Crusaders Sports
St Paul’s Crusaders 1982 Championship Team
Inducted into the Manitoba Football Hall of Fame The St Paul’s High School Crusaders’ Championship victory in 1982 was often described as a “rags to riches” story. The team consisted of only 29 players, the majority of whom were in grades 10 and 11. Not only were they few in number, but they were also smaller in stature than most of their opponents. What’s more, by the end of the regular season, the team was plagued with injuries. In spite of these odds, they brought home St Paul’s High School’s first-ever Winnipeg High School Football League Championship that year. Head Coach of the 1982 Championship team, Leonard (Len) Sitter, ran a highly structured program that demanded discipline, physical conditioning and critical thinking. In his opening season address to the team, Coach Sitter emphasized the importance of living up to the St Paul’s Crusader tradition of strong Christian values, dedication, and self-sacrifice. Len also fostered these ideals by recruiting several alumni, whom he had coached in the 1970’s, as assistant coaches. St Paul’s faced the Churchill Bulldogs in the Championship. The Bulldogs had gone undefeated in the regular season that year, and had beaten St Paul’s 30–7 on the Crusaders’ home field just weeks before the final. During the regular season, St Paul’s had the highest26
ST PAUL’s high school | fall 2013
rated defence in the league. Nevertheless, the coaching staff made a high-risk decision to radically change its defensive alignments for the Championship game. This decision turned out to be the deciding factor in curtailing the Churchill offence, which only scored seven points. St Paul’s kicker Joe Pound scored three field goals and running back Gerry Scerbo scored the only touchdown. The hard-fought final ended in a 16–7 victory for the Crusaders. After the game, Coach Sitter brought everyone to the chapel. Still wearing their equipment— muddied but elated—the team respectfully knelt with bowed heads as Coach Sitter led them in a heartfelt prayer of gratitude. The 1982 win is symbolic of the longevity of, and commitment to, football at St Paul’s. It also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Winnipeg High School Football League. This win was the first Championship for the Crusaders since joining the League in 1954. Furthermore, it represented the first time a nonWinnipeg School Division team won. Fittingly, the 1982 Championship team members went to visit Eddie Cass—who had initiated organized football at St Paul’s in 1931— at his nursing home to give him a team jersey to celebrate the win.
Head Coach Len Sitter, himself, had played football with the Crusaders when he was a student at St Paul’s in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Len returned to teach and coach at St Paul’s in 1971. In addition to teaching, he also served as Athletic Director and Vice Principal. In 2003, he retired after 32 years at St Paul’s. In recognition of his contributions to the school and its athletic programs, the coaches’ room in the newly built sports facility was named “The Len Sitter Coaches’ Room.” Coach Sitter was very fortunate to be surrounded by an exceptional assistant coaching staff during the 1982 Championship season, including: Denis Vouriot, Carmine Militano, Jamie Benson, Chris Matthew, Chuck Barbie, and Kevin Booth. All of these individuals contributed several years to coaching football at St Paul’s. Player Roster: Joe Pound, Joe Vespaziani, Joe Chau, Tim Hower, Paul Cantafio, Peter Harewood, Robbie Dick, Glen Kehrer, Gerry Scerbo, Jim Jauch, Brian Komar, Tim Grouette, Darren Barnabe, John Reczek, John Militano,Andres Villafana, David Mesman, Carl Seier, Robin Grouette, John Gilmore, Glen Konowalchuk, Chris Albrechtsen, Walter Konowalchuk, Paul Sinkewicz, Glen Krush, Tom Robson, Tom Pownall, Albert Eyssens, Craig Robson.