• The Bears brought a 2-0 mark into the contest with the Crusaders, who generally started their season later than other teams. Eddie Harelson's club had beaten class A Baker (20-0) and AA Bastrop (19-0) and enjoyed a bye week prior to traveling to New Orleans.
• Seeing his first action because of illness, HB Justin Fernandez would strengthen the Capital Boys' chances.
• In addition to justifying their Top Ten ranking, the Saints also sought revenge for 1951's 19-7 setback at the hands of Catholic.
• The game was originally scheduled for Baton Rouge in the home-and-home alternation but was moved because of the many activities in the Capital City the day of the game.
• The contest marked the 14th clash between the schools, with Aloysius holding an 8-5 edge.

The vaunted Crusader offense started slowly, to say the least, "shadow boxing for a half," to quote Peter Finney. Fortunately, the D kept the Bears at bay until the ground attack got itself untracked in Q3.

• Q1: SA went nowhere with the opening kickoff. So Blount booted to the CHS 30 where Arton "Whip" Bertrand returned it 13y. Alternating Bertrand, Andrew Sceroler, and big Jim Lieux, the Bears probed the Crimson line, but the farthest they could advance during the half was the SA 36. Both teams lacked any semblance of an offense, each gaining only 25y during the period. Jim "Cooter" Zimmerle (future Tulanian) led the Bruin D while Ronald Senac did yeoman work for the Saints.
• Q2: Both coaches elected to punt on third down multiple times, hoping for a break that never came in the first 24 minutes of play. CHS racked up four first downs for the half to none for SA, which gained only 25y. The Saints penetrated enemy territory just once.
• Q3: Both teams came out ready to crank up their offenses. The visitors got the first crack, driving in a "meat-grinder march" to the SA 13 before the Crusader forward wall broke through and nailed Bertrand on the 17. Inspired, Aloysius then moved to the first score of the evening and the first against Catholic for the young season. Blount skirted RE for 22 to move the chains for the first time. Nick and Arms teamed to advance the pigskin to the CHS 47 where Billy Connick fumbled a pitchout, scooped it up, and raced to pay dirt, "outfoxing the Bear secondary with a neat change of pace." Blount's PAT made it 7-0 with a minute left .
• Q4: Taking the kickoff, the Bruins began marching again only to be derailed by Lieux's fumble which T Bob Arnoult covered on the CHS 40. Blount and Arms once again combined to tote the leather to the 3, where the Bears held on fourth down. Bertrand immediately kicked out of danger to the 42, James Schmitt returning 22y. Two plays later, Mike Huber scampered 21y on an end-around for the TD. Blount's place kick failed to clear the uprights, leaving the tally at 13-0. Once again, Whip made a beautiful return of the kickoff to the SA 33 before Ralph Schindler hauled him down. But the opportunity went for naught as Arms intercepted Bertrand's pass on the 20. The game rocked along until the final two minutes. From the SA 49, Arms skirted LE for 5y. Just as he was hit by several Bears, he lateralled to Schindler who covered the remaining ground to the EZ. Blount again failed to convert. The game ended soon afterwards with the Crusaders in possession at midfield.

16,000, the largest crowd in the state so far that season, saw the Crusader D live up to its billing, holding the Blue Jays to just two first downs and only 38y on the ground. Peter Finney wrote in the States-Item that the Crusader forward wall turned in one of the greatest defensive jobs ever witnessed in City Park Stadium.

Neither team completed a pass.

• Neyrey gained 96y on the ground. Blount, who didn't see action until Q3, carried the ball just 9 times for 56y.
• Led by Senac and Arnoult, the Crusader D held their foe to a mere 72y, all on the ground, with 38 of those yards coming on the final three plays of the game.
• Finney: It is difficult to explain why the St. Aloysius attack has thus far failed to gain momentum. Lack of backfield speed appears to be the only answer.

• Deutschmann gained a mere 55y in 12 attempts, with 28 coming in the waning minutes. Mahoney shadowed Lou on every play from his LB position. When Lou broke through the line, he was hauled down by the four deep men in Crimson who converged from all angles.
• Blount toted the ball 22 times for a net of 54y as the Crusaders played ball control once they seized the lead.
• Altogether, Aloysius ran 55 plays to 47 for the Crossmen. But 17 of HC's snaps were passes to only 6 for the Crimson.
• The bad news for the Knights was the loss of G Roy Mouras in the first half with a broken arm.
• The Crusaders carried Toribio off the field on their shoulders. However, Eddie directed all praise toward his assistants: Our defense, a 6-1-4 with slight variations, was Mel's idea. And Andy, I don't have to tell you, has done a remarkable job with the line. They deserve the handshake.
• HC assistant Dave Brennan explained the reason for Crusader dominance like this: It was those four deep men that did it. We couldn't sweep. In the third quarter Delaney is headed around end. All the red shirts in the line are down. Up comes this guy (Bob Mathews) from the secondary. He doesn't only stop the sweep, he throws Delaney for a two-yard loss. What can you do?
• Schmidt was assigned to guard French man-for-man. Safeties Connick and Senac made most of their tackles at the line of scrimmage.
• Campos missed the entire second half with an injury.

• The triumph, their first over the Crossmen since 1941, marked the first time Aloysius had ever defeated both Jesuit and Holy Cross in the same season.
• As a result, the Crusaders moved to the top spot in the state poll. Needless to say, that was also a first in school history. First in basketball or first in baseball? Old hat. But never football.
• Aloysius clearly deserved the #1 ranking. The only other undefeated squad in the state, Sulphur, had edged Holy Cross by just one point at home.
• Wicker: Four years ago when Eddie Toribio took over at Aloysius he told his football players, especially his freshmen, that before they graduate they would be on a championship football team. Looks like Ed had something.
  To Aloysius' young coaching aspirant, M. L. Lagarde, goes the honor of the success the Crusaders had defensively Sunday afternoon. It was his suggested defenses that were used against the state's top ground gaining machine and held it to 50 yards net rushing.
• Wicker also reported that Toribio wanted to line up a game to fill the 18-day void in the schedule between Easton on October 26 and Nicholls on November 14. Johnny Altobello was trying to do his former colleague a favor by shifting De La Salle's November 2 game with McDonogh to open a date. However, nothing came of the effort.

The Saints now prepared for the always pesky Easton Eagles of Hoss Memtsas.

• The Eagles had played only one intra-prep game, a 45-25 victory over Nicholls. So a victory would make the Crusaders the only Class A team in the city without a Prep loss.
• Both FBs would miss the game, Jack Cahill of Easton with a bad leg and Schindler with the flu.
• Having picked Aloysius to lose in three of their last four games, Wicker changed his tune and selected the Crusaders to defeat Easton.

• In the interim, Holy Cross defeated Easton 33-27. That meant that the Crusaders controlled their own destiny. Win the remaining two games and ring up the school's first Prep football championship.
• Bye weeks are always a chance for teams to heal. However, two Crimson warriors would not play against the Rebels - Roy Mouras with his broken arm and Gerry Pfister with a bad back.
• A year earlier, the Rebels had upset Holy Cross to knock the Tigers into a tie with Jesuit. Toribio undoubtedly mentioned that event to his guys more than once.
• When you're on top, everyone gives you their best shot. Nicholls coach George Manteris made offensive and defensive changes to prepare his team for their undefeated foe.

• Fortier would not be the easiest of foes. The Tarpons mirrored the Crusaders in featuring a strong defense and a not as strong offense.
• Wicker: It should be a great defensive game and could end in a tie since neither has great offensive power.
• A tie would clinch the championship and a state playoff berth for the Crusaders. The teams had tied 7-7 in 1951.
• Mouras and Pfister would return to action in the homecoming fray.
• Aloysius lost its #1 ranking to Fair Park despite the fact that the Indians had a defeat.

• The opponent would be either Baton Rouge or Istrouma, depending on which won the November 28 replay of their 20-20 tie.
• That turned out to be the Indians who defeated the Bulldogs 7-6. The victory kept alive Istrouma's hope of a third straight AA crown.
• The LHSAA had abandoned its long-time practice of awarding playoff games to the site that made the higher bid. Now the site was determined by a coin flip, which was won by Istrouma. So the game was set for Memorial Stadium in Baton Rouge.
• The schools decided to split the profits 50-50 and agreed on a $500 expense figure.

Aloysius and Istrouma had never met on the gridiron.

• Coach Fuzzy Brown's Indians boasted a 9-1-1 record with wins over three foes that played Aloysius: Easton (27-0), Jesuit (13-7), and Catholic High (7-6). The defeat came at the hands of Sulphur 26-7.
• The Indians, making their seventh appearance in the state playoffs, were led by QB Winton Turner, who would letter the next four years at LSU.
• Both teams entered the game at full strength.
• 15 chartered busses left at 1:30 pm to accompany the Crusaders to the Capital City for the game.
• The game aired on WAFB radio in Baton Rouge and WNOE (1360) in New Orleans.

Beating Istrouma in Baton Rouge was like defeating Notre Dame in South Bend or the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

• Fair Park bested Sulphur 14-0 to earn the right to face the Crusaders in the AA State Finals.
• After both games were completed, Aloysius won the flip of the coin to determine the site, which would be City Park Stadium the following Friday night.
• Aloysius also won the coin flip to determine the order of tie-breakers. Toribio wanted 20y-line penetrations while Fair Park preferred first downs. If both those were tied, total yards gained would settle the issue.

In his Sunday column following the Istrouma win, Wicker wrote this:

"Well done," two simple words tell the story to date of the 1952 edition of the St. Aloysius football team, the first city and South Louisiana champions in the school's history.
As far as the Crusaders go they have done splendidly this season under Eddie Toribio and his assistants, Andy Douglass and M. L. Lagarde. The '52 team, however, has lacked one thing - support.
For 25 years the school, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and the alumni of the school have been waiting for a championship team. But even after the Crusaders wrapped up the crown, the old grads failed to turn out.
They got support for the first time Friday night when the Crimson and White played Istrouma in the South Louisiana finals. Fifteen busloads of fans and students attended plus many others who drove up in their cars for the game.
But this Friday night they need - and deserve - the help of their followers, the citizens of New Orleans and their friends, and fans who want to see a good football game.
It will be a contest between the state's best offensive team against the best defensive unit. Fair Park is the offensive power and St. Aloysius is the defensive power. ...
There are heavy expenses involved in such a game, and it would be a terrible thing if the Crusaders and Fair Park would fail to make expenses and a profit.

The Indians from Shreveport had lost to Istrouma in the last two AA finals.

• They had also been in the finals two earlier times without emerging victorious.
• The only blemish on their 11-game 1952 slate came from Istrouma 2-0 in Shreveport October 3 on a safety in the final two minutes after stopping the visitors a yard short of the goal line on fourth down.
• The only other common foe between Fair Park and Aloysius was Catholic High, whom the Indians defeated 35-7.
• The undisputed leader of the Northern Louisiana champs was HB/LB Tommy Davis, destined to play a key role on LSU's 1958 National Championship team (after serving in the military) and spend eleven seasons as a kicker-punter with the San Francisco 49ers.
• F. H. Prendergast's Fair Park staff had scouted the Crusaders twice - against Fortier and Istrouma. Aloysius, on the other hand, had not scouted its opponent but got information from the Catholic High coaches.
• A special train brought Fair Park followers to the Crescent City for the big game.
• Bill Keefe, Times-Picayune sports editor, called the game the "Little Sugar Bowl."
  For the contest has all the color, and other trimmings that go to make up an outstanding post season classic. ...
  In Tommy Davis, Fair Park has Louisiana's top scoring back [184 points] and one of the best ever to come out of Louisiana high school ranks, according to those who have seen him. Besides Davis, Fair Park has another top-notch runner in A. J. Williams, and two fine tackles in Harley Brown [another future Tiger] and Kenny Fountain.
  One of the best defensive teams ever to be developed in the Crescent City, St. Aloysius has a line that, except for injuries, could have been picked in its entirety as an all-prep forward wall.
  Added color will be given to the contest by the appearance of the LSU Color Guard Squadron. C. L. Madden, director of high school relations at LSU, requested permission to allow the group to perform during the pregame show and, of course, the high schools jumped at it. The St. Aloysius and Fair Park bands will also be on hand for the contest.
  Fans will be able to see the game with all the added attractions for the same price that they paid to see the regular prep league games. Advance tickets cost 75 cents. At the gate the price of admissions will be $1.25.
  Tickets can be purchased at St. Aloysius High school, Maison Blanche, Johnny Lynch Sporting Goods, D. H. Holmes, and Werlein's.
• The St. Aloysius brothers hosted more than 75 brothers from around the province for the game.

A crowd estimated at 15,000 (including yours truly) saw the visitors take to the air in the second half to break out of a scoreless tie. Just as they had stopped Lou Deutschmann of Holy Cross and Win Turner of Istrouma, the Saints, playing without captain Dave Campos, concentrated on containing Davis with their umbrella D. They held him to 83y on 20 carries. So they won that battle but lost the war.

• Q1: Aloysius kicked off with a strong wind behind them and forced the first punt from Davis, who came into the game with a 45y average. But the ball slid off the side of his foot against the wind and went backwards 15y to the 26. With the crowd roaring, Aloysius gained 7y on three runs. Then, on 4th-and-3, the center of the Indian line swarmed Blount for no gain to stifle the threat. Although they got more chances in FP territory, the Saints couldn't take advantage, failing to gain a first down in the period. The visitors' only one came on a 15y piling on penalty. Finally, on the last play before changing sides, Davis boomed a 47y punt that Connick returned 17y to the SA 44.
• Q2: Blount gained 3, then Arms broke loose for 16 to the 37 for the initial Aloysius first down. Nick added two more, but, on the next play, Arms fumbled, and Bobby Anderson recovered on the 40. Davis hit LT for 10 before Connick brought him down. The other HB, A. L. Williams, ran around RE for 7 to the SA 43 for FP's first penetration of Crimson territory. Tommy got the first down with a 4y thrust. Then he hit the line to the 28. However, Voelker broke through and dropped QB Gene Saur for a 14y loss. A third down pass fell incomplete, then Davis passed to FB Johnny Crumpler but for only 5, not enough to move the chains. After gaining just 3y on two runs, Blount got off a beautiful 45y quick kick to the 15. Again thwarted by the Aloysius D, Davis blasted a 63y punt to the SA 22 from where Neyrey ran it back 6. Blount circled RE for 12 and a rare first down. Arms picked up 6 before Blount passed to Connick on the FP 38 as the half ended.
• Q3: Crimson followers, knowing their heroes were a second half team, felt good about their chances. Davis boomed the kickoff over the goal line. Then the Crusaders suffered a 15y penalty that set them back to the 5. Blount punted to the FP 48, from where the Indians, changing their tactics after the break, started the first scoring march of the evening. Davis hit for 6, and Crumpler added 1. Saur dropped back and connected with Williams for 18y to the 27. A 1y gain was followed by a 5y penalty. Then Tommy rambled for his best gain of the evening, 18 to the 13. Two more Davis-Crumpler smashes put the pigskin on the 3 before a penalty moved it back to the 13. With the Crusaders in an eight-man line, Saur bootlegged and threw to Williams who made a great leaping catch in the EZ to break the scoring ice. Davis's PAT misfired.
• Q4: Fair Park dominated the period against the weary Saints. From his 12, Blount booted 46y to the enemy 42. Davis gained 2, then Crumpler swept RE for 23, Senac running him out of bounds on the 33 to prevent the TD. But that just delayed the inevitable as Saur found Williams in the left flat at the 25, and the fleet-footed back covered the remaining distance in a flash. Davis booted the PAT to make it 13-0. Now, Aloysius had no choice but to pass. But two plays later, Crumpler intercepted Nick's aerial at midfield and returned it to the 28. After an offside penalty, Davis punched the ball back to the 27. From there, Saur hit Williams on the goal line for the third and final score. Davis again added the point.

• C - Ronald Senac, 18, 5-11, 176, Sr.
• T - Robert Arnoult, 18, 5-11, 178, Sr.

The second team included two more Aloysians.

• G - Gaspar Abene, 165, Sr.
• B - Nick Blount, 162, Sr.

• With a defense constantly referred to as one of the best in the state, the Crusaders advanced to heady territory where no SA team had ventured. Often a high school, college, or even pro team that makes the post-season after a long absence loses the first game. But the Crimson crew wasn't content just to make the playoffs for the first time. They not only won but defeated the defending champions.
• What is amazing from the perspective of 50 years is how much success the Saints attained without much of a passing attack. That deficiency eventually betrayed them in the state championship game when they fell two scores behind in the second half.
• Any successful team has excellent leadership, and Toribio was blessed with 16 seniors, the flowers of his garden. The Crusaders were tough physically and mentally, as evidenced by their persevering through adversity during many games.

1953 Season

Summary of the 1940s

Summary of the 1930s

Summary of the 1920s

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