La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1947 Game 1, September 21, 1947: St. Joseph’s Prep 39 – La Salle 0 The Wisterian Explorers Sunk By Hawks, 39-0 La Salle’s light and inexperienced football team took a sound 39-0 thumping at the hands of St. Joseph’s in the initial contest of the season for both teams. It was St. Joe’s all the way with Bob (Jersey Joe) Doyle scoring four TD’s to highlight the day’s encounter. All four Doyle touchdowns came on the same play, a wide end sweep following a shuttle pass from the quarterback in the “T”. Poor Blocking Although the Blue and Gold also work from the “T”, their offense was by no means as effective as their opponents. The necessity of precision blocking was apparent as the Explorers, running with light backs, were having difficulties with Crim-Gray tacklers who broke up their plays repeatedly. Game 2, September 28, 1947: La Salle 13 – St. Thomas More 6 The Wisterian Little Explorers Score First Pigskin Victory La Salle High scored the first Catholic League football triumph of the year as it downed a favored St. Thomas More eleven, 13-6, at 44th and Parkside. The game, placed at times under a blanket of train soot and dust, saw five Explorers step into the starting lineup for their initial try at their respective first-team position. Tom Latronica, Mike Stapleton, and Joe Bevenour were new line performers replacing McCormick, Fox, and O’Brien. A new backfield of Saponaro, Palo, Adams, and McGrath seemed promising. Jim Adams and Tom McGrath drew their first starting assignments. Explorers Score The Blue and Gold scored their first touchdown of the season in the first period when the Explorers managed to bull over the goal with Lee Palo lugging from the seven. The extra point failed. The Tom-cats evened the score in the second stanza as they climaxed a drive of 42 yards with Russ Amen going over from the four. The play was set up by a pass, left half Finley to quarter McNeely. Thus the score stood throughout the third period as both squads surged back and forth with neither being able to cross the final white stripe. Latronica Recovers The second and decisive score for the Explorers came in the final period when end Tom Latronica pounced on a loose ball after it had skidded out of Frank McNeely’s grasp. This set the ball only eight yards from the Tommies’ goal. Wasting no time, Jim Adams plunged through the Bears’ line and went all the way to TD territory. Val “Reds” Wojtak accounted for the final point on a sweep around left end. Although this was a victory for the Explorers, the Blue and Gold paid dearly for it as left half Lee Palo was sidelined indefinitely with a bad shoulder injury. 1 La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1947 Game 3, October 5, 1947: North Catholic 26 – La Salle 0 The Wisterian North Team Beats Blue And Gold North Catholic handed La Salle its second league defeat last Sunday before some 8,000 spectators at G Street and Erie Avenue. It was Harry Connor, a former La Salle student, who proved to be the outstanding performer as he raced 27, 60, and grabbed a 28 yard pass to lead the Falcons to a one- sided 26-0 score. The first counter came early in the initial period after the Explorer kickoff which Connor carried to the Blue and Gold 45. After short gains which brought the ball to the 27, Connor circled left end for the tally. The second six-pointer came after an interception of one of Dick Saponaro’s aerials. Frank Wissman, former La Salle High athlete, passed to Connor standing in the end zone. Another miscue, this time a fumble by Val Wojtak, set up the third score as Tom Grindler, Red and White guard, pounced on the loose ball. Connor went through the line for 60 yards. This ended the first half scoring. In the third period, both teams wage a scoreless battle. But in the last stanza, Bob Bechtel lateraled to Ed Samocki who traveled 49 yards for a touchdown. Tom Stafford converted the extra point by placement. Chester Times, October 11, 1947 St. James Seeks Initial Victory The St. James Bulldogs, with a season’s record of three losses, fully expect to break into the win column on Sunday afternoon when they meet La Salle High. The game will be played on the La Salle College field, Twentieth and Olney Avenue, Philadelphia, at 2 PM. St. James played good ball despite their losses to Ridley Township, West Catholic, and Roman, and from now on should win most of their games. La Salle has won from St. Thomas More and lost to North Catholic and St. Joseph’s. Larry Pierce and Jim Ford will be the Bulldog ends; Vic Moretti and John Leary, tackles; Jim Lauginiger and Fran Lippolis, guards; Herm Sweeney, center; Dennis Manning, Pete Zarro, Tom Fannon, and Tony DiVito, backs. Quarterback Bob Feeley is still shaken up from the Roman game and will not start but may play later. Co-Captain Joe McLaughlin injured his knee against Roman Catholic and will not play unless the leg shows a marked improvement. The rest of the team is in good shape and rarin’ to go. Pete Zarro, former OLP track star, has won a starting assignment. His kicking has been exceptionally good in the early games. La Salle’s lineup will be: Marvel and McCormick, ends; Mulvaney and O’Brien, tackles; Menna and Taylor, guards; Fox, center; Palo, McGowan, Curran, and Saponaro, backs. The game will be televised over WFIL-TV. This is the first time any high school game has been made available to radio audience. Game 4, October 12, 1947: St. James 26 – La Salle 13 The Wisterian 2 La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1947 At McCarthy Stadium, despite a second-half rally, the Explorers bowed to a strong St. James’ eleven 26- 13 on Sunday, October 12, before a crowd of 4,000. St. James’ victory was spearheaded by three touchdowns in the second quarter, while La Salle’s scores came in the last two stanzas. Dennis Manning sprinted 69 yards on the second play from scrimmage for the Bulldogs’ first counter. Early in the second period, St. James drove 51 yards to the La Salle 7, where DiVito passed to Pierce for the score. Frank Hodgson recovered Charlie Curran’s fumble on the La Salle 19 to set up the next tally. DiVito threw 11 yards to Greto, who went over from the 5-yard stripe. Tom Mack kicked the extra point. Following the kickoff, La Salle tried a screen pass on fourth down deep in their own territory. It failed to gain, and St. James took over on the 15. Although a back-in-motion penalty nullified one score, a 20- yard pass, DiVito to Greto again, paid off. Mack again converted. After Jim Adams and Val Wojtak drove for first downs on the 25 and 41-yard lines, Tom McGrath scampered 50 yards to climax an 85-yard La Salle scoring drive late in the third quarter. In the final period Jules Sullivan, taking a short pass from Dick Saponaro, went 41 yards to the four. McGrath went off right end for his second score of the day. Saponaro converted and the score remained 26-13. Chester Times DiVito Tosses Touchdown Passes As St. James Wins From La Salle High, 26-13 Led by “Tossing Tony” DiVito, who rifled three touchdown passes, the Bulldogs of St. James High ripped out a 26-13 victory over La Salle High Sunday afternoon on the La Salle gridiron for their first Catholic League win of the season. A crowd of over 4,000 – a large part composed of loyal St. James rooters – looked on in amazement as the Jimmies piled up a 26-0 lead at halftime, then coasted in triumphant. The fans were hardly seated when the first St. James score came. On the second play from scrimmage, Dennis Manning, fleet Bulldog halfback, scampered 69 yards through the entire La Salle team for a touchdown. Manning’s path to the end zone was paved with spectacular downfield blocking which all but eliminated the La Salle secondary. A pass play for the extra point, DiVito-to-Manning-to Bob Feely, was nullified by an offside penalty. Early in the second period, the St. James aerial circus opened up. Taking the ball on their own 32 yard line, the Jimmies, blending a ground-and-air attack, moved to the enemy ten yard line. At this point, DiVito faked a buck into the line, jumped and tossed to end Larry Pierce who caught it just over the goal line. Bill Mack’s kick for the extra point was wide. A few minutes later, the Bulldogs, playing wide-awake football, recovered a La Salle fumble on the La Salle 19. Sam Greto, who had been ineligible until last week against Roman Catholic, tore over for the third St. James touchdown but the play was called back because St. James had been offside. But on the very next play, DiVito connected again, this time with Greto, standing in the promised land. Bill Mack’s kick for the point was good and the Bulldogs led, 19-0. Unsatisfied, the Bulldogs again came back strong. La Salle gambled on its own 15, failed to gain on fourth down, and the ball went over to St.