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The Football Tradition of the Catholic League in 

1981

The 1981 game was played on Saturday, October 10, 1981

Copyright © 1981 the Times-Picayune

 

Jays down Tigers to remain in lead

By HENRI ROCA

The Jesuit Blue Jays remained unbeaten in District 11-AAAA as they took a 42-27 win from the Holy Cross Tigers at Tad Gormley Stadium Saturday night.

It was Jesuit’s 33rd win in the long series against 25 for Holy Cross.  There was one tie.

Jesuit is now 3-0 in district play and 5-1 on the season, while Holy Cross dropped to 1-2 in the district and 4-2 on the year.

Johnny Powell passed for two second half touchdowns as Jesuit broke a 21-21 tie with a three-touchdown blitz in the latter part of the game.  The other touchdown was recorded by Richard Alvarez, the eighth running back used by coach Billy Murphy.

Bobby Foret caught eight of Powell’s tosses for 129 yards in a stellar performance.  Three of his catches were in critical ball control downs.

Ron Haggerty gained 63 yards in 12 carries to lead the Tigers on the ground.  Bobby Leitz added 49 ground yards and caught three passes, two for touchdowns.  Leitz also had a 61-yard kickoff return.  Ernie Danjean led Jesuit’s ground attack with 62 yards in 10 tries.  Danny Schellhaas had an 84-yard kickoff return for the Jays.

On its first possession, Jesuit took over at its 45-yard line and four plays later scored when Schellhaas took it in from 14 yards out.  The drive took only 47 seconds.

Leitz returned the ensuing kickoff for 61 yards with the touchdown being saved by Mike Kreider’s shoestring tackle at the Jesuit 22-yard line.  Four plays later, Haggerty took a pitch left and scampered into the end zone from three yards out at the 8:36 mark of the first quarter   Following an errant kick, the score was tied at 6-all.

Jesuit couldn’t move the ball and Holy Cross got the pigskin at its 43-yard line.  In one of the best catches of the game, Bobby Leitz made a diving catch of Donnie D’Angelo’s toss as he crossed the goal line at 5:19 of the first quarter.  Rusty Roussel’s kick gave the Cross a 13-6 lead.

Schellhaas took matters into his own hands as he cradled the kickoff at his 14- yard line and burst up the middle of the field for 84 yards as he was grabbed from behind by Gravolet at the Holy Cross two-yard line.  On the next play, Danjean muscled his way into the end zone.  Lance Engolia’s point after tied the score at 13-all at 5:00 of the first quarter.

Jesuit regained possession at 2”03 and was to score on a run by Scott Beder from the three-yard line and a pass from Powell to Danjean for two points gave Jesuit the lead once again 21-13 at 11:20 in the second quarter.

Holy Cross got renewed life in the second quarter when Danny Kramer intercepted Powell’s pass and returned it seven yards to the Tiger 38-yard line that set up a one-yard TD run by Haggerty.  Martinez grabbed D’Angelo’s pass for two points as Holy Cross tied the score at 21-all at 4:31 of the second quarter.

Whereas the first half was played even, the second was all Jesuit.

The two teams traded turnovers. .. . . (two lines unintelligible). . . . . Jays gaining possession at the Holy Cross36-yard line when Mike Giambelluca recovered D’Angelo’s fumble.

The Jesuit drive for the go-ahead touchdown was aided by a critical mistake as Powell was sacked on a fourth down play at the 28-yard line but Holy Cross was called for grabbing a face mask.  Jesuit got a first down at the Tiger 14-yard line and five plays later scored.

The touchdown came as Powell used a play action pass that found Tommy Scamardo all alone in the end zone.  The play covered four yards.  Engolia gave Jesuit a 28-21 advantage at 3:29 of the third quarter.

The Blue Jays stopped Holy Cross and took over at its four-yard line and scored in eight plays.

Danjean broke a long gainer over the Holy Cross left side for 31 yards and Foret grabbed two passes for 15 yards to key the driver.  Mark McDowell took Powell’s 39-yard toss all alone near the five-yard line as the Holy Cross defender fell down and scored at 7:55 of the fourth quarter.  It was a fourth-and-one play.  Engolia’s kick gave Jesuit a 35-21 lead.

Jesuit then marched 59 yards while consuming six minutes of the clock.  The touchdown came at 47 seconds left in the game as Alvarez scored from the four-yard line.

STATISTICS

Holy Cross

Jesuit

First downs

15

17

Yards rushing

137

181

Yards passing

120

195

Total offense

257

376

Passing

16-9-0

22-12-2

Punts

4-32

2-28

Yards penalized

4-42

8-98

Fumbles-lost

3-2

0-0

BY QUARTERS

1

2

3

4

T

Holy Cross

13

8

0

6

27

Jesuit

13

8

7

14

42

SCORING

J: Schellhaas, 14 run (kick failed)

HC: Haggerty, 3 run (kick failed)

HC: Leitz, 32 pass form D/Angelo (Roussel kick)

J: Danjean, 2 run (Engolia kick)

J: Beder, 3 run (Powell to Danjean conversion)

HC: Haggerty, 1 run (D'Angelo to Martinez conversion)

J: Scamardo, 4 pass from Powell ((Engolia kick)

J: McDowell, 39 pass from Powell (Engolia kick)

J: Alvarez, 4 run (Engolia kick)

HC: Leitz, 6 pass from D'Angelo (run failed)

JESUIT SEASON RECORD FOR 1981

Billy Murphy, Coach

Opponent

Score

Comments

B. T. Washington

3-6

(L)

Terrebonne

21-6

 

Thibodaux

23-6

 

Rummel

20-17

 

Bro. Martin

7-0

 

Holy Cross

42-27

 

Shaw

25-28

(L)

Chalmette

24-16

 

De La Salle

35-7

 

St. Augustine

19-0

 

McDonogh

3-7

(L) (Playoffs)

Totals 8-3-0


 

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