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NEW: Please scroll down to the bottom of the page for news items on Bob Vetter, submitted by his daughter, Lisa Vetter Hecht |
The Football Tradition for the Prep League in
1945:
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Football programs from 1945: |
| Jesuit vs. St. Aloysius |
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(These programs were |
HOLY CROSS REACHES ZENITH OF LOUISIANA
SCHOOLBOY FOOTBALL
1945 was a year of great celebrating everywhere in America, with the war being decided. On Dauphine street, it was doubly exciting, with the Holy Cross Tigers successfully representing the city in the state playoffs.
Holy Cross was everyone's pick to win it all and they did not disappoint their backers. Having suffered the loss of their great back, Hillary Choillet, to graduation, they didn't miss a beat in replacing him with a talented and more balanced backfield. Jesuit, rebuilding after a rare losing season, would show determination and serve due warning on everyone else for the 1946 season.
Jesuit, meanwhile, started 14-year-old sophomore John Petitbon at tailback in the opening game. Petitbon would go on to become perhaps one of the most famous Blue Jay footballers of all time in his three-year career as a starter.
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| Bob Vetter was an all-around athlete for Holy Cross in 1945 |
Holy Cross brought out a youngster of their own, Hank Lauricella, who would go on to stardom and to become Louisiana's first Heisman Trophy winner as a single wing tailback at Tennessee. They also featured Joe Ernst at quarterback, certainly one of the best at that position in local history. Ernst would go on to quarterback Tulane's final SEC championship in 1949.
Yes, 1945 was a great year to be alive and a great year to enjoy terrific prep league football.
(See Bottom of this page for more photos)
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The Game Account, played on Sunday night,
November 18, 1945:
Copyright © 1945, the Times-Picayune Publishing Co.
Holy Cross Beat Jesuit 26-6, Before 27,000 Fans
TIGERS RETAIN CLEAN RECORD
By N. Charles Wicker
The Holy Cross Tigers proved too powerful for the Jesuit Blue Jays as they scored a 26-6 victory before a capacity crowd of 27,000 fans Sunday night at City Park Stadium.
The victory was the sixth of the season for Coach Lou Brownson’s Tigers who virtually clinched the city prep crown. It was the first loss for the Jays after six straight victories.
Only Nicholls stands between the Tigers and the crown. The Rebels and the Tigers, who shared the championship last year, will meet next Sunday.
Holy Cross scored once in the first quarter, twice in the third quarter and once in the final period. Jesuit scored its lone tally in the early part of the fourth period.
Holy Cross scored 17 first downs as compared to three for the Jays. Most of the Cross first downs were made running.
Jesuit’s lone offensive power came through the air. The Jays completed a 38-yard pass during their first touchdown march and another 61-yard pass put them on the 13-yard line, but they lost the ball on a fumble.
Al Hanzo led the Tiger scoring with two touchdowns. Captain Ted Mace and Ed Heider each accounted for a touchdown and an extra point. Rainey Brown scored the lone Jesuit touchdown.
It didn’t take the Tigers long to score. Stanley Indest recovered a Jesuit fumble on the 32 one play following the kickoff and the Tigers went straight for the tally. A beautiful 19-yard run by Captain Ted Mace placed the ball in position for Al Hanzo to score on a line plunge from the two-yard line. The Jays intercepted the pass on the try for the extra point.
The Tigers came back late for the start of the second half and the Jays kicked from the Tigers 45-yard line instead of from their 40 on a penalty. This meant nothing to Coach Lou Brownson’s boys, for Captain Ted Mace took the kickoff on his own two-yard line and returned it 27 yards to the Tiger 29. From there the Tigers went for their second touchdown, Captain Ted Mace scoring the marker. He also added the extra point.
The Tiger captain, who has not played on anything but a championship team since he became a first stringer and who kept his record intact as the Tigers defeated the Jays, stopped what looked like a Jesuit threat following the second Tiger touchdown when he intercepted John Petitbon’s pass on his own 42 and returned to the Jesuit 49.
From here the Tigers went for their third touchdown. Passes featured the march. Ernst completed a 26-yard pass to Heider, and after the latter got seven yards at tackle to put the ball on the 15, the Tigers were set back 15 yards for holding. They got five back as the Jays were offsides on the next play and after Hanzo picked up 5 yards to put the ball on the 20-yard line he took in a pass from Ernst for the score. Heider plunged over for the extra point.
Behind 20-0, the Jays came to life. Hugh Oser broke through to block and recover one of Joe Ernst’s punts on the midfield stripe as the third quarter ended. After one play netted two yards, Petitbon shot a pass to Oser, who advanced to the Holy Cross 10-yard line. Petitbon got five and then Brown hit center for the score. The placement for the extra point failed.
Holy Cross came right back and went 40 yards for its fourth and final score, which Ed Heider made from the five-yard line. The try for the extra point failed.
(Unintelligible line). . . .Tigers following the kickoff. He hid out and took in a long pass and raced to the Tiger 13-yard line before being hit from behind. But on the first play the Jays fumbled and Holy Cross recovered on the 15. The Tigers came back strong and got to the Jesuit 20 as the game ended.
Lineups:
Holy Cross (26)
Position
Jesuit (6)
Vetter
L.E.
Oser
Dugas
L.T.
Rooney
Indest
L.G.
Kronlege
Schmidt
C.
Golden
Hecker
R.G.
Ford
Stadler
R.T.
Tauzier
Heap
R.E.
Perrier
Ernst
Q.B.
Madary
Mace
H.B.
Petitbon
Hanzo
H.B.
Foto
Heider
F.B.
Brown
Substitutes:
Jesuit: Villavaso, Shirer, Charbonnet, Ward, Thomas, Coloroes, Curry
Holy Cross: Prats, Minyard, L. Duffy, F. Duffy, Watkins, Capo, Lauricella, Villars,
Robin
First Downs: Holy Cross 17, Jesuit 4
Penalties: Holy Cross ??, Jesuit 40
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Cumulative Record: Jesuit leads the series by 17-5-2.
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Season Records:
Jesuit: Gernon Brown, Coach:
Baton
Rouge
39-6
St.
Aloysius
18-13
Lake Charles
19-6
Fortier
28-0
St. Stanislaus
34-7
Nicholls
45-13
Holy
Cross
6-26 (L)
Peters
58-13
Warren Easton
19-0
Pensacola
24-13 (Lions Club Bowl)
(9-1-0)
Holy Cross: Lou Brownson, Coach:
Boys' High of Atlanta 19-6
Peters
32-6
Fortier
61-12
Easton
45-6
St.
Aloysius
20-6
Jesuit
26-6
Nicholls
20-0
Istrouma
33-32 (So La. Championship and Toy Bowl)
Fair
Park
31-13 (Louisiana State Championship)
Providence,
R.I. 6-6 (CYO
Bowl)
(9-0-1)
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