Not enough information was obtained on the years prior to 1993, but a brief summary, primarily taken from the Bishop McDevitt/Catholic High 75th Anniversary Book written in 1993, provides us with an early look at McDevitt football. If you have any information or pictures that could be added to this web site, please email me at McDfootball@hotmail.com
The McDevitt football tradition that thrives now has been built gradually, from its initial teams in the 1920's. Football was the first organized sport to represent Harrisburg Catholic in interscholastic competition. The humble beginnings of 1927, however, were a far cry from the modern era of McDevitt football. The 1927 team, coached by Dan Sheehey, didn't even have uniforms and practiced at Island Park. They posted a modest record of 1-3-1, losing the school's inaugural game, 19-6 to Edison Jr., before notching the landmark first victory, 6-0 over Williamstown in their fourth game.
The following season saw much of the same, a 1-5-1 mark under coach Jim Durborrow, and Harrisburg Catholic would continue to struggle on the gridiron for the next seven seasons. Dr. William D. Dailey took the coaching reins in 1929 and his five-year tenure netted a paltry 10-26-7 mark. But the Crusaders would soon enjoy some glory, and Ralph Farina was the coach who made it happen.
Farina took over near the end of the 1933 season, dropping the final two games of the year. After a gradual rise to 4-5-1 in 1934, the Catholic High football team prepared to break through in sparkling fashion. The year was 1935, and Catholic not only produced its first winning season ever, it went undefeated, 8-0-2. Of all the stellar teams McDevitt has fielded in it's history, 1935, along with 1995, mark the only unbeaten seasons for Crusader football. Farina's team opened with a scoreless tie against William Penn, then reeled off eight consecutive victories, before closing out with another scoreless deadlock against Pottsville Catholic. The team shut out seven of the opponents, and allowed just 26 points all season (2.6 per game). That season established a foundation for the proud tradition of McDevitt football.
Football had been played since 1930 in the open field behind the Market Street school in spite of the lack of proper facilities and the less than enthusiastic attitude of Father Feeser, who felt more attuned to the academic aspects of high school. Bishop McDevitt, however, was a sports fan. He favored baseball, but enjoyed other sports too. He annually gave a watch to the school's outstanding athlete.
As a gift to the esteemed prelate,
Harrisburg businessman Albert Schmidt, Sr. orgamzed a campaign to raise
$10,000 for the construction of a football field. When the work was completed
in 1934, the new field, named for the Bishop, was the first in the area
equipped with lights for night games. Schmidt's committee included Joseph
Crowley, Ralph Farina (the coach), Thomas Fogarty, James Manning, Dr. James
O'Brien, Patrick Reagan, John Stapf, Joseph Settino, Ray Zweibel, Father
Joseph Schmidt, treasurer, Father Owen Reilly, principal, and Ernest Mullen,
president of the Booster Club. The Bishop dedicated McDevitt Athletic Field
on September 27, 1935 on the occasion of a game between Catholic High and
Mechanicsburg High School.
The Football team began to dominate under Coach Farina, rolling up a 31-8-1 record in four seasons spanning 1939-42. Catholic produced back-to-back 9-1 seasons in 1940 and 1941. In '40 they beat William Penn for the first time ever, scoring on the game's last play to win 6-0. The only loss of the season came at the hands of John Harris, an ugly 26-0 shutout. The old rivalries with John Harris and William Penn were memorable, and today, if you mention McDevitt-Harrisburg on the streets, there's no sports fan in Central Pennsylvania who will not immediately perk up. The city schools have built a rivalry that is as entertaining as any around. Catholic outscored its opponents that season 190-47, recording six shutouts along the way. Center Frank Sinkovitz captained the team, and went on to play professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His brother, John, had a strong sophomore season at tailback, and would become a big key in '41 and '42 as a fullback.
That 1941 team smoked its first nine opponents by a combined margin of 263-19, posting six shutouts in the process. On December 7, 1941 they took their undefeated regular season mark, on a train, to the State Catholic Championship in Philadelphia, where Catholic suffered a 31-0 thumping at the hands of West Philadelphia Catholic. The lost experinced that day by Harrisburg Catholic paled in comparison to the shocking announcment during the game of the news that Pearl Habor had been attacked.
Catholic finally beat John Harris
on the football field, blanking them 7-0 in 1946, for the first win ever
against a formidable archrival. The '46 season began with a scoreless tie
against William Penn, witnessed by a crowd of over 10,000 and culminated
with a City Championship. The Crusaders finished 7-2-1, falling to Middletown
and Delone. The 1947 football season ended with Catholic taking six of
its 10 games, but interestingly, the game with John Harris, a 13-6 loss
for Catholic, drew a crowd of 14,000, the largest football crowd ever in
Harrisburg.
1948 was the last year for Ralph Farina as head football coach. Tony Cernugel took over for Farina after a 1-8-1 season in 1948. One of Farina's final seasons produced an all-time standout player in Tony Rados (class of '48), who went on to play at Penn State before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1954. Cernugel's first season, a 3-4-3 campaign in 1949, did not seem like an auspicious beginning, but over the course of the 18 seasons that followed, Cernugel's troops would produce a fine mark of 100-61-16 for a winning percentage of .623. Things would get even better in 1951-52. Cernugel's gridiron horses started off with a 6-4 record in the fall, bringing home the Central Penn Catholic League Championship. The Crusaders won all five-league games, demolishing the opposition by a collective 174-7.
Crusader football produced another
Central Penn Catholic League Championship in 1952, going 7-2-1 and shutting
out six of its opponents. The defense allowed just 33 points all season.
Cernugel and his Crusader football squad were in the midst of seven consecutive
winning seasons as the decade progressed. A 6-3-2 season in 1953 was followed
by a 7-2-1 record and Central Penn Catholic League Championship in '54.
The '53 team boasted a National All-Catholic All-American player in John
Yokes, who went on to play at Notre Dame. In '54, right tackle Paul Brown
received 3rd team All-Catholic All-American honors. The 1955 team brought
another Central Penn Catholic League football crown.
Thomas McCloskey was named All-State in football as the Crusaders went 6-4 in 1956. The 1958 football team began with a 1-4 record, only to win its last five games and a Central Penn Catholic League Championship. Center James Murphy made the Pennsylvania All-Scholastic team and was named Lineman of the Year for the Central Pennsylvania area. In addition, Michael Funk earned a BIG 33 nomination. While the 1960's as a whole were not a spectacular time for McDevitt football, the crusaders did have their moments. 1962 was Cernugel's best season to that point, with McDevitt going 7-1-2. Co-captains Dennis Furjanic and Michael Basista were both named All-State. Furjanic, a 6'2", 215 pound tackle, also earned BIG 33 honorable mention, as did Basista, a 5'9", 188 pound guard. The two earned Knights of Columbus Lineman of the Year honors.
The backfield was potent, with junior quarterback Michael Bekelja, a BIG 33 nominee, rated as central Pennsylvania's best passer. Fullback Larry Conjar rushed for 1,207 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning All-State honors. The 6', 196 pound Conjar also won Knights of Columbus Back of the Year. Conjar later starred at Notre Dame as the starting fullback on their 1966 National Championship team, and played in the NFL.
The 1963 team went 7-3 with Bekelja making the BIG 33 Honor Roll and winning Knights of Columbus Back of the Year. Ernie Jansky was named the Knights of Columbus Lineman of the Year. Guard Gino Salerno was named to the Big 33 team in 1964, and also earned Knights of Columbus lineman of the year honors. Quarterback Rich Lewis won Knights of Columbus back of the year, while center Dennis Moran was named to the BIG 33 Honor Roll. The Cernugel era ended with two strong seasons, 7-2-1 in 1965, and 8-2, his best mark, in 1966.