A trip through the Ottawa vs. La Salle-Peru football rivalry history, 10 years at a time

On Oct. 7, 1898, the Ottawa and La Salle-Peru football programs met for the first time. Newspaper accounts tell of a rugged and rowdy game that day, and time hasn’t changed that much when the Pirates and Cavaliers get together on the gridiron.

Of the thousands of young men who have worn either the Crimson and White or the Red and Green for the first 124 contests, players from each side have etched their names into the lore of the rivalry. The teams will meet for the 125th time Friday night in a nonconference game at L-P’s Howard Fellows Stadium. The Pirates and Cavaliers will meet again Oct. 4 in an Interstate 8 Conference game in Ottawa.

Here’s a dive into history and a recounting of some of those interesting matchups in years ending with the No. 4, viewed a decade at a time.

1914

In a cold Nov. 21 contest at “the race track” in La Salle, the teams played to a hard-fought, 7-7 tie. Second-year coach Howard Fellows’ Cavaliers scored in the third quarter on a 25-yard pass from QB Don Lourie to George Hoar and PAT kick. The Earl McDow-led Pirates deadlocked the contest in the final 30 seconds when Henry Hampson plunged in from the 2 and Rov Edgecomb booted the extra point.

Ottawa had the ball inside the L-P 10 three times, but fumbled each opportunity away. Lourie went on to become an All-American at Princeton University. L-P finished the season 7-0-1.

1924

At Degen Field in East Ottawa on a windy Nov. 7, coach Grant Stenger’s Pirates and Fellows’ Cavs played to a 0-0 tie in front of an estimated 3,000 fans.

Ottawa, which held a 146-117 advantage in total yards, stopped L-P late in the game on a first-and-goal from the 3 and also came up empty on five dropkicks.

1934

Ottawa’s Armand Vicini scored on a 1-yard plunge in the final minutes to give the Pirates a 13-12 victory Nov. 9 at Ottawa’s King Field.

The Pirates took the lead on a 6-yard pass from Eddie Bayuk to Bob O’Neill, with Jeb McKinney adding the conversion kick. L-P’s Ralph Jack scored on a 2-yard run just before halftime, and Sam Virsi’s 3-yard TD pass to Bill Samolitis gave the visitors the lead until Vicini’s game-winning run. The Cavaliers, behind 95 rushing yards by Joe Dicrispino, held a 250-161 margin in total yards. Ottawa, coached by Bob Mckay, finished the season 7-0-2 and Vermillion Conference champions.

1944

In the season opener in front of 4,000 spectators Sept. 15 at King Field, La Salle-Peru captured a 12-6 victory, its 11th straight in the series.

Coach Butch Nowack’s Cavs grabbed the lead for good in the first quarter on a Merle Koehler-to-George Weberling 3-yard scoring pass and built on their lead in the third on a 1-yard run by Tom Hawkins. Ottawa, led by coach Homer Hankenson, snapped a seven-game scoreless streak to L-P in the third when Bob Hilton found Bill Van Tright on a 12-yard TD pass. L-P held a 229-154 advantage in total yards.

1954

L-P linebacker Dick Sobkowiak stole the ball out of Ottawa QB Fred Martin’s hand and raced 20 yards for a third-quarter touchdown to help the Cavs to a 13-7 triumph Sept. 17 at King Field.

Sobkowiak, who also rushed for a game-best 85 yards, had scored on a 1-yard TD run in the first quarter. Ottawa’s Jack Meckenstock scored on a QB sneak from the 1 late in the fourth. The Pirates’ final drive to potentially tie the game ended after an incomplete pass at the L-P 36.

1964

Ottawa QB Dan Battles completed 13 of 17 passes for 206 yards and a TD, that to Perry Schlink from 18 yards to open the game’s scoring in the third quarter, to help the Pirates to a 13-6 NCIC Northeast Conference win Oct. 2 at King Field.

Battles, who also scored on what proved to be the game-winning sneak with four minutes to play, hit Jay Bernardoni six times for 69 yards and Clark Raber three times for 89 yards. L-P’s score came on a Bruce Bray 1-yard run late in the third. Cavs fullback Bobby Gens led all rushers with 66 yards. L-P, which held Ottawa to minus 6 yards rushing, failed on a fourth-down play from the Pirates 2 in the final seconds.

1974

Behind three TD runs (1, 2 and 41 yards) by QB Steve Brejc and two scores by Steve Opsal (32-yard run, 40-yard interception return) the Cavs rolled to a 46-12 win Sept. 27 at King Field. L-P, which held a 309-95 margin in total yards, recovered four Ottawa fumbles and picked off two passes, also received TDs from Jim Myers (21-yard run) and Scott Piecha (1-yard run). Myers led all rushers with 105 yards.

Ottawa’s scores came on an 11-yard run by Steve Hershey and a 69-yard kickoff return by Larry Sexton. Pirates QB Brian Crowley passed for 94 yards.

1984

L-P rallied from down 15 points in the third quarter to grab a 28-22 victory Oct. 19 at King Field. Cavs QB Neil Brander’s 11-yard TD pass to Jack Considine with 37 seconds left provided the game-winner. Max Brandenburg scored on runs of 2 and 5 for L-P, while Brander also connected with Jim Bracidore for a 29-yard TD. Brander posted 120 yards passing, with Dave Walters rushing for 96 yards on 21 carries.

George Johnson scored on runs of 1 and 53, and Erik Burgwald ran one in from the 2, while Richard Lunder kicked a 44-yard field goal for Ottawa. Johnson finished with 107 rushing yards and Burgwald 89.

1994

Ottawa’s Aaron Shea rushed 15 times for 72 yards and three touchdowns (followed by PAT kicks by Brent Allen) to help lead the Pirates to a 21-7 victory Oct. 7 at soggy King Field. Ottawa, which outgained L-P 303-83, also had back Mickey Martin adding 74 yards on nine tries, all in the first half, while QB Grant Myers threw for 79 yards.

L-P took the lead in the first quarter when QB Brian Bauer connected with Cory Croissant for a 5-yard TD.

2004

The visiting Cavaliers scored one touchdown in every quarter to top the Pirates 28-6 on Oct. 8. The L-P scores came from Spencer Jacobson (28-yard run), Steve Zidow (2-yard pass to Dan Weiden), Andy Potthoff (5-yard run) and Zidow (2-yard dash). Zidow finished with 67 yards on 17 carries for L-P, which recorded a 231-87 margin in total yards and held the ball for over 34 minutes.

Ottawa’s lone score came in the second quarter on a Jared Mundt-to-Brent Miller 9-yard pass.

2014

Pirates running back Josh Williams rushed 21 times for 305 yards – the fourth-highest mark in program history – and five touchdowns in a wild 50-20 win over the Cavs on Oct. 10 at King Field.

Williams scored on runs of 3, 9, 25, 65 and 66 yards to help Ottawa win in the series for the 14th time in the past 15 meetings. The Pirates, who led in total yards 508-270, also scored on a 17-yard run by Terry Porter and a Porter-to-John Repko 64-yard pass.

L-P QB Jack Doyle was 14-of-22 passing for 164 yards and two TDs (one each to Cameron Mignone and Jake Obermiller), while Kobey Fusinetti ran for 67 yards and a TD.