By Flip Moran
Times Sports Writer
All-state two-way starter Greg Tyler did not prove to be Santa Claus Saturday, as the Houston Strake Jesuit back intercepted four passes and rushed for 126 yards as the Crusaders won the Texas Catholic Football Championship 16-0 over El Paso Cathedral in Christmas weather.
It was a first for both teams -- Cathedral had never been involved in, or hosted a Texas Catholic Interscholastic League showdown, and Strake Jesuit hadn't played in one -- and it was the first title victory for the Southeast Texans in 15 years as a parochial school.
"It was really super, the people here in El Paso really treated us good," Houston Coach Tom Nolen said after the win. "Only I wish you could have given us better weather."
The temperatures dipped to around 24 degrees in the last half of play and the winds whipped up snow, confetti, cardboard boxes that had held balloons released before the game, plus a few cross words.
Perhaps the key to the Strake Jesuit win was early in the third period when with only two minutes elapsed, halfback George Molinar of Cathedral rolled to his right and the ball slipped away. Houston linebacker Cliff McAdams pounced on the ball -- his first of two key recoveries in the first half -- and shortly afterward backup quarterback Patrick Devine of the Crusaders booted a 16-yard field goal.
Tyler put the Houston team ahead with a 25-yard touchdown sprint in the second period with Devine kicking the point-after, and the Crusaders enjoyed a 10-0 halftime lead.
"I think we tried to play catch-up ball after that," Cathedral Coach Tom Stokes said. "The weather wa really getting bad then, everything we did didn't seem to jell."
Cathedral quarterback Jaime Portillo tried 11 passes, had four pilfered by Tyler and only completed three for 10 yards. It was a key factor.
Moving around on the Jones Stadium field was a task to the backs, chainman, referees and the Riverside Varsity Band which played the National Anthem; then when snow drove them into shelter, hummed "So Long It's Been Good To Know You" as they headed for the exits. The field looked like it had a severe case of chicken pox after one period, looked like WWI with shell poxes soon afterward, and then like Walt Disney was going to produce Winter Fantasia as visibility was nil, the press box windows frosted up and uniformed players became a mass of mud and sweat.
The only things missing were the Minnesota Vikings or the Montreal Canadiens hockey team.
Tyler returned in the third period with a 25-yard TD play to put the Houston ice on the championship campaign. The pass play was complete from Evans to tight end Trey Stake, but a penalty on Houston nullified it. Another play fell dead.
"That wind in the third quarter was tricky, and it hurt us," Stokes said. "We were trying to catch up; Two of Portillo's passes looked good until the wind blew them crazy. The ball suddenly dropped and when Bruce Flynn maneuvered to try and get under them he was called for pass interference, bumping a defender."
Cathedral drew five penalties for a total of 30 yards. Houston was tagged for six for 40. The slippery and frozen football was dropped six times by Cathedral and they gave up two to Houston while the Crusaders let it slither away six times and couldn't recover three.
Cathedral's usually fierce defensive team just couldn't cope with the elements. Coach Stokes admitted they were all ready up on what Houston would try and do, but when they tried to stunt, players lost their footing and players like Tyler (16 carries for 126 yards), Keith Smith, 190 pounds and 5-9 (22 carries for 72 yards) plus quarterback Devine (seven carries for 47 yards) kept plugging away through the line with good blocking.
"But of course the best team won," Strokes said. "The snow was the same factor for both of us. We just couldn't pass or run."
Molinar was the top man for Cathedral, he could only muster 32 yards rushing on nine carries. Andy Reyes added 18 but some losses took away from that total in other areas.
After Houston kicked off for the first play of the game, and it cleared the heads of Cathedral players and rolled into the end zone, it seemed to tell some what was going to transpire. Snow fell after four minutes of play.
"Do you know this is the first game we've ever played in snow," a happy spotter for Houston shouted in the press box. "I can't wait to get out of here," he added, as if so say, "Let's take the money and run."
Things looked good for Cathedral in the third period with 10:26 left to play. With the Norther to his back, Irish quarterback Jaime Portillo punted 65 yards and the ball was downed by Bruce Flynn on the two-yard line of Houston. But on the next play nobody seemed to notice a white-clad figure who slipped through the line and raced 55 yards before Cathedral linebacker Jay Reyes caught Houston quarterback Devine on a sneak play, only his fourth of seven rushes for the game. "That really hurt us," Stokes admitted. "We thought we could hold them there, with the wind in their face, and maybe take over."
Shortly afterward with first and goal to go, John Stiggers, Rayas, Reyes and Bill Quinn played heads-up defense and held the Crusaders. With 5:43 left in the third Evans faked a field goal but didn't fool Nick Costanzo who sacked the Crusader and jarred the ball loose and the Irish recovered. Houston came right back to block a Portillo punt several plays later to equalize things.
Source: El Paso Times, Sunday, November 28, 1976
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