ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Matrix Midwest) - Members of the Christian Brothers College High School Cadets football team, who played Saint Louis University High School at old Busch Stadium in 1966 gathered last week to mark 60 years since the game.
The game drew a crowd of 28,952, the largest ever assembled in Missouri for a high school football game, according to the St. Louis Globe Democrat. It was played at old Busch Stadium six months after the stadium opened.
Rivalry game decided conference title
The game was for the Bi-State Conference championship. The SLUH Billikens had won 15 games in a row entering the contest. The CBC Cadets had won seven in a row.
Michael Houlihan, a member of the CBC class of 1967 who played in the game, said no one on either team had any idea what it would be like to play in front of that many people. He said it was not just a regular season game, but a game for a shot at the Bi-State Conference championship.
ADVERTISEMENT
Chuck Gilbert, a member of the CBC class of 1967 who played in the game, said walking out on the field was an amazing experience because of the number of people who came out to see the game.
At halftime, the Billikens led 6-0.
Cadets rallied in second half
CBC scored two touchdowns in the first 15 seconds of the third quarter and went on to defeat SLUH 30-6.
Mike Bartoni, a member of the CBC class of 1968 who played in the game, said the game was huge because it was at Busch Stadium, and SLU and CBC each sold about 15,000 tickets.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tim Hobart said the Cadets’ fans never gave up, recalling that fans wearing the Cadets’ purple and gold remained hopeful as they stood among fans wearing the Billikens’ blue and white.
Former teammates still meet monthly
Former CBC teammates from the 1966 team gathered to commemorate the moment as their alma mater faced SLUH again last week, watching this time from the stands at Cadet Stadium.
Between 25 and 30 members of the 1966 team still gather for lunch each month at restaurants, often owned by fellow CBC alumni.
Hobart said, “You never know who’s going to make it another year.”
Copyright 2026 KMOV. All rights reserved.