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The Football Tradition for the Prep League in 
1940:

The official article on the game played on Sunday, Nov. 24, 1940  

Copyright © 1940, The New Orleans Times-Picayune

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40,000 SEE POWERFUL JESUIT ATTACK DEFEAT HOLY CROSS 25-7

DiBartolo, Key Lead Jays to Smashing Win at Park; Big Crowd Shatters Record

Stout Blue and White Line Outcharges Tiger Wall for Greater Portion of Classic Tilt

* Crowd size was actually 34,345.
By Art Burke

Forty thousand fans, which constituted the largest gathering ever to witness a local prep game, marveled as the Jesuit Blue Jays unleashed a powerful attack via ground and air to crush the Holy Cross Tigers 25-7 and capture the city prep football championship at City Park Stadium Sunday afternoon.

The crowd, which overflowed the horseshoe structure as well as the temporary stands which were erected for the occasion, saw O. J. Key and Tony DiBartolo, Jesuit’s 190-pound backs, each score two touchdowns against a stalwart Tiger forward wall.

Jay Line Outcharges

They saw a stout Jesuit line outcharge their opponents from midway in the first period to the final gun and at the end walk off the field with unshaken legs and even stouter hearts.  They saw the Jesuit pass defenders, reputed to be vulnerable, turn back every Tiger aerial bombardment save one which occurred with the game safely won in the closing moments of the game.

The Tiger line, too, played courageous ball throughout but it was not up to the class of the Blue Jays, who were playing the game without their captain and star offensive guard, Dave Brennan.

By the victory, the Blue Jays qualified to meet Istrouma High of Baton Rouge early next month in the south Louisiana playoff with the winner of that contest entering the state playoff.  Holy Cross, as the loser, probably will be invited to play against Meridian High, Mississippi Big Eight champion in the Times-Picayune’s Doll and Toy Fund benefit contest around the middle of December.

Sets Attendance Record

The largest previous crowd to witness a local high school game was the 33,000 which turned out for the Jesuit-Warren Easton classic in 1936 (at Tulane), while the former City Park Stadium mark was the 28,000 which witnessed Jesuit and Fortier play in 1937.

Largest crowd ever to see a game at City Park Stadium.  34,345.   Date of game was Nov. 24, 1940.  Jesuit vs. Holy Cross

Picking out individual stars for the winners, besides Key and DiBartolo, is difficult since every Blue Jay that started proved to be a star.  However, the defensive performances of Cy Kirsch and Leonard Finley in backing up the line were great and Johnny Ballatin and Paul Limont consistently smashed the Tiger interference on their tricky reverses.

Jerome Daly, although closely watched throughout, was the most brilliant runner on the field, getting away several times for fine gains and once ran a kickoff back 47 yards that was remarkable.  Bob Driscoll, although rushed by the Jesuit line, completed eight passes for a gain of 98 yards and tossed for the Tigers’ only score.

Tigers Best in First Downs

The Tigers outfirst-downed the Jays 11 to 6 and gained a net yardage of 182 to 201 for Jesuit.  In running the teams were almost even with 144 for Jesuit and 132 for Holy Cross.

Key gained the most yardage among the individuals, picking up 105 yards in 19 tries.  This was largely due to his 48-yard touchdown jaunt in the final period.

Charlie Arthur accounted for the Tigers’ only score in the last two minutes of play after taking a pass from Driscoll.

The Tigers, after kicking off and stopping the initial Blue Jay offensive, opened up an attack of their own that made it appear they were the better ball club.  And they marched twice into Jesuit territory during the first five minutes by using the Jays’ own methods – power along the ground.

Driscoll Fumbles

Taking Key’s punt on their own 35, the Tigers registered two successive first downs to bring the ball to the Jay 44.  Driscoll and Daly did all of the ball carrying.  However, Driscoll fumbled and Ballatin recovered for the Jays on the 40.  The Tigers again stopped three line smashes by Key and DiBartolo and Key punted out of bounds on Holy Cross’ 27-yard line.  On the first play, Daly, on a reverse, went off tackle for 33 yards and a first down on the Jesuit 40.  A penalty against the Tigers and an incomplete pass set them back and Loflin punted over the goal line. 

Key’s quick-kick on second down put the Tigers deep in their own territory and paved the way for the Jays’ first score.  Holy Cross was forced to punt from their own 25 and Loflin’s boot went out on the Jesuit 40.

Jays March to Score

From this point the Jays marched straight down the field for a touchdown.  On first down, Key smashed tackle for three yards and then passed 15 yards to Limont for first down on the Tigers’ 42.  This was the Jays’ initial first down and the first time they had the ball in Holy Cross territory.  Limont gained six yards on an end around as the first quarter ended scoreless.  DiBartolo in two tries brought the ball to the Tiger 28 and Key passed 18 yards to Widmer for another first down on the Tiger 10.  On fourth down DiBartolo went over for the first score of the game.  Ballatin successfully converted from placement. 

Line Halts Reverses

The Jesuit line began to stop the Tiger reverses and Driscoll went to the air lanes.  However, he had little success by this means, too, as the Jay defenders proved very alert, DiBartolo and Widmer intercepting two heaves.  Widmer’s interception on the Tiger 25-yard line set up the second Jesuit score.  On first down, Jesuit went to the air and Key’s pass fell into the arms of Finley on the Holy Cross three.  From there Key went off tackle for the touchdown.  Ballatin’s attempted placement failed.

Daly returned the kickoff to the 31-yard line and, with a few minutes to play for the half, opened up another aerial bombardment which was halted when DiBartolo intercepted Driscoll’s pass.

Ballatin blocked one of Loflin’s punts shortly after the third period opened and the Blue Jays marched to their third touchdown.  It was temporary, however, by a stout Tiger defense.  (sic) But Key grabbed Loflin’s next punt on the Holy Cross 35 and ran it back to the six where he was forced out of bounds.  Key got one yard on first down and DiBartolo rammed the center three times for the touchdown.  Ballatin’s placement try was wide.

Tigers Score Late

A punting exchange followed when neither team was able to gain consistently and the Blue Jays came into possession of the ball on the Holy Cross 48.  On first down, Key tore through a big hole at right tackle and broke into the clear around the 25, where it was only a matter of outrunning the Tigers’ secondary.  Ballatin’s kick was blocked and the score stood 25-0.

Daly made a remarkable return of the next kickoff, carrying the ball from his goal line to the 47-yard line.  The Tigers began passing on every down and two clicked to bring the ball to the Jesuit 17-yard line, the deepest they journeyed the whole afternoon.  Daly was thrown for a two-yard loss and then three straight passes failed to give the Jays the ball on their own 19.  On first down Key quick-kicked to Daly and the elusive Tiger back returned to the Jesuit 30-yard stripe.  On first down Driscoll passed into the flat to Charlie Arthur and the Tiger quarterback raced past the Jesuit secondary for the only Holy Cross touchdown.  Driscoll placekicked perfectly for the extra point.  

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Cumulative record, Jesuit leads the series 14-3-2

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