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The Football Tradition for the Prep League in
1951 (Second Game)

In the second Jesuit-Holy Cross clash of the season in 1951, the Tigers affirmed their right to represent the Prep League in the state playoffs by defeating the Blue Jays a second time.  The game had been made necessary by an upset of the Tigers by the Nicholls Rebels late in the season in the "battle for the ninth ward."

The second tilt was played on Wednesday, December 5, 2003.  Here is the account, as printed in the Times-Picayune.

Copyright © 1951, the New Orleans Times Picayune

TIGERS STAGE THRILLING COMEBACK TO DEFEAT BLUE JAYS

BENGALS GAIN PLAYOFF BERTH, 18-11

Clock Runs Out on Late Blue Jay Rally

By N. CHARLES WICKER

Holy Cross staged one of the greatest comebacks seen in high school football this year to take a thrilling 18 to 11 triumph over the Jesuit Blue Jays Wednesday night at City Park Stadium before some 18,000 fans in a playoff game to decide the district championship.

As a result the Bengals will represent the Crescent City in the South Louisiana playoff Saturday night in Baton Rouge against the defending South Louisiana and State Champion Istrouma Indians.

Behind 14 to 6 near the end of the third period, in which the Jays overtook a 6 to 0 Holy Cross lead with two touchdowns and two conversions, Holy Cross scored one TD before the third period ended and came back and scored again with 3 minutes and 15 seconds remaining.

Jesuit tried desperately to come back but the clock ran out with in their possession on the H9oly Cross eight-yard line.

Kenneth Schulte, a sub back who got into the game when Bengal quarterback Vincent Gonzales was hurt, engineered the Tigers to victory.

He scored the winning touchdown and his 54-yard pass to Charley French set up the score.

Behind 14-12, the Tigers gambled and it paid off - passing from deep in their own territory.  With the ball on their own 20-yard line and third down Schulte passed to Charley French, who was downed by Lee Boudreaux on the Jesuit 25-yard line.  Delaney in two plays brought it to the one, from where Schulte took it over on second down.

Prior to their touchdown, Schulte got the Tigers out of another hole with a 44-yard pass that took them to their 45-yard line.  A punt by Boudreaux to a Tiger at the six-yard line and a clipping penalty on the play sent the Bengals to their one.  After one line play, which almost found Schulte tackled in the end zone, Schulte's pass fell incomplete, but on the next play he shot one to French who was downed at the (Holy Cross) 45.

Holy Cross tried two running plays and after on pass fell incomplete, gambled and shot another pass that fell incomplete and the ball went over to the Jays at the 49-yard line.

Dupepe started off with eight yards but Harter lost three and then gained two, and the Jays had to punt.  Boudreaux punted over the goal line and  the Tigers took over the ball at the 20.  Schulte was smeared for an eight-yard loss, but Delaney got it back on the next play, and then the payoff pass put the Tigers in scoring position.

Jesuit took the kickoff after the Tiger touchdown to their 30-yard line.  Dupepe passed to Trahan for 18, then after one line play, Dupepe passed 19 yards to Reicke.  Another pass from Dupepe to Reicke for 22 yards placed on the Holy Cross eight with first down and seconds remaining.

Hurrying to get a play in, the Jays fumbled the ball in the backfield as the horn sounded ending the ball game.  Holy Cross recovered.

Jesuit had the first chance to score.  The Jays got the chance when Lee Boudreaux recovered Rusty Smith's fumble at the Holy Cross 37.  The Jays moved down to the five, but lost the ball on downs to the stubborn Tigers.

Holy Cross drove 80 yards for the game's first tally.  A 27-yard run by Louis Deutschmann who was brought down from behind by Maurice Bouy at the Jays' 17, set up the score which came when Gonzales passed to Dalton Truax.

The Tigers' score came on a fine pass play.  The Tigers sent two men out and then Gonzales started off as though he would run the ball, and the two men started up as though they were going to block out a man, but Truax dropped back and took the ball in the end zone for the score.

Holy Cross came back strong in the third period.  They went from their 35 to the Jesuit 23 on another fine run by Deutschmann, this time for 42 yards, and seemed headed for another score.  But Paul Gelpi stepped in and intercepted one of Gonzales' aerials at the Jesuit 20 and returned it to the Jesuit 45.

One line play by Caswell was followed by a 20-yard pass from Dupepe to Gelpi to put the Jays on the Holy Cross 23, where Richard Reicke scored on a beautiful run around right end to tie the score.  Lee Boudreaux converted and the Jays went in front 7-6.

Jesuit kicked off to Holy Cross and the Tigers got nowhere, and punted.  Ray Heap punted out on the Jesuit 33 and the Jays drove 67 yards for a score to go ahead, 13-6 and the 14-6 on another conversion.  Dupepe carried the ball on all but three of the eight plays needed for the Jays to score.

Holy Cross came back after the Jays went to the front and went 63 yards for a score - 30 of which was gained on two unnecessary roughness penalties.  Deutschmann tallied the TD. 

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