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The 1971 game was played on Saturday, November 13, 1971

Copyright © 1971 The Times Picayune

Jays Down Tigers in Homecoming

Olivari, Schultz Settle Defensive Struggle

By JOHN JOLY

for one team it was a happy homecoming, but for the other a sad reunion as Jesuit conquered Holy Cross, 10-0, in a bruising defensive battle in their 49th* renewal Saturday night at Tad Gormley Stadium before 8,000 fans.

The Jays are now 28-20-1 in the series.

The victory kept alive the Blue Jays' hopes of entering the state Class AAAA football playoff.  They'll be watching closely the outcome of the St. Augustine-Brother Martin game Sunday night at the City Park oval.

A victory for St. Aug will put the Jays into the playoffs along with the Purple Knights.  A Brother Martin win will give the Crusaders the district title and a berth in the championship round along with St. Aug as the No. 2 team.

Place-kicker Mark Oliveri and quarterback Paul Schultz got points on the scoreboard for Jesuit, Oliveri on a 35-yard field goal and Schultz on a three-yard run, with Oliveri converting.

Running backs Gary Bordelon, with 64 yards on 21 carries and Tony Blankenship with 57 yards on nine carries, and Schultz 63 yards on 16 thrusts toped the Jesuit attack.  

The top rusher for Holy Cross was Adrian Lahare, who was far below his game average.  He picked up only 43 yards on 16 caries.  Don Schwander had a bad night passing, as did Schultz.  Schwander tried 11 passes, completed none, had three intercepted.  Schultz was on target only once, for nine yards, and was intercepted once.

Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard in the first half until four minutes were gone in the second period when Olivari's field goal gave the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead at halftime.

The score was set up on a Jesuit interception at the Jays' 45 when Bob De La Rosa stepped in front of an errant Schwander pass.

Although a 15-yard holding penalty slowed the Jays down on their first play after the interception when Bordelon reeled off 18 yards, they came right back and picked up 21 on Blankenship's run to the Tigers' 49.

Blankenship came right back and got a first down at the Tiger 35 on a 14-yard run.  Schultz got another first down on runs of four and 10 yards to Holy Cross' 21.  Two plays later, Schultz hit Alan Zimmer for nine and Blankenship followed with seven and a first down at the Holy Cross five.

Playing second-and-goal from that spot, Schultz tried to find a receiver in the end zone but no one was open and after scrambling around, lost 13 yards tot he Tigers' 18.  After an incompleted pass made it fourth-and-goal at the 18, Olivari split the uprights from the 25.

A little later, the Jays suffered a bad break on what might have been a touchdown.  Playing a first-and-10 from the Jays' 31, Schultz handed to Blankenship, but pulled the ball back.  The officials, thinking Blankenship had the ball, blew the play dead, but Shultz had broken through the line and was downfield, headed for the end zone.

Meanwhile, players form both teams stood around dumbfounded, and it was several seconds before they realized what had happened.

* Editor: Actually the 52nd meeting of the two teams; they played every single year from 1922 to 1971 and twice in 1951 and 1963.

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