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The Football Tradition for the Prep League in
1952

In 1952, the St. Aloysius Crusaders came of age and won their first Prep League championship.  It would be the Scarlet Knights' only outright title in the old Prep League, when the state's highest classification was Class AA.  If our information is correct, we recall that Aloysius won the South Louisiana title, but lost out in the state finals.  However, this in unconfirmed.  They had an airtight defense and one of their victims was Jesuit, by a 7-0 score.

1952 ST. ALOYSIUS CRUSADERS: FIRST CITY CHAMPIONS FROM  THE HISTORIC ESPLANADE AVE. SCHOOL

Bottom row: Roy Mouras, Sidney Reso, Hubert Ward, James La Cava, Frank Abene, Jerry Pfister, Henry Celestine, John Breaux, Howard Bode Second row: Roger Mmahat, Ray Schindler, Nicholas Blount, Sidney Sanders, Gasper Abene, David Campos, James Schmidt, Joseph Naquin, Edward Arms, Dave Macaluso. Merwyn Esler Third row: Robert Arnoult, John Habisreitinger, Jack Voelker, Emile Marks, Robert Neyrey, Arthur Conlin, William Connick, Robert Matthews Back row: Assistant coach Mel Lagarde, Assistant coach Andy Douglass, "Rockin' Ronnie" Senac, Richard Gueldner, Morris Gray, Michael McAdam, John Wilson, Joseph Mahoney, Michael Huber, Coach Eddie Toribio, Brother Augustine, S.C.

Here is the Times-Picayune story of the Jesuit-Holy Cross matchup in 1952.  The game was played on Sunday afternoon, November 16, 1952.

Copyright © 1952, the Times-Picayune

BLUE JAYS, PACED BY MICKEY 
LA NASA, DEFEAT TIGERS 14-7

CASWELL AIDS JESUIT VICTORY

Deutschmann Tallies Only Tiger Touchdown

By N. CHARLES WICKER

Jesuit High School's Blue Jays clicked with its running attack, got good defensive play and splendid blocking on the offensive to defeat Holy Cross, 14-7 Sunday afternoon at City Park Stadium before a crowd of 11,000 fans.  It was their first win over the Tigers since John Petitbon led Jesuit to a 26-0 win in 1947.

The win will add color to the Jays' next game, the annual clash with Warren Easton two weeks hence.

Mickey La Nasa led the Jays to victory, but got help from his sidekick in the Jesuit backfield, Mike Caswell.

Between them, they picked up 208 yards of 260 yards gained running.  La Nasa alone picked up 131 and completed two of four passes for 55 yards.  His first completion, a 23-yard one to Richard Deck, started the Jays to a touchdown.  The other pass to Maurice Bouy was for a touchdown.

Richard Deck, Reggie Trahant and Al Oser paced the Jays' defensive unit which held the Tigers scoreless until the final 22 seconds of the game.

Lou Deutschmann, out of action for the past two games, didn't see service until late in the second period.  He single-handedly scored the Bengals' only touchdown with 22 seconds remaining in the final period on a 17-yard run.  Holy Cross marched 63 yards for the score and Deutschmann picked up practically all of the yards.  Only a two-yard gain by Gerry Heap kept Deutschmann from gaining all the yardage on the drive.

Deutschmann had a 9.4 average, picking up 94 yards on 10 tries.

The defeat knocked the Tigers out of a mathematical chance at the crown, which St. Aloysius can sew up by defeating Fortier Friday night.

However, a Fortier win over the Crusaders, and a Warren Easton victory over Jesuit in the annual classic could throw the two teams into a tie for the crown.  Assuming, of course that Easton wins its Friday night game from Redemptorist.

The Jays took the ball on the opening kickoff, reeled off five straight first downs and went from their own 27-yard line to a score that was nullified by a backfield in motion penalty.  They finally lost the ball on downs at the five-yard line to the Tigers, who showed their only offensive thrust of the first half as they moved the ball from that spot to their own 43 where they were forced to punt.

But the two breaks against them didn't stop the Jays.  They came back and went for two second-period touchdowns.  A punt exchange after the pass that was nullified gave the Jays the ball at their own 42-yard line and the Birds went on to the game's first score in three plays.

A 23-yard pass from La Nasa to Richard Deck started the march which saw Maurice Bouy sweep right end for 27 yards and La Nasa scoring form the eight-yard line.  Reggie Trahant converted.

With seconds remaining in the first half the Jays ran one play and scored with La Nasa heaving to Bouy who took the ball on the two-yard line on a fine catch and stepped over for the score.  Trahant again converted.

Sorry, only statistics given in story.

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