For the last 60-plus years, the American Legion First District league has historically been dominated by Catholic-school based teams. Teams from Jesuit, Holy Cross, De La Salle, and Brother Martin were usually in the mix for the district title.
Yet, 1986 was different. The O. Perry Walker Algiers Post 218 team upset all those storied programs, becoming the first public school-based team to win the First District championship, believed to be the first since Fortier won in 1951. Furthermore, no other public-school team has produced a championship since Walker’s overlooked success in 1986.
Ronald Bell, a senior All-District performer on Walker’s prep team, recalls that Legion season very vividly. He says he kept copious notes of each Legion game. Today, when he reflects on that year, he continues to be amazed Post 218 came away with the championship. “As usual, our competition was loaded with good players. It was somewhat of a miracle that we won it all.”…