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The Football Tradition for the Prep League in
1922:

1922: HOLY CROSS MAKES ITS DEBUT ON THE GRIDIRON 

THE FIRST HC-JESUIT GAME
 
Jesuit fielded football teams in the 1890's onward.  In the early years, it was on a rather casual basis, with no official recognition from the school's administration.  There were a couple of early years when they did not have a team.  Warren Easton was the big power in the earliest years with up to 4000 boys in the school. 
 
In the fateful year of 1922, Holy Cross decided to put a sanctioned team together.  The school's population numbered only about 75 boys in the high school division.  Brother Godfrey got Leo Ernst to be the first coach and the team wore green and gold and were called the "Micks."    They had 25 boys: Nalty, Falgoust, Smith, Walsh, Lafaye, Dautrieve, Barlow, Wise, Schloegel, Nelto, Pegg, Beach, D'Aquin, Fontenot, Tortorich, Molina, Haydel, Ellender, Corcoran, Belcourt, Clesi, Gutierrez, Gemelli, Aillet and Barlow.
 

The Roamers beat them 12-0, followed by Baton Rouge, 34-0 and the Triangles, 25-0.

They signed up for the Class "B" league of small schools and played pretty well against the St. Aloysius Panthers at Heineman Park, earning their first victory, 13-0.  Jesuit stomped them 32-0.  then the Tribesmen won 12-7 and the Algiers Tigers fought them to a 0-0 tie.  Then they beat Amite 12-0.  That was their first season.  By 1922 the Jays were a well established program, with the annual Jesuit-Easton clash being the talk of the league.  Jesuit was far superior to Holy Cross at that time and won easily, as seen below.

For more information on the 1922 season, we suggest that you read "The Golden Game" by Ron Brocato, © 2002

Below is the actual report as printed in the Times-Picayune.  The date of the game was Thursday, Oct. 26, 1922.

Below: Copyright © 1922, The Times-Picayune Publishing Co.

Jesuits Aerial Attack and Experience Defeats Game Holy Cross Team

BY GORDON H EBERT

JESUITS COLLEGE, showing a superb overhead attack, defeated Holy Cross College in the Class A division of the Prep League by a score of 32 to 0 at Heineman Park yesterday afternoon.  The Blue Jays showed by far the best forward pass system seen in prep school circles for some time.

Coach Bill Daly of Jesuits placed a well coached and well balanced squad on the gridiron yesterday, which played “rings” around the Holy Cross outfit at times.  Coach Leo Ernst of Holy Cross also had a well-coached team, but the experience of the Blue-Jays’ players was entirely too much for the green Holy Cross team.  Holy Cross has a heavy team but many men who occupy positions on the squad are playing their first year of football, while every player on Jesuits has at least a year’s experience.

Quarterback Ike Armstrong of Jesuits ran his team off in first class style and it was chiefly the playing of this player which made the score so large.  The Blue Jays scored in every quarter, putting over a tally, putting over a tally and point in the opening chapter, together with two more touchdowns in the second and third quarters.  In the last period Jesuits scored twice on Holy Cross, with Charles Villavaso kicking a drop kick after touchdown, bringing the count up to 52 points.

Holy Cross only made four first downs during the course of the fray, most of these first downs coming in the second half.  The team in yellow and black depended mostly on the toe work of its captain, George Schloegel, who did some pretty punting throughout the game.  All during the initial half, when Holy Cross received possession of the ball, Captain Schloegel punted the pigskin out of the territory of his goal.  Schloegel sent his punts high in the air, kicking perfect spirals for good gains on every boot.

Coach Daly has a wonderful defense line built around his veterans.  When a Holy Cross player worked his way through the line the secondary defense was right there on the job to down the plunger.  The offensive work was not half as good as that of the defense.  Although the Jesuits backfield men gained substantial ground at times – they lost a few yards due to their slowness in getting off.  The Blue Jays depended mostly on modern football, which we can certainly say carried them to victory.

The Holy Cross line held like a stone wall at times.  At other periods of the contest, it cracked, the Jesuit players plunging through with utmost ease.  The closest quarters of the game was the second and third.  It looked as if Holy Cross was taken off its feet when the game started, the manner in which the Blue Jays tore through them.  But Holy Cross tightened up a great deal in the two inner quarters, playing a good game.

Clesi of Holy Cross kicked off to open the game.  Ike Armstrong of Jesuits was on the receiving end and made a substantial return.  First down was made when Armstrong and Villavaso marched through the Holy Cross line.  Emile Rive then bucked the center of the line for two yards.  Armstrong went off tackle for twenty yards, bringing the pigskin to Holy Cross’ 15-yard line.  Rive again bucked the center of the line for two yards.  Villavaso hit the right side of the Holy Cross line for a six-yard gain.  Armstrong then made first down, plunging the center of the line.  ON an attempted left end run, Carl Fisher lost five yards when he was downed by Schloegel.  Signals were then called for a long right end run.  Villavaso received the ball and raced around the terminal for the initial touchdown for Jesuits.  Armstrong kicked the place kick after the tally.

The next touchdown for Jesuits was delayed greatly on account of the Jesuit players fumbling.  After Jesuit kicked off to Holy Cross and held them for downs the ball was placed in the hands of Jesuits.  On the first play near the edge of the gridiron Armstrong went out of bounds.  The Jesuits lined up fast and baffled Holy Cross, with Villavaso running thirty-five yards and placing the ball on the ten-yard line of Holy Cross.  Armstrong fumbled taking the ball over center with Holy Cross on the receiving end.  Schloegel kicked for a good distance.  Rive received the punt and made a fair return.  Jesuits was halted in its tracks when Villavaso fumbled the ball on Holy Cross' 30-yard line.  Aillet of Holy Cross recovered the pigskin.  Schloegel again punted to Jesuits, when the whistle sounded for the end of the first quarter, the ball being in the middle of the field.

To open the second quarter a forward pass from Armstrong to Rive netted the Blue Jays a gain of forty yards.  Villavaso lost twelve yards on an attempted left end run.  This distance was made up by Jesuits with another pass from Armstrong to Rive.  Villavaso then skirted Holy Cross' right end for the second tally of the day.

The other three touchdowns Jesuits made were scored chiefly through the air attack.

Pascal Palermo, at center for Jesuits, played a dashing game of ball.  Palermo was in every play of the day, making many fine tackles.  Captain "Slep" Moloney at right guard also played a good game for Jesuits on the line.  The work of Armstrong and Rive were the shining lights in the backfield.  Charlie Villavaso was another good man in the backfield.

For Holy Cross Captain George Schloegel really stood out as the best player of his squad.  He ran his team with a cool head, as he did against St. Aloysius, when Holy Cross came out on top  of a 12-0 score.

The last game of the week in the prep schools will be played this afternoon at Heineman Park between Rugby Academy and New Orleans Academy.  N. O. A. will make its debut in the prep league, while the Cadets have already enjoyed a 6-0 victory over Verrina.  the game is carded to start at 3:15 sharp.

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