7y. Then, after Don Summerhalter was thrown for a 2y loss by Zimmerle, Pfister punched for a first down on the 15. The next two plays failed to gain, but Blount tossed to Summerhalter for the score, then converted to make it 7-0. The Bears returned the kickoff to the 15. After registering one first down, they were forced to punt. Lemmon booted to Eddie Arms, who returned 7y to the SA 37. A 5y penalty moved the ball to the 42 before Carroll and Blount picked up enough yardage for a first down at the CHS 46. However, the Bruins pounced on a Blount fumble at the 45. Justin "Choo-Choo" Fernandez lost 7 before gaining it back on an end sweep. He then broke off tackle and seemed headed to the EZ when he bobbled the ball and had to fall on it at the 26. Sceroler sprinted around LE to pay dirt on the next play. Zimmerle booted the point, but a 15y penalty cancelled it. Fernandez threw a pass that fell incomplete to leave SA in front by one.
• Q2: The officials had a busy evening, enforcing four 15y penalties against the visitors in the first half alone. The Bruin D kept the Crusaders bottled up in their own territory. Neither side made a first down during the 12 minutes.

• Q3: The Knights took the kickoff and reached the midfield stripe on a running play followed by a pass from Blount to Charles Reppel. Then disaster struck. Blount missed the pass from C, went back and picked up the pigskin but was smeared by Joe Roberts, causing a fumble that E D. R. Atkinson recovered at the SA 30. Fernandez dashed 20y around E, and, one play later after a gain of 1, Sceroler scored on his pet reverse play around LE. Zimmerle's PAT made it 13-7. Near the end of the period, the Bruins threatened again, but Campos intercepted Sceroler's pass on the 18.
• Q4: After driving to the Saint 31, the Bears bogged down, and Arton Bertrand punted to the 20. Two plays later, Bertrand intercepted Bob Neyrey's pass on the 40, returning it 8y. Big Joe Heuvel got 2 and Sceroler 4 before Fernandez streaked to the 14 for a first down. After gaining only a yard on his next effort, Sceroler tallied his third TD of the night as he was tackled just as he crossed the goal. Zimmerle's PAT try was smeared. The Saints filled the air with passes in the final minutes with Blount doing most of the chunking. They finally penetrated CHS territory again in the fading moments, reaching the 40 when the game ended.

Toribio had tied his alma mater in 1949 but lost to them in 1950.

• The Crusaders entered their homecoming fray as the underdog. The conventional wisdom, as expressed by Wicker, rated the Saint line the equal of the Jay forward wall, but "Jesuit has too much speed in its backfield for the Crusaders."
• The Jays had been unscored on in two games, whipping Baton Rouge 19-0 before lambasting Redemptorist 54-0.

SA	0	0	0	8	8
Jes	14	0	14	7	35
TD: SA Huber Jes Caswell 2, Reicke, Boudreaux, Deck PAT: Jes Boudreaux 4 (PK), Harter 1 (run); SAF SA Salzer 1st Downs: SA 6, Jes 10; Penalty yds: SA 80, Jes 80 Rushingys: SA 49, Jes 137; Passingys: SA 142, Jes 42

Wicker didn't get his 10,000, but he estimated 8,000 saw the Crusaders outgain Jesuit but fumble five times in their own territory, the Jays turning four of them into scores.

• The Tarpons had lost three straight games to out of town foes: 13-0 to Picayune, 35-0 to Istrouma, and 32-6 to Murphy (Mobile).
• To make matters worse, Fortier would be without the services of several key players. Tommy Patton was out for the season with a broken collar bone, and Wilbur Troxclair suffered a hip injury.

SA	7	0	0	0	7
For	0	0	7	0	7
TDs: SA Blount; For Harrison PAT: SA Blount (PK); For Harrison (run) 1st Downs: SA 8, For 8; Penalty yds: SA 50, For 20

The underdog Tarpons came from behind to tie the Crusaders. Q1: Aloysius caught the opponents napping early in the period when Toribio's troops switched from their usual single wing to the split T. Blount and Ralph Schindler picked up only 2y in two tries before Nick hit Reppel for 17 to the Fortier 41. On the next play, Blount broke loose and raced into the EZ. He then booted what would prove to be a crucial extra point. On the first play after the kickoff, Mahoney made the first of his three fumble recoveries in the contest, pouncing on Thomas Read's miscue at the Tarpon 40. Blount hit Alejandro Bacuetes for 18, then Gerald Carroll circled RE for 15 to the 9. After a run to the 4, that old bugaboo, the fumble, bit the Crusaders again, William Harrison recovering on the 4. The Tarps didn't show anything offensively until the final play of the quarter when Leo Summers ripped off a 38y run. Q2: Mahoney covered another loose ball to halt a Tarpon threat. Play seesawed back and forth throughout the rest of the period. Q3: The Saints seemed headed for another score when Maurice Robichaux picked off a Bacuetes aerial on his 20 and returned the ball 62y to the 18. Two runs by Read put the ball on the 6, from where Harrison went over. On the PAT try, Harrison picked up a fumble and raced around LE to tie the score. Q4: The Tarpons fought off two threats by the Crusaders, the first ending on still another fumble after a poor kick gave SA the ball on the 19. The Knights pushed into enemy territory a third time, but inspired play by Rudy Soileau, Walter Robelot, and Howard Johnson repelled the advance with a little over a minute remaining.

Joe Mahoney

Sunday, October 21: St. Aloysius vs Holy Cross @City Park Stadium 2:30 pm

Don Summerhalter

Q1: The Saints wasted no time in fumbling, Blount the culprit on the first play from scrimmage. Rusty Smith recovered, but HC went nowhere. SA picked up 15y on a roughing the kicker penalty to gain a first down but then ran out of gas, Blount booting to Smith who returned the ball 16y to the Tiger 43. FB Lou Deutschmann (future LSU Tiger) lost 4y on first down before breaking up the middle 57y to pay dirt. Pepe Gonzales (another future Tiger) passed to E Ray Heap for the EP. In the last minutes, a break set up the first Saint score. Smith fumbled on a punt return, Jack Voelker recovering at the HC 20. Q2: SA scored on the first play on Blount's pass to Summerhalter in the flat from the 5. The Crusaders scored again when they got the ball back. The Blount-to-Summerhalter combo struck again from the 21, Don traversing the last 9. Nick's second PAT made it 14-7. Later, the Crossmen completed a 50y aerial to the SA 17. However, the Crimson D took over on downs when T Bob Arnoult threw Gonzales back to the 37.

• Q3: The Bengals came out of the locker room and drove straight down the field for a score. Gonzales returned the kickoff to the 21. Deutschmann gained 26, Joe Delaney added 15, and Gonzales, 4. After Smith lost 2 and Gonzales 5, HC faced fourth-and-13. No problem - Pepe passed to Smith in the EZ for the score. The missed PAT kept the Saders ahead by one. Several punts later, SA was set back 15y to their 21 for clipping on a return. Gonzales returned the ensuing punt to the Aloysius 47. On the first snap, Smith raced around LE to pay dirt to put HC in front for good.
• Q4: Another turnover gave the Tigers a great chance on the SA 26. But they lost the ball on downs at the 17. SA punted out only to have Deutschmann ramble 47y on the first play to put the Cats up 25-14. However, the Saints didn't quit, taking the kickoff and driving 70y, Voelker getting the TD on a pass from Blount.

Big plays killed the Crusader D. Holy Cross snapped the ball 35 times, and on 15 of those the ball carriers were dumped for losses.

• Warren Easton had also started in a disappointing fashion, although they had defeated Nicholls 13-7 in their first league game the previous Sunday.
• The Eagles suffered from an anemic O, which had scored more than two TDs only in the 20-13 victory over Bogalusa.
• Like the Crusaders, Easton relied primarily on the forward pass, Charley Price being the main hurler.
• Aloysius had defeated the Canal Street school only twice in 24 tries.
• Unknown to Hoss Memtsas and his staff, Toribio made a major change in his offense, moving Campos to blocking back. The other captain, Mahoney, also played the same role.

SA	0	6	0	0	6
WE	0	0	0	0	0
TD: Voelker 1st Downs: SA 6, WE 5; Penalties: SA 4/20, WE 3/25 Rushing: SA 23/112, WE 25/-16; Passingy: SA 10-4-2/53, WE 15-5-2/49 Fumbles-Lost: SA 2-2, WE 1-1; Punting: SA 4/38.2, WE 7/34.2

A crowd that Wicker estimated at 4,000 witnessed what he termed an "upset." The Crusaders dominated the game in a way not reflected in the score. The Eagles never got closer than the SA 40. The Saints racked up 112y rushing, far more than in any previous outing thanks in part to the move of Campos from T to BB to replace banged-up Gerry Carroll. The Knights traveled 46y in five plays for the game's only score with under three minutes left in the first half. 30y came on their best weapon, the pass: a 10y aerial from Blount to Summerhalter and a 20 yarder Blount-to-Voelker for the score. Jack juggled the ball at the 11 after an Eagle deflected the pass but held on and raced to the EZ. Schindler ran 16y over LG on fourth down to keep the drive alive in between the two passes. The Eagles ran the ball only nine times in the second half, losing yardage on four of them. For the game, Easton netted -16 on the ground. Leland Giardina's 13y jaunt early in the game was the Old Gold and Purple's longest ground gain all night. Blount's punting helped keep the Eagles caged deep in their territory. He got off a 42-yarder in Q4 that rolled dead on the 7.

Dave Campos

• Central's entire coaching staff scouted Aloysius's game against Easton. However, Toribio had no report on the Purple Pounders except film from the previous year's 27-7 loss to the visitors.
• A crowd of 3500 braved 35° weather to watch the eighth annual American Legion game.
• N. Charles Wicker made the nearly 500-mile trip to write the TP article on the game.

Chamberlain Field, Chattanooga

SA	0	0	7	0	7
Cen	12	14	0	7	33
TD: SA Pfister; Cen Tillman, Igou, Williams, Hale, Hoppe PAT SA Blount (PK), Cen Hoppe, Pack 1st Downs: SA 7, Cen 9; Penalty yds: SA 10, Cen 50

• Q1: SA took the opening kickoff but went three-and-out. After Blount punted, Reppel intercepted Tommy Pack's pass at the 45. However, the Saints could not move again, and Blount put the Pounders in a hole on their 7. But on the first snap, HB Tommy Tillman raced 93y on a quick opener that saw him slash off RT, then sprint to the outside. Before the period ended, Pack passed to Frank Igou 15y downfield, the end racing the remaining 40y to pay dirt.
• Q2: Tillman got loose again, roaring 55y before Gerald Pfister corralled him at the 10. Williams tallied the TD shortly thereafter. Passes set up Central's fourth TD, which Hale scored. Later, Central drove from their 30 to the opposite 30 before the halftime horn stopped them.
• Q3: Student manager Al Jacob, who had played the year before but was too old as a senior, reached the locker room before the coaches and berated the team for their poor effort. Whether it was his pep talk or not, Aloysius played the home team even-steven in the second half. Mahoney intercepted Pack's pass at midfield and returned it to the 23. A 14y run by Summerhalter set up the scoring play, a pass from Blount to Pfister.
• Q4: The home team capped the scoring on a pass from Pack to Hoppe. Wicker singled out Salzer for his defensive effort for the Crimson.

• The task began with Bolton from Alexandria, who had beaten the Knights 20-14 in central LA the previous season in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
• The Bears had improved after a slow start. QBs Lamar Joffrion and Charles Scott had sparked the passing attack to upset Sulphur 13-12 for their first triumph of the season. The previous week, the Bears had held Catholic High, 19-7 conquerors of Aloysius in the season opener, to a 7-6 victory. Prior to that, Bolton had gained only a tie in seven outings, scoring only one TD.
• A delegation of fans made the trek from Alexandria and remained in the Big Easy for the contest between Tulane and Bear Bryant's Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday.

SA	0	6	7	6	19
Bol	0	0	0	0	0
TD: Blount 2, Connick; PAT SA Blount (PK) 1st Downs: SA 7, Bol 9; Penalty yds: SA 75, Bol 61

Campos returned to the line as the Crusaders, led by Mahoney, Campos, and C. J. Guiteau, recorded their second shutout of the season and fifth in Toribio's three-year tenure.

• Q1: Neither team even sniffed the goal line.
• Q2: Blount broke the ice with a 19y run after the Knights had gained possession at the Bolton 28. Later in the period, the visitors made their deepest penetration of the evening, reaching the SA 43.
• Q3: Nickie struck again off tackle from the 3. He also booted the PAT.
• Q4: The final tally came when Will Connick recovered HB Bobbie Lee's fumble in the EZ.

• Wicker opined that Nicholls and Aloysius both had "much better teams than their records reflect." And both teams sported "some of the finest linemen in the city."
• The Rebels came off their best game of the season over Fortier, their first league win against three defeats. George Manteris's club sported an overall 2-4 mark.
• Pete Morere would challenge Blount for QB supremacy.

SA	0	7	12	7	26
Nic	13	7	0	0	20
TD: SA Schindler 3, Blount, Nic Gilmore 2, Casbon PAT SA Blount 2 (PK), Nic Morere 2 First downs: SA 6, Nic 16; Penalty yds.: SA 50, Nic 35 Rushing: SA 143y, Nic 149y; Passingy: SA 0-0-0/0, Nic 19-10-1/270 Fumbles-lost: SA 2-1, Nic 4-2

SA lineup: Ends - Voelker, Reppel, Huber; Tackles - Gueldner, Conlin, Arnoult, Guiteau; Guards - Naquin, Abene, Salzer; Centers - Mahoney, Senac; Backs - Blount, Schindler, Pfister, Campos, Carroll, Summerhalter, Neyrey, Bacuetes

Ralph Schindler

The thrilling game was reminiscent of the earlier contest against Holy Cross, only this time the Crusaders prevailed. The Rebels traveled 89y in 11 plays the first time they got their hands on the ball. The score came when Morere passed to Marcus Cashon, who lateralled to Otis Gilmore at the 10. On the next possession, the Rebs scored again on a 60y toss from Leon Vogt to Cashon, who sprinted into the EZ himself this time. The Crusaders got on the board on a 15y run off tackle by Schindler. But Nicholls scored on its third possession to take a 20-7 halftime lead. Gilmore scored his second six-pointer on a 7y pass from Vogt. Completely outplayed the first half, the Saints revamped their D after the intermission to shut down the Rebs. Blount, who led all runners with 74y but failed to complete a pass for the first time all season, raced 14y off the strong side of the Rebel line to close to 20-13. Later, Schindler tallied his second TD on a 22y scamper straight up the middle. The PAT failed, keeping the Saints one point behind. As the clock ticked down, the Crusaders cranked up a drive that culminated in Schindler's third TD, a one-foot plunge with only 57 seconds on the scoreboard. Blount's conversion capped the scoring. Nicholls' 250y ranked as the most through the air for any game at City Park Stadium so far in the season.

Two down, one more to break-even as the Crusaders finished with Redemptorist for the third consecutive year. Both teams boasted players who would make their final claims to All-Prep consideration in Wicker's estimation.

• Aloysius: Blount, Salzer, Ronnie Senac, Arnoult, Campos, and Voelker
• Redemptorist: HB Emile Landry and E Curry Juneau

SA	0	7	6	13	26
Red	0	0	0	0	0
TDs: Summerhalter, Mahoney, Reppel, Neyrey; PAT: Blount 2 (PK) 1st Downs: SA 11, Red 2; Penalty yds: SA 65, Red 30

The Crimson D held the Rams to a measly two first downs, both of which came in Q4. Joe Galliano's club gained only 44y on the evening, 25 of which came through the air.

Q1: The Crusaders stifled the Blue and Gold but couldn't mount a threat of their own. Q2: SA marched all the way to the 1 before being stopped on downs. The half ended with the Saints on the Ram 4. In between, Summerhalter scored the only TD of the half. Q3: Mahoney picked up a partially blocked punt and ran 6y for the second TD. Q4: The Irish Channel boys finally registered a first down on the first snap of the period when Tommy Warner (future Tulane star) ran 13y around E. After the Crusaders regained possession, Reppel, who lived in the Redemptorist neighborhood, scored on an end-around. Later in the period, a 25y pass produced the other Ram first. Their only threat of the evening ended in an INT that started the Crimson on their final drive of the night, with the TD tallied by Neyrey, who tore off a 44y jaunt earlier in the evening.

Bobby Neyrey

Jack Voelker

With a 3-2-1 mark, Aloysius finished in third place in the league standings when Jesuit knocked off Warren Easton 20-6 three days later. Three Crusaders made the 18-man Times-Picayune first team All-Prep. Four others made the second and third elevens. First team: Dan Salzer G, Jack Voelker E, Nick Blount B Second team: Ronald Senac C Third team: Robert Arnoult T, Louis Campos T, Edward Arms B

Jesuit and Holy Cross tied for the Prep championship. The Tigers beat the Jays in their regular meeting but were later upset by Nicholls. So they met again on Wednesday, December 5, to determine the local representative for the South Louisiana finals. The Crossmen staged a thrilling comeback to edge the Blue Jays again, 18-14. Just three nights later, "a scrappy and tired but 'never give up' bunch of Tigers" lost to Istrouma 38-20 in Baton Rouge

• Not only did the Saints win four of their last five, three via shutouts, but they earlier played Holy Cross competitively, losing only 25-20.
• Another source of confidence was the fact that numerous key performers would return. The only major losses would be Dave Campos, Charlie Reppel, Dan Salzer, and Ronnie Senac.
• All-Prep sophomore B Nick Blount would again lead the offense. (It would turn out that Nick would enjoy only one more year of eligibility because of a change in LHSAA rules.)
• All the pieces were in place for the greatest season St. Aloysius had yet known.

1952 Season

1950 Season

Summary of the 1940s

Summary of the 1930s

Summary of the 1920s

 

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