Credit: St. Paul's High School Archive
The first football game to be captured on film was the 1945 provincial championship game versus St. John's Technical School. The game was filmed to be shown to students who were unable to attend the game at Osborne Stadium.
A copy of the 1945 championship game is preserved in the St. Paul's High School Archive.
The first homecoming game at St. Paul's College was held in 1948.
Credit: Winnipeg Evening Tribune November 21st, 1940 - Courtesy of University of Manitoba Archives Digital Collection
Each football season at St. Paul’s College concluded with an evening dedicated to celebrating the teams’ success. These evenings often included speeches from the athletes, coaches, SPC rector, and the Archbishop himself. Graduating athletes received their letters at the end of the evening.
The annual event was originally held at the school in Paul Shea Hall before relocating to the Hudson’s Bay Company Ballroom.
The tradition of celebrating the season continued for many decades.
Credit: St. Paul's High School Archive
When the high school leagues were first organized in the early 1930s, rugby football was still a young sport in Manitoba and there were few locals with enough knowledge to coach. Many high school teams turned to the experienced athletes of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (‘Pegs) to coach and educate their students.
St. Paul’s established a long-term relationship with the Blue Bombers. Many of the Crusader coaches, including Cam Doherty, were chosen from the Blue Bombers' roster between 1933 and 1954.
Credit: St. Paul's High School Archive
Despite the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 the local high school football leagues did not cease to play - the athletes were too young for war. It was alumni of the St. Paul's Crusaders that served bravely. Some of these young men never returned home. The first loss was Ernie Devlin.
Devlin played on the first flyweight team (1931) and the first M.S.R.L. champion team (1933). After his death in 1939, his family donated a trophy to the Crusaders to be awarded for scholastic and athletic ability.
Credit: St. Paul's High School Archive
The year 1946 began with excitement for the Crusaders. The team was invited to Vancouver to compete against Greg Kabat's Vancouver College team. The west coast team was trained under the American rules and adaptations were required to accommodate play between the two teams. Kabat's winning streak continued and the Crusaders were defeated 30-0.
Credit: Winnipeg Free Press 1947
For years the Crusaders felt stifled within the M.S.R.L. due to a lack of competition. The team was repeatedly denied entrance to the City League despite annual appeals. To challenge their dominance, the Crusaders looked across the border.
St. James Academy of North Dakota faced the Crusaders in annual exhibition games during the 1940s. Many of these games ended in a loss for the Crusaders due to the team’s limited experience with American rules and skilled opponents.
1941-1942
Assisted by: George Derrington (1941-1942)
The tradition of engaging a CFL athlete as the head coach continued with the hiring of Wayne Sheley, Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback. Sheley continued the long-standing tradition of victory, with championship titles won in both 1941 and 1942. He left the position to join the U.S. Navy in 1942.
Credit: Crusaders Vol. 2 Issue 3
1943
Ches McCance, a Bomber kicker, was the first Winnipegger to coach the Crusaders since 1931. He coached for only the 1943 season before joining the RCAF.
McCance's son, Bill, played for the Crusaders in the 1960s.
Credit: The Winnipeg Evening Tribune, August 27th, 1943 Courtesy of UM Digital Collections
1944
Assisted by: Ed Miller
Warwick was a well-recognized member of the Winnipeg football community. Prior to his term as Crusader head coach in 1944 he served as the coach of the Winnipeg United Service Seniors.
The following season, 1945, he coached the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to the Western Championship title. Following this victory, he served on the Blue Bomber executive and was a pivotal member on the committee that updated Western Canadian Football regulations.
Credit: Winnipeg Evening Tribune October 12th, 1944, Courtesy of University of Manitoba Digital Collections
1945
Assisted by: Larry Desjardins
1946-1947
Assisted by: R. Sikorski (1946), George Depres (1947), Larry Desjardins (1947)
Credit: Winnipeg Tribune, Courtesy of University of Manitoba Digital Collection
1947-1950
Assisted by: George Depres (1949-1950)
An alumnus of the 1940s Crusaders and Blue Bombers, Larry Desjardins served as both assistant and head coach from 1947 to 1950. With minimal competition in the M.S.R.L., the Crusaders won the title each year of Desjardins's leadership. His time as Crusaders head coach was short-lived as he was elected to the St. Boniface City Council in 1951.
Credit: Winnipeg Tribune, Courtesy of University of Manitoba Digital Collections
1949
Assisted by: George Depres and Larry Desjardins
Eddie Meagher arrived at St. Paul's from Loyola College, Montreal in fall, 1949. He served as the school's athletic director for the year before returning to Montreal in 1950.
In his role as athletic director he also took over as coach of the Crusaders. He was the first teacher to ever coach the team.