De La Salle High School’s baseball program during 1958 to 1964 could easily be considered a “dynasty” in the New Orleans area. The teams, led by legendary prep coach John Altobello, won four state championships and finished as runner-up once during the six-year period. These were among six championship seasons achieved in Cavalier diamond history.
Altobello’s teams defeated Shreveport Byrd in 1958, Warren Easton in 1959, and Baton Rouge Istrouma in 1962 and 1964. Gerry Burrage was head coach in the Cavaliers’ defeat of Chalmette in 1977, while Joe Hines led the school’s win over Jesuit in 1988.
Those who remember Altobello’s teams say they were defined by top-notch athletes, depth in pitching, and a “small ball” approach to offense.
Altobello’s son, John Jr., recalls his father was a magnet for talent, getting players from around the city. He says, “My father was good at developing his players. He was also a strategist, teaching his players to do things like bunting, stealing bases, and advancing baserunners to get a runner across the plate.” Altobello Jr. remembers accompanying his father on local scouting trips to learn the tendencies of his opposing teams.
Burrage, who counts Altobello as one of his mentors, says players were aware of his reputation for winning and wanted to be on his teams. “He was planning his rosters a couple of years in advance.”
Roster continuity was a key factor in De La Salle’s successful 1958, 1959 and 1960 seasons.
Allan Montreuil, who became a locally renowned baseball phenom at an early age, was a freshman shortstop on the 1958 team. His three-run home run in the state finals against Byrd helped clinch the Cavaliers’ first state crown. Montreuil, Wayne Pietri, and John Morreale Sr. were named to the States-Item All-Prep team. Remarkably, the 14-year-old Montreuil was named the city’s most outstanding player, as he led with a .444 batting average.
De La Salle repeated as state champion in 1959, first breaking Istrouma’s string of 22 consecutive wins and then defeating Warren Easton, 8-4, in the finals. Montreuil, Morreale, and Pietri returned, while pitcher Pete Vollenweider and utility player Lloyd Fourroux emerged as key players. Vollenweider went 9-0 for the Cavaliers, with all his victories coming in relief. All five of the players were selections for the Times-Picayune All-State team. Merrill Vitter joined them on the Times-Picayune All-Prep team.
The 1960 De La Salle squad fell short of winning its third consecutive state title, although the team consisted of returning all-staters Montreuil, Pietri, Fourroux (who was also All-Prep MVP as pitcher), and Vitter, as well as All-Prep players Joe Rosolino, Frank Melito, and Bobby Neider. Istrouma won two of three games in the finals to claim the state title. It is noteworthy that Montreuil, Pietri, Fourroux, and Melito went on to play professional baseball.
Altobello’s charges rebounded in 1962 to claim their third state title, again facing rival Istrouma in the championship round. After suffering a loss in the first game of the series, pitcher Elton Redmondet held them to two runs in the final game, while Altobello used his bunt-and-run strategy, along with eight stolen bases, to put across six runs. Redmondet was selected to the Times-Picayune All-Prep team that also included Cavaliers Richie Schmidt, Keith Graffagnini, Francis Quigley, and John Anderson. Other key players included Joe Trosclair, Ronnie Scott, and Glenn Montreuil, younger brother of Al. Redmondet was named the city’s MVP on the States-Item All-Prep team.
The 1964 season was a rollercoaster ride for the Cavaliers, as they swept the first round of district play, but then won only one of six contests in the second half including four consecutive losses. A frustrated Altobello said at the time, “I don’t think any team I’ve ever coached other than this one dropped four straight.”
Strikeout artist Gerry Schoen and George Ditta carried the pitching load, with sophomore Ronnie White serving in a relief role. Schoen, an all-state selection in 1963, recorded two no-hitters in 1964. After defeating St. Aloysius for the district title, the Cavaliers advanced to the state tournament again and ended up facing familiar foe Istrouma in the finals. De La Salle won the title game, 2-1, for its fourth championship in six years. Altobello said at the time, “I’ve won a few games in my lifetime but few as satisfying as this one.”
John Arthurs was a junior first baseman on the 1964 team. He recalls that pitching and sound defense were keys to the Cavaliers’ success. He echoes the belief that Altobello was the supreme strategist, incorporating tactics like suicide squeeze bunts into their offense. He remembers the baseball championship was a measure of revenge against Istrouma, who defeated De Las Salle for the state basketball title earlier that year. Arthurs said, “It was a fun team to be on. Plus, many of the same players went on to play for Altobello in American Legion ball later that summer, when we advanced to the Little World Series.”
Besides Schoen, other States-Item All-Prep team members from De La Salle included George Baracco, Ronnie Scott, Tiger Brupbacher, and Terry Hebert. Schoen and Baracco were named to the All-State team by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
It was 13 years before De La Salle returned to statewide prominence. Gerry Burrage, who took over the program in 1974, resorted to good pitching and defense again. He recalls, “In Frank Wills and Bruce O’Krepki, we had two of the best pitchers in the district in 1977. They were both stoppers who got a lot of strikeouts.” Burrage adds, “We were great defensively, especially at second base with Larry Piglia. Dave Moreau was clutch for us at the plate. He got something like seven game-winning hits that season, accounting for roughly a third of our wins.”
One of the highlights of the Cavaliers’ season was playing the first round of the state playoffs in the first-ever high school baseball contest in the Louisiana Superdome. De La Salle faced West Jefferson in the first game of a doubleheader. O’Krepki delivered an 11-strikeout complete game in the Cavalier’s 3-1 victory. Chalmette defeated Bonnabel, 4-2, in the second game.
The Cavaliers ended up defeating district rival Chalmette five times during the season—three times during first and second round play, once for the district title, and then in the state tournament finals to capture the school’s fifth state title.
Piglia, Wills, and Moreau were named to the Times-Picayune All-Metro team, while Burrage captured Coach of the Year honors. Wills was selected for the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State team, with Piglia receiving honorable mention. Burrage says he was proud of the fact that ten of his players were members of the school’s National Honor Society.
De La Salle experienced an 11-year drought before their next state title. Joe Hines, who had been an assistant coach for Burrage in 1977, was the Cavaliers’ head coach in 1988. He was also familiar with Altobello’s legacy, having played on his American Legion team in 1968.
Hines says his team was underestimated by their opponents going into the season. But after eight or nine games, he thought the team had the potential to do something special. After district play, only one game separated the number of wins by De La Salle and Jesuit.
De La Salle defeated Jesuit for the district title. In the state playoffs, they won three games in two days, beating Jesuit, 5-3, behind the pitching of Duke Herbert to capture the school’s sixth state championship.
Hines says his Cavaliers were not the strongest team offensively, but had the benefit of two outstanding pitchers, Herbert and Sam Musso. Outfielder Ray Ferrand provided offensive punch, while the infield was strong up the middle with shortstop Darin Duhon and second baseman John Morreale Jr. (son of John Morreale Sr. from the 1958 and 1958 championship teams).
Herbert and Ferrand were selected for the Times-Picayune All-Metro team, while Hines was named Coach of the Year. The Louisiana Sports Writers Association voted All-State honors for Herbert and Ferrand and awarded Coach of the Year honors to Hines.
At the time, Hines reflected on his team’s accomplishment. “There have been so many years when we worked for nothing but respectability. This year we thought we had a shot, but once things started to snowball, it turned into a miracle year.”