ST. JAMES 1933 SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP

TWO YEARS THAT ROCKED THE PARISH

Story by Bob Corbett, but lots of help from Father O'Connor along the way and an unnamed newspaper article

St. James School soccer team had a long history of winning their league throughout the mid and late 1920s and in 1931. However, they couldn't get by St. Matthew's, which had won the championship for 10 years running. Most of the time they knocked St. James out handily in the playoffs.

The 1932 team upped the ante and came within a hair of winning the championship. While the author is unnamed the style and mini-sermon in the middle of the article clearly identify this as Father O'Connor who celebrates the 1932 team in Let's Go, Feb. 1932.

"ST. JAMES PAROCHIAL SCHOOL TEAM MADE A GREAT FIGHT FOR CITY CHAMPIONSHIP"

Top row from left: James Kelly, William Wack, Harold Meyers, Peter Palumbo, James Brady, and John Kelly.

Second row from left: John McCauley, Hubert Ward, John Barry, Thomas Marshall

First row from left: Daniel Murphy, Francis McLaughlin, Edward (Spider) Corbett, and Robert Wack.

"The boys of St. James School tied twice with St. Mathew's in the final struggle for the city cup in the parochial school Municipal Soccer League. It was an exciting contest and drew exceptionally large crowds from both parishes to the Park Grounds near Barnes Hospital where the final games were played.

"Observers said that the evenly matched teams played better soccer than has ever been witnessed in a junior game in St. Louis. The capturing and passing of the ball was very clever.

"St. Matthew's has probably twice as large a school as St. James and an enviable reputation for the superiority in soccer football. This school has easily won the Municipal cup for ten years in succession and in the two out of three final games they never had to play more than two till this year when a decision was not reached till the fifth. They won this by a single score in a corner kick. St. Matthew's team having a larger school to draw from had consequently stronger and older boys but not more clever. The teams had little advantage of one another. St. James won the first game by one score. St. Matthew's the second by one score. The third and fourth games were a tie, and St. Matthew's took the honors in the fifth.

"The outstanding player of both teams was John Kelly, the goal keeper for St. James. He saved his team from defeat several times when the back and forwards struggled in front of his goal. He seemed to be everywhere the ball was and unerring in his defense.

"There was nice sportsmanship exhibited all through the games by both teams. There were no rough-neck tactics nor any display of temper. In the old days teams met to battle and the one that was beaten in the field usually beat the other team off the field. We have discountenanced this among our Catholic boys, character building is more important than football and ambition for honors never justifies a boy or a man to be unfair and ill-tempered.

"An unfair decision, or what to most of us appeared unfair, on the part of the umpire gave St. Matthew's one game. This to us was the crucial test of our boys' training. They displayed magnificent patience and forbearance, and though they believed they were wronged and would lose the cup they did not lose their heads or their Christian principle of conduct as unfortunately did some of their elders from whose attack the umpire had to be protected by police.

"The contest was a marvelous display of clean, clever soccer and good sportsmanship. The loss of the cup almost broke the hearts of some of our boys. Harold Myers, one of the players, wept bitterly and the seasoned George Wiber, his guardian and friend, was so much in sympathy with the boy's distress he also shed a few tears.

"Harold, when the years have passed and school days are almost forgotten, the memory of those teams will mean more to you than a golden cup and when you think of the game with St. Matthew's you will says, "good old George."

"A banquet will be given the team Monday evening, February 12, in the cafeteria of the school by their mothers and other admirers."

However it turned out for Harold, my father and my Uncle Ed (Spider) Corbett who played in that game, never forgot the play that caused the near-riot which Father O'Conner even played down in his attack on the spectators. There was a huge crowd and they ringed the field completely. They didn't have nets in those days, and the spectators stood right behind the goal. A large group of St. Mathew fans (adults) were behind the St. Mathew goal and a hard low shot went (according the St. James version) into the corner, but a spectator stuck his foot out and the referee thought it hit the post and bounded out. He did not allow a goal. That was the game St. Mathew won by one goal.

Revenge and triumph were on the way within a year as St. Mathew's dynasty was finally broken by the 1933 St. James team!

ST. JAMES PAROCHIAL LEAGUE -- 1933 SOCCER CHAMPIONS

Kneeling: Edward Hart, Edward Buckley, Charles Klasek II, Robert Anderson, Edward Sugden, John Anderson, Jr., David Mudd.

Standing: Mr. John Rooney, Timothy Barry, George Scherzinger, William Wack, William Griffin, Dan Murphy, Robert Wack, Lester Gagan, Mr. Dan Murphy, Sr., Michael Eichner.

Rear: Rev. P.J. O'Connor, Pastor, Mr. John Anderson, Sr., Manager.

PENALTY KICK WINS TITLE FOR ST. JAMES TEAM

In a match which required two overtime periods, St. James defeated St. Matthew, 2 goals to 1, at Sherman Park yesterday afternoon to win the Parochial School Soccer League championship. As a result, St. James takes the Leacock trophy and gains a leg on the DeAndreis Cup, a three-time trophy.

In a preliminary contest, the Sherman Park All-Stars won from the O'Fallon Park Stars, 5 goals to 0. Margolis scored three goals and Strassberger and Corbett, one each.

St. Matthew was first to score in the title match, Center Halfback Dalton sending in a shot from 20 yards out. St. James was unable to equalize until the second period when Bob Wack dribbled down the left side of the field, cut in and drawing the fullbacks out of position, sent a shot past Goalie Komer.

In the second overtime period, Billy Wack, with a clear field, was tripped form behind by Dalton and referee Harry Donovan awarded a penalty kick. Wack made good on the ensuing boot. Wack spoiled much of his good play by unnecessary roughness. Bob Wack, Llasek and Murphy played best for the winners and Dalton, Komer, Kelly and Moynihan for the losers.

On Jan. 19, at the annual DeAndreis soccer night, trophies will be awarded to the division winners -- St. James, St. Matthew, St. John the Baptist, St. Paul, St. Henry and St. Mark.

The title game lineups: