The “Propeller” – the prize for the winner of the famous Christian Brothers’ Classic featuring the football teams of the De La Salle Pilots and the Bishop Gallagher Lancers – is now permanently at DLS. 

Painted purple and gold on one side, and blue and white on the other, the 100 lb. propeller was presented to the De La Salle Collegiate community at the DLS Alumni Reunion Night on September 20 at Wayne State University, during halftime of the DLS Varsity Football game. 

Paul Sahadi, a Bishop Gallagher alumnus and son of the late George Sahadi, the Bishop Gallagher football coach from 1973 to 2001, made the presentation on behalf of the Bishop Gallagher Alumni Association. 

The rivalry ended in 2001, as the Lancers beat the Pilots, 25-21 in a last-second thriller, and the Pilots turned over the envied prize. Sahadi had the coveted propeller, and after his passing in 2006, his son Paul kept the propeller at his home.  

A History of the Propeller

Both De La Salle and Gallagher were staffed by Christian Brothers; in De La Salle’s case, Brothers from the New York Province were in residence, while Brothers from the Chicago Province served at Gallagher. 

De La Salle had a long-time rivalry with St. Joseph’s High School, also staffed by New York Brothers, and the schools played for an “Oil Can” for many years. St. Joseph’s closed in 1964, with many of its students coming to De La Salle to complete their high school educations. 

And in the early 60s, the east side parishes of Our Lady Queen of Peace, in Harper Woods, and St. Matthew and St. Philomena, in Detroit, created Bishop Gallagher High School in 1962. 

St. Joe’s alumnus Tom Martilotti, '63, took on coaching duties at Gallagher, while fellow alum, the late Al Baumgart, '52, was the head coach at De La Salle. 

The game between the two schools took on more importance when the propeller was introduced in 1969. 

During the next three decades, the two schools met 27 times, with DLS dominating with 20 wins under five coaches: Al Baumgart, John Maronto, Ray Barr, Ross McDonald, and Tim Brandon. Notably, the games were so intense that more than 50 percent of them were settled by seven points or less.

Martilotti picked up one of the Lancers’ seven wins, while the late George Sahadi, the school’s coach from 1973 to 2001, won the remaining six. 

Bishop Gallagher closed in 2001, and was renamed Trinity High School. There were no meetings between Trinity High School and De La Salle.