Bill Wasylenko

Wyzard of Wyndmoor
Football 2017

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  Bill Wasylenko, a 1969 grad, has done an incredible amount of work to research La Salle High's football history and share it with the school community. Now he's writing game recaps and they'll be posted on this page. Thanks for officially joining us, Bill!
  You may contact Bill at explorerfb@gmail.com.
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  (The picture in the upper left of Bill's mug shot shows the 2007 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Romans, with his son, Dan (No. 44). No. 3 (off his ear) is none other than Ryan Arcidiacono. The team also featured All-Catholics Joey Monaghan and Colin Thompson from Wood, Luke Hutkin from the Prep, and Sean Coleman from La Salle.

NOV. 10
CATHOLIC 6A FINAL
SJ Prep 17, La Salle 3

  La Salle battled the unbeaten Hawks to a halftime tie, but the Prep pushed over two second-half touchdowns to end the Explorers’ season. Here’s how the game unfolded:

  The Prep deferred to the second half, and kicker Anthony Tigano, aided by a strong westerly wind, boomed the ball out of the end zone. Isaiah Jones would start at quarterback, as the knee injury to QB Danny Solecki incurred in the Roman Catholic playoff game would keep him out of uniform. On a trips right formation, Jones ran a keeper for three yards, and fumbled, but FB Joey Burnham recovered for La Salle. Burnham then tried the middle for two yards. On third and five, a quick pass to the right side from Jones to WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. gained ten yards and a first down. The Hawks then jumped offsides for a first and five. But Jones’ sweep of left end was pursued by a gaggle of Hawks for a five-yard loss. Then La Salle was called for a procedure penalty. Jones’ pass to the right side to WR Brett Mallee, returning from several weeks of inactivity due to an ankle injury, was overthrown. On third and 15 at their own 30, Jones scrambled to the right side and gained 13 yards. With fourth and two at their own 43, La Salle would punt into the wind. Daniel Karrash’s punt, after a low snap, was almost blocked, but the low punt made it through and rolled to a stop at the Prep 25, with 8:34 left in the first stanza.

  RB Marques Mason gained two yards up right tackle, with stop by DB Sean Daly. On a jet sweep to the left side, WR James Cherry got three more before being stopped by DL Garrett Zobel. On third and five, Mason gained a first down off left tackle, but St. Joseph’s was flagged for holding. QB Marquez McCray’s slant-in pass over the middle to WR Johnny Freeman was high, and the Hawks would punt. Mallee would return the punt to the La Salle 42, but the Explorers would be called for a block in the back, and would start their next drive from their own 20, with 6:47 left in the first period.

  Mallee tested the middle for 2 yards. After a bobbled snap, Jone was overwhelmed for a 5-yard loss. On third and 13, a screen from Jones to RB Manny Quiles was dropped, and another punt into the wind was forthcoming. Karrash’s punt was caught by a gust, and was downed on La Salle’s 41, where the Prep would start with great field position.

  On play action, McCray went for it all, but overthrew his receiver on a bomb. McCray kept the ball on an option, and DE Dan Kuznetsov stopped him for a 1-yard gain. On third and 9, the Prep was called for procedure. McCray scrambled up the middle for 5 yards, and the Prep would decide to punt and play the field position game. Mallee fair-caught the punt on La Salle’s 10, with 3:30 left in the first.

  Faking a jet sweep, Jones was bottled up for no gain. St. Joseph’s was then called for another offsides penalty. After another fake jet sweep, Jones went down the left side for 6 yards and a first down. On a rollout after play action Jones found Harrison for 4 yards. An out pattern to Harrison was too high. On third and four, Jones ran an option keeper up the middle for 3 yards, setting up a fourth and one. Karrash had to punt into the wind again, and the ball would reach the Prep 41 before it was downed, with 1:11 left in the first.

  RB Kolbe Burrell was stopped up the middle for three yards by Kuznetsov. Burrell gained another yard before a tackle by LB Dillon Trainer. On third and six, the Hawks tried a tight end screen to Anthony Leneghan, but Jones came up from his safety position to deliver a big hit for a one-yard loss. The first quarter would end in a scoreless tie, and St. Joseph’s would have to punt into the wind. Tigano’s punt was short, and sailed out of bounds at the La Salle 36.

  Jones swung a pass out to Mallee on the left side for 5 yards. Jones kept the ball up the middle for no gain. On third and five, Jones was sacked for a two-yard loss on a big Hawk rush. Karrash now had the wind behind him, and punted to the Prep 18, with 10:10 left in the half.

  McCray tossed a swing pass on the left side to Freeman for a 9-yard gain. McCray then hit WR Jack Sutton on a short buttonhook on the left side for a first down to the 31 before being stopped by DB Brennan Daly. McCray continued to throw into the wind, and found WR Brandon Sanders for a first down to the Prep 41. McCray then ran an option keeper for a 7-yard gain before a tackle by Sean Daly. Burrell tested left tackle, but LB Austin Lemke stopped him for a 1-yard loss. On third and four, McCray scrambled to midfield, a yard short of the first down. The Prep called time out to figure out what to do. They eschewed the punt, and would go for it. McCray ran a keeper up the middle, but Lemke plugged the gap for no gain, and La Salle would take over in great field position at the 50, with 8:05 left in the half.

  Jones tossed a quick pass to WR Octavious Carter, who sped for 10 yards and a first down at the Prep 40. Jones went up right guard and followed good blocking, then veered to the left and made it down to the Prep 18-yard line. On another fake jet sweep, Jones was hit immediately for a one-yard loss. On another bobbled snap, Jones lost another yard. On third and 12 at the Prep 20, with play action, Jones overthrew WR Troy Holland on a flag pattern. With the wind behind him K Daniel Karrash broke the scoreless tie with a clutch 37-yard field goal, and La Salle led, 3-0, with 5:13 left in the half.

  Karrash’s kick sailed into the end zone. Mason angled up the middle for 8 yards, with tackles by DL’s Colin Hirschmann and Kuznetsov. McCray tried to hit WR Brian Whitmore up the left slot, but the pass fell incomplete. On third and two, Mason went up right guard for four yards and a first down before being stopped by Kuznetsov and DE Stephen Matchett. McCray’s first-down pass was blocked by DE Chris Maloney. Mason gained just a yard up right guard, with hits by Zobel and DT Lucas McNally. On third and nine at his own 33, McCray scrambled up the middle to the La Salle 45 for a key first down, with tackle by DB Devon Smith. Mason was tackled by Maloney after a one-yard gain. On play action, and into the wind, McCray sent a bomb to Sanders down the middle, which was broken up on a good play by DB Owen Pighini. On third and nine at the La Salle 44, McCray did it again, scrambling down the right side and going out of bounds at the La Salle 30 for a first down. A quick out to the right side from McCray to Sanders netted 8 yards. McCray tried a middle screen, which was almost intercepted by a diving Maloney. Out of a full-I, McCray was stopped for no gain, setting up a fourth and two at the La Salle 22. After a La Salle time out, McCray kept the ball off left tackle for four yards and a first down. McCray then sent a pass to the slanting Freeman, but Devon Smith broke it up with a big hit. On a rollout, McCray then found Sutton for a two-yard gain, with stop by LB Liam Trainer. On third and eight, with less than a minute to go in the half, McCray ran an option keeper up the middle for 4 yards. Tigano came on and kicked a 30-yard field goal into the wind to tie the score at 3-3, with 13 seconds left in the half.

  The kickoff was returned by Burnham to the La Salle 31. Burnham gained five yards up the middle, and the teams would head to the locker rooms evened up at 3-3.

  Charlie Martin Stadium is notorious for its prevailing westerly wind, which sweeps down the field, and alters many a game plan. The team with the wind in a particular quarter has a great advantage, and it’s incumbent on them to win the quarter because the next quarter in a half will be a struggle with the wind against you. Many a good team chooses to kick into the wind to start the third quarter, trusting their defense as well as a ball-control offense to survive the quarter, and go into the final quarter with an advantage. And Coach Steinmetz chose to do that, and trust his team to hang tough in the third stanza.

  A game in frigid conditions usually is frought with a lot of fumbles and turnovers, and, though there were a few bobbles, the two teams played error-free ball. The feeling at halftime was that each team had to avoid the big play and the big turnover in order to have a chance to win. And both teams were successful at that. So here’s how the second half unfolded:

  Karrash’s kick made it to the Prep 20, and James Cherry returned it to the 40, where he was hit, and he fumbled the ball, and La Salle recovered, but the referee ruled that Cherry was down before he fumbled. QB Marquez McCray hit WR Brandon Sanders on the left side for a 5-yard gain, with tackle by DB Devon Smith. McCray, taking advantage of the wind, arced a deep post pattern to an open TE Anthony Leneghan that was dropped. On third and five, McCray had to scramble to his right, but DT Garrett Zobel stopped him for just a two-yard gain. On fourth down and three, the Hawks played the field position game, and Anthony Tigano’s punt was downed on the La Salle 11-yard line.

  QB Isaiah Jones’ keeper gained 4 yards. Jones tried the keeper again, but lost a yard, setting up a third and seven. Jones’ out pattern to WR Troy Holland fell incomplete, and La Salle would have to punt into the wind. Karrash’s punt came to a stop at the La Salle 39, with 9:25 left in the third period.

  McCray tried a flanker screen to WR Brandon Sanders, which missed, and was also a backward pass, and Sanders fell on the ball for a 9-yard loss. A procedure call set the Prep back another 5 yards. RB Marques Mason gained 14 yards back on a draw to the La Salle 38, and a third and 9 play would ensue. McCray sent a bomb to a wide open WR James Cherry, which was dropped, and the Explorers dodged a bullet. Tigano’s punt was fair-caught on La Salle’s 10, with 7:52 left in the third stanza.

  RB Manny Quiles’ sweep to the left was smelled out, and lost five yards. Jones found WR Octavious Carter on the right side for 4 yards. On third and 11, Jones was hit while throwing, and the pass fell harmlessly incomplete. Karrash’s punt was almost blocked, but the low punt got a good roll out to the La Salle 44.

  McCray tried another bomb with the wind, but DB Owen Pighini made another good play in the breakup. Mason went off right tackle for 3 yards before being stopped by DT Garrett Zobel. On third and seven, McCray found Cherry on a slant-in for a first down to the La Salle 27, with stops by DB’s Sean Daly and Devon Smith. Mason went up the middle for 8 yards to the 19. Mason then went off the left side and sped down to the La Salle 10-yard line for a first and goal, with stop by DB Brennan Daly. McCray kept the ball on the right side for 5 yards, with tackle by DB Brennan Daly. McCray then gained 4 yards up the middle, but lost his helmet, and would have to come out of the game for a play. QB CJ Duell was now at the helm for a play, a third and goal at the one. RB Kolbe Burrell went up left guard and into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown. Tigano’s extra point was good, and the Hawks had their first lead, 10-3, with 3:32 left in the third quarter.

  La Salle was hit with a face mask penalty on the extra point, and the Prep would kick off at the La Salle 45. Fearing an onsides kick, La Salle had the “hands” team out on the kickoff, but Tigano boomed the ball out of the end zone. Jones threw a quick pass to Carter for a two-yard gain on the left side, as it was imperative for La Salle to move the ball. Carter ran a jet sweep for a first down to the Explorer 30. FB Joey Burnham was stopped for no gain up the middle. On an option-keeper, Jones gained two yards up the middle, setting up a third and 8. Jones’ third-down pass was blocked, and Karrash would again have to kick into the wind. His punt was downed on the La Salle 49, and the Prep would have one more short chance with the wind, with 54 seconds left in the third.

  McCray tossed a 6-yard pass to WR Jack Sutton on the right side, with tackle by LB Liam Trainer. McCray then threw up the middle to TE Anthony Leneghan, which was broken up on a big hit by DB Sean Daly. On third and four, after a La Salle time out, Mason went up left tackle for a four-yard gain and a first down. McCray then scrambled for a 12-yard gain to the La Salle 26, and then hit Cherry down the middle for a first and goal at the La Salle 6, as the third quarter ended, with the Prep leading 10-3, but knocking at the door. Mason went up left tackle for 5 yards to the one. McCray then snuck into the end zone for a touchdown. Tigano’s extra point was good, and the Hawks had a two-touchdown lead at 17-3, with 11:34 left in the game.

  Tigano’s kickoff into the wind was picked up at the 20 by Quiles, who returned it to the 24, where La Salle would start a critical drive. After a fake jet sweep, Jones gained 7 yards up the middle. Burnham went up right guard for 3 yards and a first down. On a slight delay, Jones found running room up the middle and gained a first down to the La Salle 45. Jones threw to the left side to WR Troy Holland, but the pass was behind him. Jones then kept the ball off left tackle for a first down to the Prep 44, and La Salle was moving. Jones ran an option keeper off the left side for 9 more yards. Jones then connected with Holland on the left side for a first down to the Hawk 25. Again, Jones and Holland hooked up on the left for a 12-yard gain to the 13. Jones tossed a middle screen to Burnham, who bulled his way to the 6-yard line. Jones tested the middle, but there was no room, and he lost a yard. On third and four at the 7, Jones scrambled to the right, but was sacked for a four-yard loss. On fourth and 8 at the 11, Jones’ pass to Harrison in the end zone was overthrown, and the Hawks survived the long La Salle drive.

  Mason gained a yard on the left side, with tackles by Brennan Daly and Austin Lemke. McCray gained nothing on a keeper, taken down by DE Chris Maloney. On third and 9, RB Kolbe Burrell gained 6 yards. Tigano’s punt was caught by the wind, and went out of bounds on the Prep 27, and La Salle was back in business.

  Jones’ pass to WR Brett Mallee on the left side was low. Jones rolled left and threw incomplete to Mallee again. On third and ten, Jones rolled left again, and missed connection with Carter. On fourth down, a swing pass from Jones to Carter was dropped, and the Hawks would take over, with 5:03 left in the game.

  Burrell was tackled for a one-yard loss by Lemke. Mason gained three yards up the middle before being tackled by Zobel. On third and 8, McCray, into the wind, launched a deep pass down the left side to WR Brandon Sanders. The pass was broken up by two La Salle defenders, but the Explorers were flagged for pass interference. Given new life with a first down at their 44, the Hawks would move the ball. Burrell gained 9 yards up left tackle, with stop by Liam Trainer. Burrell was stuffed for no gain by Maloney, as La Salle called a time out with 2:35 left. McCray ran a quarterback draw for 4 yards and a first down, and La Salle was also hit for a face mask penalty, taking the ball down to the La Salle 28. Mason gained two up the middle, and then gained 8 more for a first down to the La Salle 18. McCray then knelt down for two plays, and the Hawks would move on to the “City Title” game after defeating a game Explorer team, 17-3.

  NOTES: The Blue and Gold were successful in avoiding turnovers and in giving up big plays, but the Hawks matched that success, and the game came down to field position in the third quarter. The Explorers were stout in holding back the onslaught of the Prep team, but eventually St. Joseph’s was able to mount sustained drives that led to touchdowns. La Salle finished with a 7-4 record, with two losses to the Prep, one to Archbishop Wood, and one to the McDonogh School. The Explorers now have 10 consecutive winning seasons; the school record is 12, between 1953 and 1964. They also had scored 40 points or more in 6 games, tying the record set by the 2011 squad. Their overall record is now 564 wins, 401 losses, and 41 ties.

NOV. 4
CATHOLIC 6A SEMIFINAL
La Salle 45, Roman 0

  La Salle’s defense plundered and looted the Cahillite offensive squad all night long to advance to the next round of the PIAA playoffs.  The romp was tempered by a knee injury to quarterback Danny Solecki.  Here’s how the game unfolded:
 
  Roman Catholic won the toss, and deferred to the second half.  Manny Quiles returned the kickoff up the middle from the 7 to the 30.  Before the Explorers’ first play from scrimmage, they were flagged for a delay of game.  
  QB Danny Solecki rolled right and hit FB Joey Burnham for a 3-yard gain.  RB Octavious Carter rambled up the middle to the Cahillite 45 for first-down yardage, but he fumbled on his way down, and Roman recovered on their 45.  With a full moon rising over Plymouth-Whitemarsh’s stadium, and a howling cross-wind of 20 mph or more, it made you wonder if strange things would occur in this game.  Fear not.
  RB Marquise Cooper tested the middle of the La Salle line, but DL Colin Hirschmann, who had a stellar game, stopped him for no gain.  QB Jeffrey Grosso continuously under siege, was sacked for a 6-yard loss by the duo of DT Garrett Zobel and Hirschmann.  On third and 16, Cooper gained 9 yards on a draw before being stopped by DB Sean Daly and DE Dan Kuznetsov.  On fourth down, the rugby-style punt was high and short, downed on La Salle’s 29.
  Isaiah Jones entered the game in a running back position, and gained 5 yards up left tackle.  Jones tacked on 4 more yards up the middle, and then notched a first down with a 2 yard plunge up the middle again.  RB Manny Quiles swept the left side, but was bottled up for no gain.  Solecki, on play action, rolled right but had to throw out of bounds while under pressure.  On third and 10, Solecki scrambled to the left but overthrew WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. while under pressure again.  Solecki was injured by contact after the throw, and had to be helped off the field with a knee injury.  Daniel Karrash’s punt rolled to a stop at the Roman 23, with 6:31 left in the scoreless first period.
  Cooper went off the left side, but was swamped for a five-yard loss by LB Austin Lemke and DB Brennan Daly.  Grosso hit RB Malik Griffin with a screen, but Griffin had to dive to make the catch, losing 4 yards.  On third and 19, Grosso was sacked by Colin Hirschmann for a 4-yard loss, and he fumbled, as LB Liam Trainer covered the loose ball at the Roman 10 for a La Salle first down.
  Jones now entered the game as the Explorer quarterback, and he ran an option read to the right side for a 10-yard gain to the Cahillite 1 for a first and goal.  Burnham, a master of short-yardage success, went up right guard for a one-yard touchdown.  Karrash’s extra point made it 7-0, La Salle, with 4:31 left in the first period.
  Karrash’s kickoff was returned by Cooper from the 7 to the 26, with a tackle by special-teams master Dillon Trainer.  Griffin gained nothing up the middle, with stop by Hirschmann and Liam Trainer.  Griffin then took a pitch left, and lost two, as Jones and Lemke sniffed him out.  Roman was called for procedure, and faced a third and 17.  Griffin took the ball on a draw, and Hirschmann hit him immediately deep in the backfield for a 7-yard loss, and the Purple and Gold would have to punt.  This time, the rugby-style punt backfired on the Cahillites, as Hirschmann, camping out in the Roman backfield the whole first quarter, blocked the punt, and Devon Smith recovered it in the end zone for a La Salle touchdown.  Karrash was true again, and La Salle expanded their lead to 14-0, with 1:48 left in the first stanza.
  Cooper returned Karrash’s kickoff to the 20, as Dillon Trainer and Brennan Daly combined for the hit.  A fullback dive up right tackle gained nothing, as Lemke made a hard tackle.  Grosso dropped back, and was sacked again, this time for an 11-yard loss, by Kuznetsov.  On third and 21, the fullback draw play was smelled out by Zobel for a 1-yard loss, ending the first quarter, with the Explorers up, 14-0.  A new punter was used by the Cahillites, and his punt was downed on the Roman 40.
Jones ran an option keeper to the left side, and gained 4.  Harrison, on a jet sweep to the right, made a good cut and burst into the clear down the right sideline, getting to the Cahillite 4 for a first and goal.  Quiles took a pitch to the left and went in untouched for a 4-yard touchdown.  Karrash made good again, and the score rose to 21-0, La Salle, with 11:31 left in the half.
  Karrash’s kick sailed out of the end zone.  Grosso completed a short pass to Griffin, who lost a yard while being tackled by Liam Trainer and DB Sean Daly.  Cooper made a good cutback and gained 9 yards, with Sean Daly making the stop.  On a quick snap, Grosso gained a first down on a 3-yard sneak.  Cooper got 4 yards off the right sigh, with stops by Liam Trainer and Brennan Daly.  Griffin lost 4 yards on a sweep to the left, as Brennan Daly made a good tackle from behind.  On third and 10, Grosso found WR TJ Fitzpatrick for a short 6-yard gain over the middle, and Roman would have to punt again.  The low roller was downed on La Salle’s 31, with 7:49 left in the half.
  Carter gained 9 yards on a jet sweep.  La Salle was then called for procedure.  On play action, Jones rolled right, and hit TE Sean Duffy, who rumbled to the Roman 42 for a first down.  Burnham thrashed his way up the middle for 12 yards and another first down.  Carter gained 7 yards up the middle.  Carter then ran a jet sweep to the left side for two yards.  On third and one at the Roman 21, Burnham, money on short yardage situations, gained 6 up the middle for a first down.  Jones rolled right and threw into the middle of the end zone, and Duffy just missed making a diving catch.  Jones ran an option keeper, bootlegging right for 9 yards.  On third and one, Jones snuck over left guard for two yards and a first and goal at the 4.  Quiles bobbled the handoff, and lost two yards.  Quiles then took a pitch left, and waltzed into the end zone from 6 yards for a touchdown.  Karrash made it 28-0, Explorers, with 4:13 left in the half.
  Karrash boomed another out of the end zone.  Grosso, under fire, was sacked by Liam Trainer for a 6-yard loss.  A pass on the right side from Grosso to WR Ryan Reeder was dropped.  On third and 16, Grosso scrambled to the right and threw a pass out of bounds while under extreme pressure.  Roman’s punt was fair-caught at their own 46 by Troy Holland.
  Carter’s jet sweep to the left was aided by a good downfield block by Harrison, and he gained 21 yards to the Roman 25.  Harrison ran a jet sweep to the right, cut back, and gained 5 yards.  Jones, on play action, rolled left, but overthrew Burnham.  On third and 5, Jones ran a quarterback draw, cut to the left, and got a first down and goal at the Roman 9.  Jones, off a fake jet sweep, ran the left side for 9 yards and a touchdown.  Karrash did it again, and the 35-0 lead with 2:03 left in the half was becoming insurmountable for the Cahillites.
  Roman ran the kickoff to the 17, where the ubiquitous Dillon Trainer made the stop.  Grosso threw out to the left side to WR Rodney Michel, but the pass was incomplete.  Cooper was hit immediately for a 6-yard loss by Kuznetsov and Brennan Daly.  On third and 16, Grosso scrambled to the left and gained 8 yards.  The punt was fair caught by Holland at the La Salle 45.
  Jones rolled out, and threw to Harrison, but the pass was bobbled and nearly intercepted.  Jones next pass was short to Harrison.  On third and 10, Jones overthrew Carter on the left side.  Karrash’s punt was muffed by Michel, but Michel recovered the muff on the Roman 11, with just 24 seconds left in the half.
  Cooper gained 4 yards on a sweep to the left, with tackles by DB Owen Pighini and Brennan Daly, as the half ended, with La Salle leading Roman, 35-0, as the second half would be played under mercy-rule conditions.
  Karrash’s kickoff was returned up the middle to the 24-yard line by Marquise Cooper, tackled by Brennan Daly.  DE Chris Maloney joined the sack brigade, nailing QB Jeffrey Grosso for a 7-yard loss.  Grosso threw incomplete on the right side to RB Malik Griffin.  On third and 17, a pass from Grosso to WR Donathan McCants was broken up by DB Troy Holland.  The punt was caught by Holland, who ran out of bounds at the La Salle 37.
  RB Manny Quiles went up the middle for a 6-yard gain, but he fumbled, and Roman’s Jerome Best made the recovery at the La Salle 41.  Grosso scrambled, but threw incomplete.  Grosso’s next pass was blocked down by DE Dan Kuznetsov.  On third and 10, Grosso threw a screen to the right side to Cooper, who was thrown for a 4-yard loss by DL Stephen Matchett and LB Austin Lemke.  On fourth and 14, Grosso’s pass over the middle was caught for a first down at the La Salle 25 by WR TJ Fitzpatrick.  Grosso threw deep left, but incomplete.  Grosso then missed Fitzpatrick on a slant in.  On third and 10, Grosso’s look-in pass to WR Donathan McCants was good for 10 yards and a first down at the La Salle 15, as the Cahillites were knocking on the door.  Grosso’s fade to the right overthrew WR Evan Spann.  Grosso then scrambled under a big rush, and threw out of bounds.  On third and 10, Cooper was hit immediately in the backfield on a draw play by LB Austin Lemke for a 4-yard loss.  On fourth down, Grosso, was sacked for a 10-yard loss by the duo of Kuznetsov and LB Liam Trainer, and La Salle would take over on downs.
  From his own 28, Burnham took the ball up the middle, and made a monstrous run, carrying tacklers for at least 10 yards on his way to the Roman 48.  Burnham then powered up the middle for 6 yards, as the third quarter ended with a 35-0 La Salle lead.  Burnham found a big hole and motored to the Roman 24 for another first down.  Lemke stepped in at fullback and gained a yard up left tackle.  From a deep set, Burnham gained 4 yards up the middle.  On third and 5, Quiles was stopped for a 1-yard loss on a Roman blitz.  On fourth down, Daniel Karrash calmly booted a 38-yard field goal to put La Salle up, 38-0, with 9:02 left in the game.
  Karrash boomed the kickoff out of the end zone.  On the first play, Grosso scrambled to the left and threw down the left side, but the pass was intercepted by Brennan Daly on the Roman 40, and returned to the 30, but the play was negated by a roughing the passer penalty.  With first down at the 35, Grosso was sacked yet again, this time by Kuznetsov for a 10-yard loss.  Grosso got those 10 back on a pass to the left side to McCants.  On third and 10, Grosso’s pass on the left side was intercepted by the other Daly sibling, Sean, and Sean Daly raced into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown return.  Mike Gandolfo took over placekicking duties, and nailed the extra point to move the score out to 45-0, La Salle, with 6:32 left.
  Gandolfo’s kick was returned by Cooper from the 6 to the 19, as Sean Daly, fresh off his score, made the tackle.  Grosso fumbled the snap, and his knee touched down for a 4-yard loss.  Déjà vu, as the same play occurred, this time for a 9-yard loss.  On third and 23, Grosso scrambled up the middle for no gain, with stop by LB Dillon Trainer and LB Brendan Frusco.  Rob Tatum made a diving fair catch of the punt at the Roman 36.
  Jack Machita took over the reins at quarterback, and handed off to RB Jalen DeVose for a two-yard gain up left guard.  Again, DeVose tested left guard, and broke a tackle for a 6-yard gain.  On third and two, DeVose went up left tackle for 8 yards and a first down.  With the clock winding down, Machita took two knees while in the victory formation, and La Salle was successful in their first PIAA playoff game, defeating Roman Catholic, 45-0.
  Next week, round two of the playoffs, and round two of the great rivalry, as the La Salle Explorers will take on the Hawks of St. Joseph’s Prep, who defeated Father Judge, 41-7.  Time and place to be determined.

OCT. 27
CATHOLIC RED
Wood 31, La Salle 17

  Failure to capitalize on early Archbishop Wood turnovers, and turnovers of their own stymied La Salle in their quest to handle the Vikings, who rode a handful of big plays to defeat the Blue and Gold, 31-17. Here’s how the game unfolded:

  Wood won the toss and elected to receive. Daniel Karrash kicked to the 10, where Kevin Otto returned the ball to the Viking 29, with a tackle by Dillon Trainer. RB Nasir Peoples found an opening off left tackle and motored for 15 yards before DB Sean Daly could stop him. RB Adrian Lambert was hit immediately by Sean’s brother DB Brendan Daly for a one-yard gain, with an assist by DE Dan Kuznetsov. QB Jack Colyar found WR Ryan Loughlin on the right side, and Loughlin escaped a tackle to get to the La Salle 43 before safety Isaiah Jones could tackle him. On first down, a swing pass by Colyar fell incomplete as DB Devon Smith hit the receiver immediately. After a Viking time out, Peoples, on a power sweep, gained just one yard as Jones hit him hard on a good tackle. On third and nine, Colyar overthrew Loughlin on a deep pass, and Wood decided to punt, and the ball went out of bounds on the La Salle 14.

  On play action, QB Danny Solecki rolled out left and hit WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. for a 15-yard gain and a first down. Solecki then found WR Octavious Carter on a drag pattern to the La Salle 49, but the Explorers were caught holding, setting them back to their own 14. Jones, lined up in the backfield, was smeared for a 6-yard loss. Solecki ran a quarterback draw and gained two yards. On third and 29, Solecki’s pass to Carter gained 16 yards and some breathing room for Karrash’s punt. The fair catch was muffed, and long snapper Liam Lacon recovered for La Salle at midfield for a fresh set of downs. Solecki gunned an out pattern to TE Liam Trainer for a 9-yard gain. FB Joey Burnham went up left guard for 5 yards and a first down at the Wood 36. RB Manny Quiles, out of a deep set, swept the left side for an 8-yard gain, and the Explorers were threatening. On an option read, Solecki was hit immediately for a three-yard loss. On third and five, Solecki’s pass was tipped and fell incomplete. On fourth down, Solecki’s pass up the middle to Liam Trainer was dropped, and La Salle’s drive stalled.

  Wood took over on their own 31, and was first flagged for a procedure call. Lambert went up the middle for 3 yards, with tackles by DL’s Leland Mersky and Ronnie Ross. Colyar slung a pass out right to Loughlin for a 3-yard gain, as LB Liam Trainer applied the wood to the Wood receiver. On third and 9, Colyar rolled left, and fired a bomb down the left side to Loughlin, who caught the ball in stride and made it down to the La Salle 19 for a first down, and now the Vikings threatened. Peoples tried the middle for three yards before DE Chris Maloney tackled him. Colyar threw deep into the end zone for WR Jake Ross, but the pass was overthrown, on good coverage by DB Owen Pighini. On third and 7, Colyar tried a flanker screen, but the pass misfired, and was intercepted by Jones at the La Salle 20 to quell the drive, with 2:20 to go in the first quarter.

  Solecki’s pass across the middle to WR Troy Holland was dropped. Quiles was stifled for a one-yard loss up the middle. On third and 11, Solecki ran a quarterback draw for nine yards. Karrash’s punt was fair-caught by Tahmir Barksdale on the Wood 38.

  Peoples tried right tackle, and gained just two while being tackled by Liam Trainer and DL Stephen Matchett. The Vikings were then hit for a procedure call just prior to the end of the first quarter that saw the two teams scoreless. On the first play of the second stanza, Colyar tossed another bomb to Loughlin. Loughlin caught the ball, fumbled when tackled, and the ball was recovered by Wood’s Jake Ross on the La Salle 8 for a first and goal. Peoples gained just a yard up right guard before Brendan Daly and Kuznetsov stopped him. Lambert got 5 yards up the middle, with hits by LB Austin Lemke and DT Garrett Zobel. On third down at the two, Colyar bootlegged right, but was throttled for a two-yard loss by Liam Trainer and Lemke. Bob Hennessey’s 21-yard field goal was good, and Wood got on the board first, 3-0, with 9:18 left in the half.

  Hennessey’s pooch kick was returned to the 30 by Quiles. Quiles went up left guard for two yards. Solecki, under a big rush, was sacked by DE Bill Shaeffer for a 7-yard loss. On third and 15, Quiles gained 8 up left guard, but La Salle would punt. Karrash’s high punt was downed on the Archbishop Wood 43, with 7:09 left in the first half.

  Colyar’s low pass was caught by Jake Ross on a dive for a first down at the La Salle 39. Peoples teste the right side, had a good gain, but fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Wood’s OL Luke Stengel on the La Salle 24, as another potential Wood turnover was avoided. After gaining 5 yards on first down, Peoples swept the left side and made it all the way to the La Salle 3 before Sean Daly could get him out of bounds. Peoples then went into the end zone up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown. Hennessey’s extra point put the Vikings on top, 10-0, with 5:26 left in the half.

  Another pooch kick was returned by Quiles up the left side to the La Salle 37. Solecki found Holland on a drag pattern across the middle for a first down at the Wood 45. Out of a deep set, Quiles was hit for a 4-yard loss on a tackle by DL Dylan Urbanowski. Solecki’s next pass was blocked, setting up a third and 14. Avoiding a blitz, Solecki scrambled for a 12-yard gain. On fourth and two at the Wood 37, Solecki’s pass to Holland on a slant was just a little low, and Wood took over on downs, with 3:19 left in the half.

  Peoples gained five up right tackle, hit by Lemke. On a counter, Peoples got down the right side to La Salle’s 36 before being stopped by DB Devon Smith. Peoples was stopped for no gain on a draw by a shoestring tackle by Liam Trainer. Colyar then let fly down the right sideline to the 6’-6” Kyle Pitts, who alley-ooped the catch for a 36-yard touchdown. Hennessey’s PAT was true, and the Vikings held a commanding 17-0 lead with 1:19 left in the first half.

  Hennessey pooched the kick again, and Quiles was stopped at the La Salle 25. Solecki rolled right and hit Harrison for 5 yards, as Harrison got out of bounds. Solecki’s pass to Harrison across the middle did not connect. On third and five, Solecki found Quiles on a juggling catch for a first down to the La Salle 42. Solecki then rolled right again, and Harrison caught the pass and got out of bounds for 4 yards with 39 seconds left on the clock. Solecki’s pass to Carter deep down the middle was just a little low. On third and 6, Solecki’s pass to Liam Trainer fell incomplete, but Wood was called for roughing the passer, setting up a first down at the Wood 39, with 25 seconds left. Solecki arced a pass to Holland into double coverage on the right side, but Holland came up with the leaping catch at the Wood 14, with 19 seconds left. Solecki’s slant-in to Holland was almost intercepted. Under pressure, Solecki’s next pass to Holland fell incomplete. On third and 10, Solecki scrambled to the right, but his pass in the end zone to Harrison was broken up. On fourth down, with 5 seconds left, Karrash came on and kicked a 31-yard field goal, as Wood took a 17-3 lead into the locker room.

  La Salle would need to take the opening drive of the third quarter into the end zone to get back into the game. Manny Quiles took the pooch kick from Bob Hennessey out to the Blue and Gold 45. Isaiah Jones swept the left side for 2 yards. QB Danny Solecki flared a pass on the right side to Quiles, who raced to the Wood 43 for a first down, aided by a good block from WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. Jones, running with a vengeance, gained 5 yards up left guard. Solecki hit WR Troy Holland for seven yards and a first down on the right side. Solecki then swung a pass out left to RB Octavious Carter, who used his great speed to churn down to the Wood one-yard line. FB Joey Burnham was stopped for no gain up left guard. Jones tried left tackle, but was thrown back for a two-yard loss to the three. On third down, Solecki rolled right, and hit Harrison at the flag for a 3-yard touchdown. Karrash’s extra point was good, and La Salle was back in the game at 17-10, with 8:46 left in the third period.

  Karrash’s kick was returned to the 22 by Ryan DiVergilis, knocked down on a big hit by Brennan Daly. Peoples swept the right side, but lost a yard, as Jones and LB Austin Lemke delivered the blow. Colyar’s pass to TE Kyle Pitts was dropped. On third down and 11, Colyar was sacked by Lemke for a 3-yard loss, and La Salle was gaining momentum. The punt went off the side of the punter’s foot and went out of bounds on the Wood 35, and La Salle was in business to get the game tied.

  Solecki’s rollout pass deep to Holland was incomplete, as Holland was double-covered. Solecki swung a pass out to Carter for a two-yard gain. On third and 8, Solecki, under a blitz, passed to Harrison, but the pass was broken up by good coverage from the Viking secondary. On fourth down, with play action, Solecki threw deep down the middle to an open Harrison, but the pass was overthrown, and La Salle’s chance to tie the score was thwarted.

  The wind came out of the Explorer sails on the next play, as RB Nasir Peoples bolted up the middle and into the clear for a 67-yard touchdown. Hennessey’s extra point made it 24-10, Wood, as the swing from potentially tying the score to a 14-point deficit silenced the Explorer crowd, with 5:59 left in the third quarter.

  The pooch kick was fair-caught by Brennan Daly on the La Salle 35. Solecki was sacked for a 10-yard loss on first down by DE Tom Cattolico. Then, Solecki rolling right, threw back left on a swing pass, but the pass was intercepted by DE Kyle Pitts, who rumbled into the end zone from about 20 yards out for a touchdown. Hennessey’s extra point was good, and La Salle was now down by 21 points at 31-10, with 5:05 left in the third period.

  Octavious Carter returned the kickoff to the La Salle 27. Isaiah Jones was hit immediately for a one-yard loss. Solecki then hit Jones on a flare pass for 10 yards. On third and one, Jones went hard up left guard for a 7-yard gain and a first down. Solecki’s deep pass to Harrison down the middle was overthrown. Solecki then hit Carter on a drag pattern across the middle for a first down at the Viking 39. Carter gained three on a jet sweep to the left. Solecki rolled out right, and threw downfield to Carter incomplete, as the coverage was good. On third and 7, Solecki’s quarterback draw gained 8 yards and a first down at the Wood 28. Solecki then tried to hit WR Troy Holland on a flag pattern, but the pass was intercepted by Ryan Loughlin at the Wood 4-yard line to squelch the drive.

  RB Adrian Lambert gained three up the middle, stopped by DL Colin Hirschmann and DB Brennan Daly. Peoples got three more up right guard, with tackles by LBS Austin Lemke and Liam Trainer. On third and four, Colyar, under a big rush, was sacked by Liam Trainer at his own one-yard line for a 9-yard loss. It seemed like the ball had come out for a fumble, but the officials ruled the play over, as the third quarter ended with Wood in command, 31-10. The punt was downed at the Wood 29, where La Salle would try to get back into the game.

  Quiles was stopped for no gain off the right side. A quick pass from Solecki to Quiles gained two yards. On third and 8, Solecki’s pass to Holland was broken up. Solecki, on fourth down, gunned a ball to a Harrison on a flag route, and Harrison’s good catch took the ball to the Wood 4-yard line for a first and goal. Harrison, seeing more and more touches, took a jet sweep, cut back to the middle, and scored from 4 yards out. Karrash’s extra point brought the Explorers back to a 31-17 deficit, with 10:07 left in the game.

  Karrash boomed the kickoff into the end zone. Peoples was hit immediately by Jones, Dan Kuznetsov, and Liam Trainer for no gain, as La Salle was desperate to get the ball back. Colyar missed Pitts in the right flat. On third and 10, Colyar rolled right, and scrambled for just two yards, as Kuznetsov applied the brakes. The punt was downed on the Wood 46, and La Salle needed to get on the board quickly to have a chance.

  A quick out from Solecki to Holland gained two yards. Solecki then was sacked for a 6-yard loss, as the pocket collapsed around him. On third and 14, Solecki hit TE Liam Trainer for a 10-yard gain on the left side. However, Archbishop Wood was called for holding, and Coach Steinmetz took the 10-yard penalty instead of the play to set up a third and four. Solecki then hit Liam Trainer again over the middle for a 5-yard gain and a first down. Solecki then threw incomplete as his arm was hit while throwing. Solecki scrambled for no gain as Wood blitzed. On third and 10, Solecki rolled left and hit Harrison for a first down on the Wood 24. A deep pass from Solecki to Holland was just overthrown. Solecki’s next pass over the middle was intercepted by DB Brad Otto at the Wood 21.

  Lambert gained two up the middle, with stops by Brennan Daly and Lemke. Peoples got two up the middle, with tackle by DE Chris Maloney. On third and six, RB Eric Bauer ran a flanker-around, gaining good yardage for a first down on the Wood 45, with hit by Lemke. Peoples got nothing up the middle as Maloney stuffed him. La Salle called time out with 3:49 left in the game. Peoples got seven up the middle as Lemke stopped him again. On third and 3, Peoples was hit by a rampaging Lemke for a two-yard loss, but Lemke was hit for a phantom face mask penalty, costing 5 yards, and giving Wood a first down. Peoples tried the middle yet again, and was gang-tackled for a three-yard gain by Devon Smith, Ronnie Ross, and others. La Salle called time out with 2:37 left. Wood was called for procedure. Peoples again toted the ball, and gained three before a tackle by DT Garrett Zobel. On third and nine, Peoples gained 4 yards on a pitch left, as Liam Trainer applied the tackle. The Wood punt was downed on the La Salle 21, with just 49 seconds left in the game.

  Solecki’s pass over the middle to Holland was broken up. Solecki scrambled for a two-yard loss, as no receivers were open, and the clock wound down. Archbishop Wood won their third consecutive victory over La Salle 31-17, to complete the regular season for the 6-3 Explorers.

  Next week, the first round of the PIAA District XII playoffs, a matchup against the winner of the October 28 matchup between Roman Catholic and Father Judge. It looks like the game will be played on Friday, November 3 at 7 PM, with site (and opponent) still to be determined.

OCT. 20
CATHOLIC RED
SJ Prep 28, La Salle 14

  La Salle came out swinging against St. Joseph’s Prep, but four long plays sent the undefeated Hawks to another victory. Here’s how it happened:

  La Salle deferred to the second half, and kicked off. James Cherry returned the kick from the 9 to the 19, where he was stopped by Dillon Trainer. RB Kolbe Burrell gained four yards off left tackle, pulled down by DB’s Sean Daly and Isaiah Jones. RB Marques Mason got just a yard before being hit by DT Garrett Zobel, who played a great game. On third and five, QB Marquez McCray was sacked by Zobel, as the pocket collapsed around him. The punt was fair caught by Troy Holland at the La Salle 42.

  FB Joey Burnham would have a career night, and went up the middle for two yards. After faking a jet sweep, QB Danny Solecki passed to his tight end Liam Trainer up the middle for an 11-yard gain to the Prep 45 and a first down. On play action, Solecki tossed to Burnham in the right flat for 4 yards. RB Manny Quiles gained 4 more off right tackle. On third down, Solecki’s pass down the left side to WR Holland was overthrown. La Salle would go for it on fourth down. Solecki pump faked, then hit Quiles over the middle for a first down to the Hawk 30. Burnham then bolted through a big hole up the middle for a first and goal at the 10. Solecki tried a fade to WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., but the pass was overthrown. Quiles burst up the middle for a 7-yard gain to the three. Solecki, on third down, called his own number, a keeper up right tackle, and his dive found the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown. Daniel Karrash’s extra point made it 7-0, La Salle, with 6:29 left in the first quarter.

  Karrash’s kick was returned by Cherry out to the Prep 30, as Liam Tatlonghari made the tackle. Bureell tried the middle and gained 9 yards before being stopped by Jones. McCray passed to Cherry on the left side for 8 yards and a first down, as Sean Daly made the stop. McCray’s pass to WR Johnny Freeman was snagged with a leaping catch for a 9-yard gain, as LB Austin Lemke made the stop, and the Hawks were moving. But McCray was sacked for a 7-yard loss by DT Ronnie Ross. On third and eight, McCray’s deep pass to Freeman was just off his fingertips. Holland fair-caught the ensuing punt at the La Salle 18, and the Explorers would seek to add to their lead, with 4:18 left in the first quarter.

  Quiles gained two on a draw. Holland caught a 4-yard pass from Solecki on the right side. On third and four, Solecki hit Holland again, up the right slot for an 11-yard gain and a first down. Burnham was stuffed for no gain up the middle. Burnham gained 7 yards up the middle, but La Salle was flagged for holding. Isaiah Jones came into the game as a running back, and gained 4 yards on a sweep to the left. On third and 16, Solecki scrambled, and then found Harrison up the middle for a first down to the La Salle 45, keeping the drive alive. Solecki scrambled again, and tossed to Quiles on the right side for 4 yards, as the first quarter ended with La Salle holding a 7-0 lead. Solecki scrambled yet again, avoiding a sack, and gaining 4 more yards. On third and two at the Hawk 47, Burnham banged through a great hole and rumbled down to the St. Joseph’s 13-yard line for a first down. Solecki’s fade to Holland was just too long. Quiles went off the left side, picking his way down to the 7-yard line. On third and four, the game would turn. Solecki tried to find Holland over the middle on a crossing pattern, but DB DeJuan Dandridge stepped in, picked off the pass, and returned it over 70 yards to the La Salle 27 before being run down by Holland.

  McCray sought to strike fast, but overthrew WR Anthony Rightly on a deep route. La Salle was then flagged for 12 men on the field, as the Prep was in a hurry-up offense. McCray ran an option-keeper, and gained a first down at the La Salle 11. McCray then threw a fade to WR Brandon Sanders, who made a leaping catch for an 11-yard touchdown. Anthony Tigano’s PAT tied the score at 7-7, with 10:10 left in the half.

  Quiles returned the kickoff to the La Salle 25, as the offense would try to regroup and get the lead back. Holland’s jet sweep to the left gained 5 yards. Quiles swept the left side for five more and a first down. Burnham broke some tackles, gaining 9 yards up left guard. He then gained a first down up the middle for 3 yards. Solecki ran a QB draw, veering to the right side, and got another first down to the Prep 42. Quiles gained three up right tackle, as the Prep would call time out at the 7:36 mark, seeking to slow down the La Salle rushing onslaught. Burnham gained four more, setting up a third and three at the Hawk 35. Quiles was thrown for a one-yard loss, and La Salle would face a fourth and four. Solecki threw deep to Holland, and the pass was overthrown, as Holland just couldn’t shake his defender, and the Hawks would take over, with 6:17 left in the second.

  Burrell was hit immediately for a 4-yard loss by the rampaging Zobel. McCray found Cherry for 4 yards in the rlght slot, with the hit by Jones and Lemke. On third and 10, in a quad left formation, McCray’s pass to Cherry was overthrown. The Hawk punt went off the side of the punter’s foot, and came to rest at the La Salle 40, with 4:53 left in the half.

  Burnham went up left guard for two yards. Quiles swept the right side for 7 yards, but again the Explorers were called for holding. Solecki threw incomplete to Holland over the middle. On third and 16, the duo hooked up for a first down at midfield, as La Salle declined a minor face mask penalty on the Hawks. Quiles found 5 yards up the middle. Quiles was then smeared for a 4-yard loss on a draw. On third and 9, Solecki threw to the left side to Holland, who gained 7 yards. On fourth and 2, La Salle was called for a procedure penalty, and would now choose to punt. Cherry picked up the punt at the La Salle 3, and got back to the six-yard line, where the Hawks would have 1:37 left to try to mount a drive.

  Burrell gained eight up left tackle before Sean Daly put a stop to him. Burrell gained 5 yards and a first down off left tackle. The Prep was called for a procedure penalty. Then, Burrell gained three yards up the middle to end the half, with the teams in a 7-7 tie.

  Anthony Tigano’s kickoff was fielded by Manny Quiles at the one, and Quiles took it out to the 23, where the La Salle offense would take over. Quiles tried the left side, but lost a yard. Then, QB Danny Solecki was sacked on a big rush for a five-yard loss. On third and sixteen, Solecki found WR Troy Holland on a drag pattern for a 7-yard gain, but the Explorers would have to punt. A procedure call would set them back another 5 yards. The punt got out to midfield, where the Hawk returner was hit immediately, with the ball spotted on the La Salle 48.

  On a flea flicker, QB Marquez McCray overthrew WR James Cherry. On an option read, McCray was thrown for a 2-yard loss by LB Liam Trainer. On third and 12, La Salle jumped offside. The second of the big plays was imminent. McCray, on a blitz, hit Cherry in stride down the middle to the La Salle one-yard line, and the Hawks were knocking on the door. McCray was stopped for no gain up the middle, but La Salle was flagged for a personal foul. RB Kolbe Burrell was stuffed for no gain on a tackle by DT Garrett Zobel. Then, Burrell took a pitch on the left side, and made it into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown. Anthony Tigano’s extra point was true, and the Hawks enjoyed their first lead at 14-7, with 7:33 left in the third stanza.

   Octavious Carter returned the kickoff out to the 30-yard line. Solecki and Holland could not hook up on a fly pattern. Quiles swept the left side for six yards. On third and four, Solecki couldn’t find an open receiver, and was sacked for a one-yard loss. La Salle was hit for another procedure penalty. Karrash’s punt was almost blocked, but sailed down to the Prep 30, where James Cherry called for a fair catch, fumbled the ball, but was able to fall on it before La Salle could recover.

  McCray tossed a screen to RB Marques Mason, who raced to the Hawk 45 before being tackled by DB Isaiah Jones. McCray’s pass in the left flat was caught by Cherry for a 4-yard gain, with stop by Sean Daly. Then, big play number 3 occurred: Mason swept the left side, breaking tackles, and headed into the end zone for a 51-yard touchdown. Tigano’s extra point was good, and St. Joseph’s stretched their lead out to 21-7, with 4:50 left in the third quarter.

  Quiles returned the kick to the Blue and Gold 28. La Salle, now down two scores, would need to crawl back into the game. Quiles went off left tackle for two yards. On a bubble screen, Holland could gain just one yard. On third and seven, Solecki was sacked on a Prep blitz for an 8-yard loss, and the game’s momentum had certainly been switched. Karrash’s punt was downed on the Prep 47.

  Burrell gained two yards up right guard, as Zobel registered the stop. Burrell was hit immediately for no gain by DT Lucas McNally. After a Prep time out, McCray ran a quarterback draw to the La Salle 44, setting up a fourth and one. McCray tossed a pass to Cherry for a five-yard gain and a first down, with Sean Daly on the stop. McNally stopped Mason up the middle for just a two-yard gain, as the third quarter ended with the Prep on top, 21-7. McCray then found WR Johnny Freeman on a slant pattern to the La Salle 30, where LB Liam Trainer made the stop. On third and one, McCray gained a first down on a two-yard keeper. McCray scrambled for a two-yard loss, but the Prep was called for holding. On first and 26 at the Prep 45, McCray ran a quarterback draw, and went virtually untouched into the end zone. The Prep’s fourth big play, a 45-yard touchdown by McCray, along with Tigano’s extra point, put the Hawks on top with a commanding 28-7 lead, with 11:14 left in the fourth quarter.

  Carter returned the kickoff to the La Salle 28. Solecki found Holland on a drag pattern for 10 yards and a first down. Solecki tossed to Quiles over the middle for 7 yards. Burnham was stopped for a two-yard loss up the middle. On third and five, Solecki hit TE Liam Trainer in the right slot for 7 yards and a first down. Solecki scrambled for no gain. He then found Liam Trainer again for 5 yards. On third and 7, Solecki ran a quarterback draw, gaining 12 yards and a first down at the Hawk 33. But Solecki was banged up a little, and came out for QB Isaiah Jones. Jones kept the ball for 3 yards. He then went off left tackle for a yard. On third and six, Solecki came back into the game, and under a big rush, hit Burnham up the middle, who broke tackles to get to the Prep 8 for a first and goal. After a fake jet sweep, Solecki tried a fade again to Holland, but they could not connect. Quiles was stuffed up the middle for no gain. On third and goal, Solecki found Holland on a look-in pattern for an 8-yard touchdown. After a procedure call, Karrash’s extra point made it 28-14, Prep, with 5:38 left in the fourth.

  Cherry returned the Karrash kickoff out to the 33. Burrell gained two up the middle, with DT Ronnie Ross making the stop. McCray hit Freeman for a 9-yard gain and a first down to the Hawk 44. Burrell gained 4 yards up the middle, with Ross on the tackle, and La Salle took their first time out. McCray gained one on the right side, stopped by LB Brendan Daly, and the Explorers expended their second time out. Then, McCray, on a quarterback draw, avoided some tacklers and got a first down to the La Salle 44. Mason was hit immediately by LB Austin Lemke for a one-yard loss, and La Salle used their last time out, with 3:35 left. McCray gained just a yard, as DE Colin Hirschmann led the gang tackle. On third and ten, McCray found WR Brandon Sanders on an out pattern, and Sanders broke tackles to gain a first down at the La Salle 30. Burrell gained two yards, and then gained 3 yards up right guard, with Hirschmann making the hit. Burrell took a pitch for no gain. On fourth down and five, Burrell went up right tackle for just a yard, and La Salle would take over, with just over 30 seconds left in the game.

  Burnham, not giving up, gained 14 yards up the middle to the La Salle 37. He then gained 19 more yards to the Prep 44. The final play of the game saw Burnham gain a yard, as the Hawks struck on 4 big plays to defeat the Explorers, 28-14.

  Next week, La Salle takes on Archbishop Wood on Friday night, October 27, at 7 PM at William Tennent High School.

OCT. 14
CATHOLIC RED
La Salle 42, Roman 7

  The Explorers came off their  bye week with no rust showing, as six first-half touchdowns allowed them to coast over Roman Catholic, 42-7, and they now turned their eyes to the 18th and Girard crowd in anticipation of next week’s showdown.

  Here’s how the Roman game unfolded:

  Daniel Karrash’s kickoff was brought out to the 17, where Roman would start. QB Jeffrey Grosso was unceremoniously sacked for a 5-yard loss by DE’s Dan Kuznetsov and Chris Maloney. Grosso then overthrew WR Imir Lilliston. On third and fifteen, a draw by RB Malik Griffin was stuffed for no gain by LB Austin Lemke, back in the lineup after an injury. The Roman punt was low, and rolled to a stop at the La Salle 49.

  Out of the pistol, QB Danny Solecki handed off to FB Joey Burnham on a counter for 3 yards. Solecki then threw to Burnham in the flat for no gain. On third and seven, under a blitz, Solecki stood tall and tossed a bomb down the middle to WR Troy Holland, who caught the ball on the run for a 48-yard touchdown. Karrash’s extra point made it 7-0, with 8:43 left in the first quarter.

  Karrash’s kickoff to Miles Jowers was returned 5 yards to the 13. Grosso rolled right, and hit RB Marquise Cooper for an 8-yard gain. On an option read, Grosso was smeared by LB Liam Trainer for a 3-yard loss. On third and five, the Cahillites were called for procedure, and the ensuing play was a one yard gain up the middle by Cooper. The Roman punt was fair caught by Luke Hardy at the Purple and Gold 45.

  Lightning struck quickly, as Solecki, on play action hit freshman WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. on a slant, and Harrision outran everyone for a 45-yard touchdown. Karrash’s boot made it 14-0, La Salle, with 6:11 left in the first stanza.

  The kickoff was returned to the 12 by Griffin. Cooper went up the middle for a yard. Then Griffin was hit immediately by a swarm of Explorers for a 2-yard loss. On third and 11, Grosso scrambled and threw out of bounds, and was called for intentional grounding. The punt rolled out to the Roman 48, but La Salle was assessed for a block in the back, and would start their drive on their own 42.

  Roman was offsides on the first play. Solecki had trouble with the snap and the handoff to RB Manny Quiles was awkward, but Quiles still gained 6 yards and a first down. Solecki rolled left and found WR Octavious Carter on the left sideline for an 11-yard gain and a first down on the Roman 36. On play action, Solecki rolled right and bootlegged for a yard. Quiles went up right guard for a yard. On third and eight, Solecki found TE Sean Duffy on a drag pattern across the middle to the Roman 14 and another first down. Quiles tried right guard, fumbled, but Solecki recovered for a nine-yard loss. Roman was then called for another offsides penalty. Solecki then pitched to Harrison on a bubble screen on the right, and Harrison, gaining more and more meaningful time, followed his blockers into the end zone for an apparent touchdown, but La Salle was called for holding, and was sent back to the 23-yard line. Solecki’s pass in the left flat was overthrown. On third and 19, Solecki threw deep to Carter, and the pass was overthrown, but Roman was called for pass interference. Solecki then found “old reliable” WR Troy Holland on a slant across the middle for a 12-yard touchdown. Karrash nailed the PAT, and the Explorer lead was now 21-0, with 58 seconds left in the first quarter.

  Karrash’s kickoff was returned to the 24. Grosso threw a swing pass to Griffin, who was chased out of bounds after a 7-yard gain by LB Brendan Daly and DB Isaiah Jones, returning to action after an injury incurred in the McDonogh game. Cooper was stopped for no gain by DT Ronnie Ross and LB Austin Lemke. On third and three, Cooper found a good hole up the middle for an 11-yard gain and a first down before being stopped by Liam Trainer on the Roman 42, as the first period ended with La Salle leading, 21-0. But Roman would self-destruct, as a low snap eluded Grosso, who got back to recover the ball but losing 22 yards in the process. Grosso threw a bomb down the left side, but overthrew his receiver. On third and 32, Griffin gained four up the middle on a draw before being stopped by Lemke. The Cahillite punt went out of bounds on the Roman 49.

  La Salle’s drive started on a bull-like rush up the middle by FB Joey Burnham for 23 yards to the Roman 26. Solecki faked a handoff, and pitched left to Carter, who found lots of room down the left side for a 15-yard gain. Quiles, in a deep set, blew through right tackle to the one-yard line. Burnham then plunged into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown. Karrash was true again, and La Salle expanded their lead to 28-0, with 9:15 left in the half.

  Karrash’s kick found the end zone. On a jet sweep, Griffin was hit by DE Chris Maloney and others for a two-yard gain. On a flanker draw, Griffin was hit while taking the handoff by Dan Kuznetsov for a 7-yard loss. Grosso overthrew his receiver on a screen pass, and Roman would punt yet again. The punt went off the side of the punter’s foot, and netted just three yards to the Roman 18, where La Salle would smell the end zone again.

  Solecki ran the option to the right, and gained three yards. WR Devon Smith took the jet sweep to the left down to the one-yard line, for another first and goal. Out of the I, Joey Burnham, the deep back, burrowed into the end zone for his second touchdown. Karrash made good again, and La Salle was coasting at 35-0, with 6:47 left in the half.

  Karrash hit the end zone again with his kick. A pitchout to WR Ollie Fisher gained 5 yards with Devon Smith on the hit. A counter by Fisher was smelled out by Liam Trainer for a 3-yard loss. On third and eight, Grosso was sacked for a 9-yard loss by DE Leland Mersky. The Roman punt was muffed by La Salle, but recovered by Charles Wroten at midfield.

  Quiles gained five yards up the middle with power. He then gained three on a draw. On third and two, Burnham went off left tackle for 4 yards and a first down at the Roman 38. Solecki then was sacked for a 6-yard loss as he could not find an open receiver. Roman was again called for offsides. Solecki tossed a screen pass to Quiles, who gained to the Roman 33, and a face mask penalty took the ball to the 18. Quiles gained six up the middle. Then, Solecki hit Harrison on a slant-in for a 12-yard touchdown, Harrison’s second of the game. Karrash split the uprights again, and La Salle would complete their scoring, holding a 42-0 lead with 47 seconds left till halftime.

  Karrash’s kickoff was returned by Evan Spann out to the 32, with a tackle by Frank Joyce. Spann tried the middle, and gained just a yard before being stopped by Mersky and LB Dillon Trainer, as the first half mercifully ended for the Cahillites, trailing 42-0.

  The mercy clock would be in force the entire second half. Roman’s kickoff by Ryan Flaherty was returned to the La Salle 29. Jack Machita stepped in as quarterback, and he handed off to RB Brad Vespe, and the diminutive Vespe, reminding this writer of a similar back named Vic Gittens in the late 50's, squirted up the middle, breaking tackles, and gaining 14 yards and a first down. RB Jalen DeVose gained four yards up the middle. Vespe took a draw up the middle for four yards, setting up a third and two at the Roman 49. Vespe then went up right tackle, but was stuffed for a one-yard loss. Karrash would punt for the first time, and Evan Spann returned the ball 7 yards to the Roman 15, with the tackle made by long-snapper Liam Lacon.

  QB Jeffrey Grosso hit WR Malik Griffin for 9 yards on an out pattern, with tackle by DB Ian Smith. RB Marquise Cooper went up the middle for 7 yards and a first down, tackled by DB Alec Santoro. Grosso’s bomb to Spann was overthrown. Grosso was then sacked by DL Jalyl Dawkins on a hard hit for a 4-yard loss. On third and 14, Grosso scrambled to the left, avoiding a sack, and found WR Ryan Reeder for a 10-yard gain, with another stop by Santoro. On fourth down, Grosso found Reeder again, this time for 6 yards and a first down. Cooper gained 3 yards up the middle, with an ankle tackle by SS Jason Kessler. Grosso tossed a bomb to WR Imir Lilliston, which was incomplete due to great coverage by Ian Smith. On third and seven, Grosso overthrew Griffin on an out pattern on the left side. On fourth and seven, Grosso’s pass on the left side to Griffin was caught out of bounds, and the Explorers would take over.

  On play action, Machita rolled right and found WR Josh Graham, who made a good catch for a 15-yard gain and a first down. WR Luke Hardy was stopped for no gain on a jet sweep. Vespe went off left tackle, breaking the first tackle, and gained 7 yards, as the third quarter ended with the score still 42-0, La Salle. On third and 3, DeVose was hit immediately for a one-yard loss. On fourth and four at the Cahillite 25, Machita, on play action, rolled right and hit an open TE Grant Hughes, who rumbled down to the 2-yard line for a first and goal. Vespe went off left tackle, but fumbled, and DB Rodney Michel recovered for Roman, and he returned the ball to the 15, where the Cahillite offense would take over.

  A swing pass from Grosso to Griffin was dropped. The same play was run, and Griffin gained 4 yards before being tackled by Dillon Trainer. On third and six, Grosso hit Griffin in the right flat, and he gained 4 yards before being stopped by Ian Smith. On fourth and two, Grosso tossed a bomb that was incomplete, with good coverage by Santoro, and La Salle would take over.

  Vespe went up the middle for no gain. WR Robert King gained a yard on a jet sweep. On third and nine, Machita rolled left and just overthrew Vespe at the flag. On fourth down, Machita was stopped for no gain, and Roman would get the ball back, and the Cahillites would strike quickly for their only score.

  From their 22, Grosso found his tight end in the left flat for a six-yard gain, as Kessler made the tackle. Grosso then scrambled, and threw the ball away while being rushed, and Roman was called for holding, setting them back to their own 18-yard line. Grosso then found Griffin down the middle on a slant pattern, and Griffin broke into the open and flew for an 82-yard touchdown. Flaherty’s PAT was good, and Roman was on the board at 42-7, with 2:53 left in the game.

  The onsides kick was recovered by La Salle’s Brendan Frusco at the La Salle 48. Out of a deep set, DeVose was hit immediately by LB Haalim Boone for a four-yard loss. DeVose would get that back and more on a powerful 15-yard run for a first down. DeVose then gained 7 yards up the middle with a good cut. The final play of the game saw DeVose gain 9 more yards up the middle.

  La Salle would take their overall record to 6-1, and their league record to 4-0, as they defeated Roman Catholic, 42-7.

  Next week, the Hawks of St. Joseph’s Prep, at Widener University, on Friday, October 20, with the game time now moved back to 8:00 PM.

SEPT. 29
CATHOLIC RED
La Salle 34, Judge 0

  On the earliest Senior Night in La Salle football history, FB Joey Burnham and DE Dan Kuznetsov represented the seniors well, as La Salle ran their record to 5-1 entering their bye week with a dominant performance, whitewashing Father Judge, 34-0. Here’s how it unfolded:

  La Salle won the toss and deferred to the second half. Daniel Karrash’s boot was fielded by Katob Joseph at the one, and he returned it to the 17 where the Crusaders would start a drive. RB Chris Edwards-Small gained a yard up the middle where LB Dillon Trainer stopped him. QB Shane Dooley, scrambling all night, snuck out on the left side and raced out of bounds after a 12-yard gain and a first down. RB Tim Weldon then bulled up the middle and found a big hole, veering to the right sideline and gaining 52 yards to the La Salle 18-yard line, where DB Charles Wroten finally ran him down, and the Crusaders were knocking on the door. Joseph was hit immediately by DE Dan Kuznetsov, who seemed to be in Judge’s huddle all night, for no gain. Then, Dooley’s slant pass was intercepted by LB Liam Trainer to squelch the promising Crusader drive.

  Starting at their own 18, La Salle turned to their aerial attack. On play action, QB Danny Solecki went deep down the middle to FB Joey Burnham, but the pass was nearly intercepted by DB Shane McGovern. Again, play action, and Solecki hit RB Octavious Carter on a swing pass to the right that gained 27 yards and a first down to the La Salle 45. A play action look-in from Solecki to WR Troy Holland was overthrown. Carter gained three yards on a draw. On third and seven, Solecki overthrew WR Brett Mallee in the right flat, and La Salle would punt. Karrash’s punt was returned by WR Steve Arrington to the 20-yard line, with tackles by Brendan Fusco and Jason Kessler, and the Crusaders were flagged for a block in the back penalty, setting them back to their 7-yard line.

  Joseph was gang-tackled on first down, led by DT Jalyl Dawkins, for no gain. After a delay of game penalty sent the Crusaders in the shadows of their own goal line, Weldon tried the middle and gained 8 yards, as LB Liam Tatlonghari and DB Devon Smith combined for the hit. On third and five, Dooley rolled out and found Arrington on a diving catch for four yards, short of the first down. Ryan Jakeman punted out to his own 42, where the ball was downed, and La Salle was in great field position to break the scoreless tie.

  Solecki rolled right and threw to Mallee, but the pass was broken up. Solecki then called his own number, a draw up the middle, and gained 7 yards, following a block by Burnham, before LB Ed Fahey hit him with a hard tackle. On third and three, Solecki hit Holland on a quick out for just one yard, but Judge was called for a facemask penalty, and La Salle had a first down on the Crusader 29. Holland then ran an out and up route, and Solecki hit him in stride for a 29-yard touchdown. Karrash’s extra point made it 7-0, La Salle, with 5:04 left in the first stanza.

  Karrash’s kickoff was fielded by Joseph at the 9, and he returned it to the 25, but Judge was again penalized, this time for holding, and would start at their own 9. Weldon gained two yards up the middle, stopped by Dillon Trainer. Dooley, under pressure all night, was sacked by DT Garrett Zobel for an eight-yard loss. On third and 16, Joseph tested the middle for no gain, as Liam Trainer and Kuznetsov plugged the hole. Jakeman’s punt was corralled by Mallee, and he was tackled on the Crusader 37.

  On play action, Solecki faced a hard rush, and was sacked for an 11-yard loss. Mallee ran out of the Wildcat for one yard. On third and 20, Mallee caught a swing pass from Solecki, but was swarmed by the Crusaders for a three-yard loss. Karrash’s punt was downed at the Judge 12-yard line.

  Weldon was stopped for a two-yard gain by Zobel. Dooley then set up a screen to Joseph, which was sniffed out by DB Frank Joyce for just a two-yard gain, as the first quarter ended with the Explorers on top, 7-0. On third and six, Dooley scrambled for his life, and sailed a pass out of bounds. Jakeman’s punt was returned nicely by Holland for 7 yards to the Judge 40.

  Carter tested the middle for no gain. Solecki found Holland over the middle for eight yards. On third and two, a hard count got the Crusaders to jump offsides for a first down. Mallee raced off the right side for eight yards to the 19, but the Explorers were called for holding. Solecki threw a deep pass to WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., who caught the ball in tight coverage for a first and goal at the Judge 9. Solecki scrambled on play action and his end zone pass to Holland was overthrown. La Salle was then called for procedure, setting them back to the 14. Mallee then swept the right end, put on the jets, and dove for the pylon, hitting it for a 14-yard touchdown. Karrash was again flawless for the PAT, and the Explorers increased their lead to 14-0 with 9:36 left in the half.

  Karrash’s line drive kickoff found the end zone. Joseph took a pitchout to the left side, but was stopped for no gain by Dillon Trainer. On play action, Dooley’s pass to Joseph up the middle was broken up by Devon Smith. On third and 10, Dooley launched a bomb to Joseph down the middle, and Joseph snagged the pass and raced to the La Salle 37 for a first down. The Explorers were hit for a face mask penalty as well, adding 5 yards to the gain. Weldon swept right end, but LB Tatlonghari stopped him for a one-yard loss. On a scramble, Dooley was hit by Liam Trainer as he launched an incomplete deep pass. On third and 11, Dooley rolled left, but was hunted down by Kuznetsov on a shoestring tackle for a one-yard sack. On fourth and twelve at the La Salle 34, Dooley was again sacked, this time by Liam Trainer and Kuznetsov, for a six-yard loss, and La Salle would start their possession at their own 40, with 6:26 left in the half.

  Mallee ran a jet sweep for two yards. Carter slanted off right guard and bolted outside for a huge gain to the Judge 35 for a first down. Burnham then got his number called, and barreled his way up the middle for an 18-yard gain to the 17 and another first down. Burnham then tested the middle again, and was seemingly stopped by a gang tackle, but suddenly squirted out the other end, keeping his legs driving, and he scampered into the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown. Karrash was good again, and the Explorers had a commanding lead of 21-0 with 4:44 left till halftime.

  Karrash’s kickoff to the 3 was returned to the 24 by Arrington. Dooley, again scrambling, hit Joseph on the left side for a 23-yard gain to the Judge 47. Weldon gained a yard up the middle, stopped by SS Jason Kessler. Dooley rolled out and pass to Arrington up the middle for a first down to the La Salle 42. Weldon tried the middle as La Salle blitzed, but met Liam Trainer for a one-yard loss. On a big rush by DE Chris Maloney, Dooley was sacked for a 12-yard loss. On third and 23, Dooley scrambled for a gain of two, as DT Leland Mersky made a great tackle while being blocked. Jakeman’s punt went out of bounds on the La Salle 27, and the Explorers had 1:34 left to try for more points.

  Solecki swung a pass to Mallee on the right side for a first down at the La Salle 48. Carter tried the middle for 5 yards. In a hurry-up, Solecki hit TE Sean Duffy up the middle for a first down to the Judge 35. Again in the hurry-up, Solecki swung a pass out to Carter, who raced out of bounds for a four-yard gain, with 48 seconds left. After a Judge time out, Solecki sent a tracer out left to Holland, who got out of bounds for a first down to the Crusader 21. A look-in from Solecki to Harrison was broken up. Carter went off right tackle for 5 yards, and La Salle called time with 29 seconds left. Mallee was stopped on a pass in the left flat for no gain, and he was helped off the field with an injury. La Salle let the clock wind down to 1 second, and called their last time out. Karrash lined up for a 33-yard field goal, and booted it through to give the Explorers a 24-0 halftime cushion.

  The second-half kickoff was received by Devon Smith at the three, and returned to the 18 after a bobble. On play action again, QB Danny Solecki overthrew TE Liam Trainer deep over the middle. RB Octavious Carter was hit immediately by LB Mark Maguire for a 4-yard loss, as the Crusaders seemed fired up. Solecki tossed a swing pass to Carter for just 7 yards, and La Salle would punt. Karrash’s punt was taken at the Judge 37 by WR Steve Arrington, who raced up the sideline to the La Salle 40, and the Explorers were hit for a personal foul to set the Crusaders up at the Blue and Gold 25.

  RB Tim Weldon burst up the middle through a huge hole and was stopped by DB Frank Joyce on the La Salle 6 for a first and goal. Then, DE Dan Kuznetsov became a one-man wrecking crew, stalking QB Shane Dooley, sacking him, causing a fumble, and gobbling up the ball as he tackled Dooley. La Salle would stifle yet another Judge threat, and took over on their own 19.

  They didn’t stay there for long, as FB Joey Burnham broke up left tackle for 29 yards to the La Salle 48. The Crusaders jumped offsides for 5 more yards. On a delay, Carter went off right tackle for a first down to the La Salle 37. Solecki hit WR Troy Holland over the middle, and Holland juked his way for 9 yards. Burnham then went off left tackle and rumbled into the end zone for a 28-yard TD, but La Salle was hit for a personal foul that set them back to the Judge 40. Solecki bootlegged for a yard. On third and 12, Solecki rolled right and threw down the right side, but his pass was intercepted by DB Katob Joseph, who returned it to the La Salle 47, but a holding call set the Crusaders back to their own 43.

  Weldon went up left tackle for 7 yards before being stopped by LB Liam Trainer. On a delay, Weldon gained 5 yards and a first down, tackled by DB Devon Smith. Weldon gained just a yard up the middle, as DL Leland Mersky made the hit. On play action, Dooley sent a bomb down the left side to Arrington, but the pass was overthrown. On third and nine at the La Salle 39, Dooley scrambled and was sacked by DL Stephen Matchett and LB Dillon Trainer for a 7-yard loss. On fourth down, Dooley’s hurried pass was overthrown, with good coverage by DB Charles Wroten, and La Salle would take over at their own 46.

  Carter ran a delay, and was hit immediately by LB Ed Fahey for a 5-yard loss. Solecki ran a screen to Burnham on the left side for a gain to the Judge 36, but a block in the back penalty brought the ball back to the La Salle 31. Carter swept the right side, and nearly broke it to the house, gaining 16 yards to the La Salle 47. On third and nine, Solecki hit Carter in the left flat, and Carter sped out of bounds on the Judge 35 for a first down. On a favorite once-a-month play, Solecki rolled right, and threw back left to TE Sean Duffy for a 7-yard gain. Burnham went off left tackle, breaking tackles, and juking his way to the Crusader 18 for a first down. Judge then jumped offsides again for 5 yards. Solecki rolled right, and fired a pass to WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. in the end zone, but just off his fingertips. Carter went up right tackle for no gain, as the third quarter ended, with La Salle still in charge, 24-0. On third and five at the Judge 13, Solecki was forced to scramble, and was sacked on a shoestring tackle for a five-yard loss. Karrash’s 35-yard field goal attempt split the uprights, and La Salle now led, 27-0, with 11:02 left in the game.

  Arrington returned the kickoff from the 9 to the 22, where DB Jordan Headen made a sure tackle. Dooley hit WR Sean Cunningham in the right flat for 6 yards, tackled by DB Alec Santoro. Cunningham then tried to catch a pass in the middle, but was broken up on a hard blast by DB Brennan Daly. On third and four, Dooley swung a pass to WR Chris Edwards-Small for six yards and a first down, tackled by DL Christian Scotto. Weldon gained four yards up the middle before DL Tyler Whitehead brought him down. Dooley then hit Joseph on a deep slant for a first down to the La Salle 30 before being brought down by Santoro. Dooley was sacked for three yards on a scramble. His bomb to Joseph in the end zone was just off the receiver’s fingertips. On third and 13 at the La Salle 33, Dooley scrambled right and threw incomplete, under intense pressure by DL Chris Forsyth. On fourth down, another Dooley scramble gained just a yard, as DL Jalyl Dawkins unloaded on him. La Salle would have first down on their own 32, with 7:34 left in the game.

  Carter tested the middle for 5 yards. Holland ran a jet sweep for 6 yards and a first down. Carter again hit the middle for 2 yards. Solecki rolled out and threw past WR Luke Hardy, but Father Judge was called for holding. Now on the Judge 46, Solecki handed off to soph RB Jalen DeVose, who went up the middle, and used good vision to rush down to the Judge 27 and a first down. Now, Jack Machita took over at quarterback, and handed off to DeVose, who dragged tacklers to the 19. DeVose gained a yard off right tackle. On third and one, pepperpot RB Brad Vespe found a good hole off right tackle to the Crusader 5 for a first down and goal. Vespe then followed a good block by DeVose into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown. Mike Gandolfo’s extra point made the score 34-0, La Salle, with 3:34 left in the contest.

  Gandolfo’s kickoff went to the 5-yard line, and was returned by Joseph to the 18, with another good tackle by Headen. Dooley passed to WR Dan Foy for 4 yards, tackled by LB Brendan Frusco. Dooley scrambled and tossed an incompletion. On third and six, Dooley avoided a sack and fired deep to WR Matt Konen, who caught the ball in traffic and made his way down to the La Salle 36. Dooley threw the ball away on another big rush. Joseph went off right tackle for four yards before being stopped by Santoro. On third and six, Edwards-Small gained 2 yards up the middle before being tackled by Frusco. On fourth and 4, Dooley found Foy for a first and goal at the La Salle 9-yard line, and a roughing the passer call got the ball down to the 5. But again, Judge was turned away, as a bad snap was recovered by Frusco. Machita then knelt down for two plays, and the 5-1 La Salle Explorers shut out the Father Judge Crusaders, 34-0, on Senior Night.

  Next week is a bye week, and then the next game is against the Cahillites of Roman Catholic, on Friday, October 13, at 7 p.m. at the Northwest Super Site.

SEPT. 23
CATHOLIC RED
La Salle 45, Ryan 7
***Game No. 1,000 in School History***

  La Salle’s 100th game, before a big Homecoming crowd at Plymouth-Whitemarsh, was a rousing success, as the multi-faceted Blue and Gold offense dominated the Raiders of Archbishop Ryan, 45-7. Here’s how this milestone game unfolded:

  La Salle deferred to the second half. Daniel Karrash’s kickoff carried to the 5-yard line, and Tyreek Chappell raced it out to the Ryan 26 before being stopped by Alec Santoro. QB Jahill Sanders fumbled the first snap for a 9-yard loss. Tyreek Chappell gained three yards back on a plunge up right guard. On third and 15, Sanders lost two yards on a scramble, and was hit hard by LB Austin Lemke, who auditioned this game as a striker for the volleyball team, but more on that later. The low punt rolled to a stop at the La Salle 46, and the Explorer offense would take over.

  Out of an empty backfield, QB Danny Solecki tossed a quick swing pass to the left side to WR Brett Mallee, who motored 11 yards for a first down. On a hard count, the Raiders jumped offsides. Then, on play action, Solecki hit Mallee with a bomb on the right side for a first and goal at the Ryan 7. RB Octavious Carter nudged the pile up right guard for two yards. RB Manny Quiles tested the middle for no gain. On third and goal, Solecki’s pass toward the right flag was off the fingertips of FB Joey Burnham. Daniel Karrash’s 22-yard field goal put La Salle on the board with a 3-0 lead at the 7:41 mark of the first stanza.

  Karrash’s next kickoff found the end zone. QB Sanders, on an option read, was stopped by LB Liam Trainer for a 1-yard gain. A swing pass from Sanders to WR Kyron Long was sniffed out immediately by DB Brennan Daly for a 3-yard loss. On third and 12, Sanders rolled out to the right and hit WR Mekhi Lang for a 15-yard gain and a first down before he was tackled by DB Sean Daly. La Salle jumped offsides on the next snap. Sanders ran a bootleg around the right side, but Lemke shot through and nailed Sanders for a 4-yard loss. Lemke was now on the prowl, batting down Sanders’ next pass. Sanders, on third and 14, scrambled to the 42-yard line on a twelve-yard gain, setting up a fourth and two. Kyron Lang, in a blocking position for the punt, took the direct snap and went up the middle for 5 yards and a first down. Sanders ran up the middle for two yards, as Brennan Daly and DT Leland Mersky combined on the hit. Sanders gained a first down on an option read that fooled the Explorer defense, as he raced to the La Salle 37 before being tackled by DB Devon Smith, who came over from the other side. Ryan was then called for procedure on the next snap. Mersky stopped Sanders on a quarterback draw for a two-yard gain. Sanders’ pass to Lang was broken up on a good play by DB Charles Wroten. On third and 13, Sanders pass to Long for just a two-yard gain, as Brennan Daly made a sure tackle. On fourth down, yet another fake punt, as backup QB Chris Reed, out of the punter’s position, rolled right and passed down the right side to Cole Lowe for first-down yardage, but Lowe dropped the ball, and Ryan’s long drive was terminated.

  Starting their next drive at their own 38 late in the first quarter, La Salle’s Quiles went off the left side for a first down at midfield. Mallee, out of the wildcat, swept the right side with great speed, and garnered 32 yards to the Ryan 18. Quiles, following a great block by Burnham, sped down to the Raider 8-yard line for a first and goal. Carter shot up the middle, broke a tackle, and veered left into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown. Karrash’s kick was good, and the Blue and Gold led, 10-0, with 9 seconds left in the first quarter.

  Again, Karrash’s kick made it into the end zone. Sanders kept the ball on the right side, and was corralled by DL Chris Maloney for no gain, as La Salle declined an illegal shift penalty. On an option, Sanders kept the ball on the right side and gained 7 yards before a Lemke tackle ended the first quarter with La Salle on top, 10-0. On third and 3, Sanders’ rollout pass to Long was too short. This time the Raiders actually punted, and the low punt rolled dead at the La Salle 38.

  On play action, Solecki hit Mr. Reliable, WR Troy Holland, for a 9-yard gain on a slant. After looking deep, Solecki hit Holland again on a drag pattern across the middle to the Ryan 45. Mallee ran up the middle, diving for 5 yards. Now in a hurry-up offense, Solecki’s swing pass to the left to Mallee was a little short. On third and 5, Solecki ran a QB draw for 23 yards to the Ryan 22, following a crushing block by Burnham. Solecki then rolled out and passed to TE Liam Trainer for a touchdown, but a block in the back penalty negated the score, and put La Salle back on the 22-yard line. Solecki overthrew Mallee in the end zone. Mallee then ran a jet sweep to the left for 5 yards. On third and 5, a hard count caught the Raiders jumping offsides and gained a first down. Mallee then dove ahead for 4 yards. La Salle was then called for a procedure penalty. Mallee went off left tackle and looked like he had a hole, but a Raider defender made a good ankle tackle on the versatile junior. On third and ten, Solecki patiently waited for Holland to run a drag pattern across the middle, and Holland then cut into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Karrash’s PAT extended the lead to 17-0, with 7:14 left until half.

  Another Karrash kickoff, another touchback. QB Sanders passed for 6 yards to Chappell. Sanders then gained 6 yards and a first down on an option read, with tackle by Devon Smith. RB Jason Jefferson tested the middle, but Mersky throttled him for no gain. Sanders fumbled the snap and Liam Trainer nailed him for a three-yard loss. On third and 13, Lemke batted down another Sanders pass. Another low punt rolled and was downed on the La Salle 40.

  Quiles cut into the line for a 3-yard gain. Solecki then hit slot receiver Mallee on the run on the right side to the Ryan 34 for a first down. Burnham, a bull all night, rumbled up the middle, breaking tackles for a 14-yard gain. Solecki threw a screen to Carter, who followed blocking down to the Raider 8 for a first and goal. Out of a deep set, Quiles squirted up the middle and into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown. Karrash made good again on the kick, and La Salle led comfortably, 24-0, with 3:21 till half.

  Another Karrash touchback, and Ryan would try to get off the schneid. Sanders’ pass overthrew Kyron Long. Sanders gained three yards up the middle before being tackled by DL Stephen Matchett. Matchett then sacked Sanders for a loss to bring up another low rolling punt, downed on the La Salle 38, with 2:24 available for the Explorers to get another score.

  Solecki went off the left side and found a lot of running room, outracing several defenders before being bumped out of bounds at the Ryan 30-yard line for a 32-yard gain. On a jet sweep, Carter got another first down on the 16. A quick pass from Solecki to Marvin Harrison, Jr. gained 9 yards to the 7, and then Solecki ran a QB draw up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown. Karrash was good again, and La Salle took just about a minute and a half to perform gridiron surgery to increase their lead to 31-0.

  Ryan returned the kickoff from the 2 to the 29 where Sean Daly made the tackle. Ryan would gain a first down to their own 45, but they allowed the clock to run out, and La Salle led, 31-0, at halftime.

  To start the third period, the Raiders would kick off for the first time in the game. They were one score away from having the mercy clock start. After one kick went out of bounds, La Salle forced the Ryan kicker to try again. This time, Octavious Carter scooped a short kickoff up at his own 25 on the right side, ran all the way to the left side and shot down the Ryan sideline for a 75-yard touchdown. Karrash booted the point through, and it took just 15 seconds into the second half to have the mercy rule put in effect, as La Salle now coasted with a 38-0 lead.

  Another Karrash touchback, and the Ryan offense would face some Explorer substitutes on defense, now with a running clock. QB Jahill Sanders was short on a pass to WR Kyron Long. Sanders tried a draw up the middle, but was stuffed by DL Chris Oldt for no gain. On third and 10, Sanders’ rollout pass was tipped by SS Liam Tatlonghari. The low punt was downed on the La Salle 47.

  Jack Machita entered the game as the Explorer QB. RB Jalen DeVose bounced outside off left tackle and bolted down the sidelines for a 31-yard gain to the Ryan 22. Brad Vespe gained two yards up the middle. Machita got his chance to pass, rolling right and finding an open TE Sean Duffy for a 20-yard touchdown. Karrash’s kick made it 45-0 with 7:56 left in the third.

  Mike Gandolfo kicked off to Ryan, and the ball was returned by Sanders from the 7 to the 28, as Dillon Trainer made the tackle. Sanders dropped the snap and fell on it for a three-yard loss. On an option read, Sanders was tackled for a one-yard loss by linemen Jalyl Dawkins and Christian Scotto. On third and 14, Sanders found WR Justin Collier on a long out to the Ryan 41 for a first down, with tackle by James Scotto. Sanders bootlegged right and gained two yards, stopped by LB Brendan Frusco and DB Jason Kessler. RB Julian Jones found a big hole to the La Salle 454 for a first down, tackled by Alec Santoro. Another low snap cost the Raiders 10 yards. Sanders then passed down the right slot. The pass was tipped, but fell into the hands of WR Dylan Cariss, who took the ball to the La Salle 31. A Sanders to Long pass gained 9 yards, with tackle by James Scotto, but Ryan was finally driving. Jones went up right tackle for a yard, gang-tackled by Matchett, Oldt, and Dawkins, but got the first down at the La Salle 20. Sanders ran an option read to the right side, and got to the La Salle 7, tackled by DB Jordan Headen. On first and goal, Sanders rolled right and threw a short pass to Kyron Long, who raced in for a 7-yard touchdown. Tim Rola’s extra point made it 45-7, La Salle, with 1:05 left in the third.

  Ryan’s kickoff went to the La Salle 25, where Sean Daly picked it up and went off to the races, only stopped when he reached the Ryan 28. WR Luke Hardy ran on an out-of-sync jet sweep, and was stopped for a 2-yard loss, ending the third quarter, with La Salle ahead, 45-7. Sean Daly gained 7 yards out of the Wildcat formation. Then, DeVose, with a great forward lean, gained 7 yards and a first down. Sean Daly’s keeper gained nothing. Vespe gained 6 yards off right tackle. On third and four, DeVose went up the middle for two yards. On fourth and two, Sean Daly’s keeper off the left side was just enough for a first and goal. Vespe was stopped for no gain up right guard. A fumbled snap was scooped up by DeVose for a four-yard loss. On third and goal at the 7, Sean Daly, on play action, scrambled with a huge rush, and was sacked back to the 21-yard line. On fourth down, Sean Daly ran up the middle for four yards, and Ryan would get the ball back.

  Jones tested left guard, and Dillon Trainer and Chris Forsyth stopped him for no gain. Jones was then hit hard by Dawkins, causing a fumble, and Kessler recovered for La Salle at the Ryan 17. Vespe went off left tackle for four yards. Hardy tried that jet sweep again, and gained five. On third and one, Machita’s handoff was botched, resulting in a five-yard loss. On fourth down, Machita’s look-in pass to TE Grant Hughes was stopped for a 5-yard gain, and Ryan would take over again.

  Jones went up right tackle for 2 yards before being stopped by DL Leland Mersky. Sanders’ pass to Cariss was wide. Sanders pass to Long gained a first down out to the 19, with a tackle by Dillon Trainer. Jones was stopped on two runs for no gain and a loss of two, respectively, and the clock ran out. La Salle increased their record to 4-1 with a convincing 45-7 victory over Archbishop Ryan. Next week, the Crusaders of Father Judge, on Friday, September 29, at 7 PM at Plymouth-Whitemarsh.

  NOTES: the Hall of Athletics induction ceremony in the auditorium earlier in the day welcomed a standing room only crowd. Inducted as leaders were Tom Turner and Bill Wasylenko, ‘69; as athletes were Matt Mihalich ’76, Tom McLaughlin ’94, and Travis Manion ’99; teams included the 1989 football team, the 1994 baseball team, and the 1964-65 Varsity 8 rowing team.
SEPT. 16
CATHOLIC RED
La Salle 42, Carroll 6
  Junior all-purpose back Octavious Carter had the day of a feature back, scoring three times as the Explorers dominated the Patriots, 42-6, in their opening Catholic League Red Division game.  Here’s how the game unfolded:
  Carroll won the toss, but deferred to the second half.  The line drive kick was returned by Brennan Daly 6 yards to the La Salle 38.  Danny Solecki handed off to Brett Mallee, who gained 4 yards up the middle.  Solecki threw a short out to WR Troy Holland, who was hit immediately for just a one-yard gain.  On third and five, Solecki, with great protection, found Mallee on a comeback pattern to the Carroll 48 for a first down.  Tailback Manny Quiles went up left guard for three yards.  Solecki, on play action, then aired it out, tossing a bomb beyond TE Liam Trainer down the middle.  On third and seven, Solecki and Holland hooked up on a comeback pattern for an 8-yard gain to the Patriot 37 and another first down.  Mallee caught a buttonhook on the right side for 9 yards, and then Solecki rolled right and gunned a bullet to Holland for a first down at the Carroll 25, and La Salle looked unstoppable, cutting Carroll apart like a doctor performing laser surgery.  Solecki ran on an option read to the right for two yards.  He then hit Mallee on a curl in to the 14 for another first down.  Octavious Carter got his first touch, and bolted up the middle from a deep set down to the two, and the fifth first down of the drive.  Carter then slanted up right guard for two yards and a touchdown.  Daniel Karrash booted the PAT for a 7-0 La Salle lead, with 7:15 left in the first quarter.
  Karrash’s line drive kickoff was returned to the Patriot 37 by Zach Butler, tackled by Frank Joyce.  QB Kamal Gray rolled out on play action and hit RB Koran Butler for a first down on the Carroll 48.  Zach Butler was hit in the backfield for a one-yard loss by DL Chris Maloney.  Dahmir Ruffin came out of the slot to sweep the right side, but LB Austin Lemke’s shoestring tackle kept him to a one-yard gain.  On third and ten, Gray passed to Koran Butler on the right side, and he was ushered out of bounds on a two-yard gain by DB Owen Pighini.  The punt was returned by Brett Mallee for nine years to the La Salle 30, and the offense would seek to duplicate its methodical first drive.
  Quickly, Danny Solecki found Butler for a 15-yard gain.  Solecki, scrambling, was sacked for a three-yard loss.  Carter lined up deep in the backfield, but gained just one yard up the middle.  On third and twelve, Solecki passed to Holland for a 6-yard gain, but the Blue and Gold was called for holding.  Carroll declined the penalty, and Karrash’s punt was returned to the Patriot 40, but this time Carroll was called for holding, and they would start their drive on their own 20.
  A procedure call set them back another five yards.  WR Dahmir Ruffin was thrown for a two-yard loss on a sweep by DE Dan Kuznetsov, who had a solid game.  QB Kamal Gray scrambled for a three-yard gain before Lemke and DB Brennan Daly combined for the stop.  On third and fourteen, Gray, under a big rush, scrambled to his right and fired incomplete.  The punt was fair-caught by Holland on the La Salle 49.
  On play action, Solecki rolled right, but overthrew Holland.  Quiles, in a deep set, gained five yards up the middle, but again, La Salle was called for holding.  Quiles got that back on a draw play, setting up a third and nine at midfield.  To end the first quarter, Solecki scrambled to his left, was seemingly trapped, but broke some tackles to gain 25 yards to the Carroll 25, as La Salle sought to increase their 7-0 lead.
  On play action, Solecki went deep to WR Marvin Harrison, Jr, but the pass was low.  They would be connecting soon.  Quiles found a hole up right guard for an 11-yard gain to the fourteen and a first down.  Then, Solecki hit Harrison on the run with a slant from the right side, and Harrison caught it in stride, scoring a 14-yard touchdown.  Karrash’s kick was good, and La Salle built a 14-0 lead with 11:28 left in the half.
  Karrash boomed a kick out of the end zone, something he’s done quite often this season, and more would come this game.  RB Zabby Zarwie went off tackle for two, stopped by a low tackle by DB Devon Smith.  Ruffin ran a counter that was sniffed out by Lemke for a one-yard loss.  On third and nine, Gray scrambled for a three-yard gain before being stopped by Pighini.  The low punt was downed on the La Salle 42.
  Brett Mallee swept the left side and cut back for 7 yards, following a good block by Harrison.  Then, Octavious Carter, from the deep set, found a big hold and bolted 51 yards for an electrifying touchdown.  Karrash again boomed the extra point, extending La Salle’s lead to 21-0 with 8:29 left in the half.
  Karrash’s kickoff was returned from the 1 to the 20 by Zach Butler, with a tackle by LB Dillon Trainer, whose name you will become familiar with.  Ruffin gained 4 yards on a sweep before being stopped by LB Brendan Frusco.  Gray found Ruffin for a 4-yard gain, with an immediate tackle by DB Charles Wroten.  On third and two, Zach Butler tried right guard, but Frusco and Lemke plugged the hole, leaving him short of a first down by a yard.  On fourth down, the punt was fair caught by Mallee on the La Salle 38.
  Solecki came out firing, finding Carter on a drag pattern across the middle for an 8-yard gain.  Quiles got the first down on a draw for three yards.  Solecki tossed to Mallee in the left flat, who broke tackles for an 11-yard gain to the Patriot 40.  Solecki then overthrew Mallee deep down the right side, just off his fingertips on a diving attempt.  Quiles then broke Carroll’s collective backs, shooting up the middle on a draw, then veering right and scampering down the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown.  Karrash again dutifully nailed the extra point, and La Salle led commandingly, 28-0, with 4:34 left in the second stanza.
  Again, Karrash’s kickoff found the end zone.  Zach Butler gained a yard, stopped by DT Ronnie Ross.  Kamal Gray, under a huge rush, rolled left and hit a wide-open WR Carlon Brown deep beyond the La Salle secondary for a 79-yard touchdown.  The PAT attempt failed due to a botched snap, but Carroll was on the board, trailing 28-6, with 2:11 left in the half.
  La Salle would try to get that score back with a late first-half drive.  The kickoff was returned nine yards to the 42 by Liam Tatlonghari.  Carter tried the middle for four yards.  In a hurry-up, Solecki found Holland on a comeback pattern, as Holland made a diving catch to the Carroll 47 for a first down.  Carter was hit hard after a 4-yard gain on a pass from Solecki.  Solecki’s deep pass to Mallee was overthrown, bringing up a third and six.  Solecki’s pass over the middle to Harrison was low, and La Salle was also called for holding, with the penalty backing them up to their own 40.  On third and 23, Solecki’s pass to Carter for first-down yardage was dropped.  Karrash’s punt was downed on the Carroll 22, with 22 seconds left.  Koran Butler ran 6 yards up the middle, as the first half ended with La Salle on top, 28-6.
  Karrash’s kickoff found the end zone again.  Kamal Gray’s play action bomb down the left side overthrew Dahmir Ruffin.  Zach Butler gained two yards up the middle before LB Dillon Trainer stopped him.  Remember that name Trainer, younger brother of TE and fellow LB Liam Trainer.  Gray’s pass up the middle was incomplete on third and eight.  The punt to La Salle’s 49 was returned by Troy Holland, who danced his way down to the Carroll 36.
  La Salle’s drive took six seconds.  Solecki hit Brett Mallee on a skinny post, and Mallee outraced the Patriot defenders into the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown.  After a procedure call, Karrash’s extra point was good, upping La Salle’s lead to 35-6, with 10:48 left in the third quarter.
  Another Karrash kickoff sailed into the end zone.  Zach Butler was tackled by DL Dan Kuznetsov after a three-yard gain.  Ruffin nearly broke it all the way on a counter, but was stopped on the Carroll 34 by an ankle tackle from DB Alec Santoro.  Zebby Zarwie gained nine yards before being stopped on a textbook tackle by Devon Smith.  RB Russell Minor-Shaw got the first down on a one-yard off-tackle run, stopped by LB Liam Tatlonghari.  Shaw gained 4 more yards before a Kuznetsov tackle.  Gray, on play action dropped back, but was sacked on his blind side by Kuznetsov for a 6-yard loss.  On third and twelve at his own 42, Gray dumped the pass incomplete while under a big rush by Kuznetsov.  The short punt was downed at the Explorer 35.
  Mallee ran a jet sweep like a scalded dog around the left side for a 29-yard gain to the Carroll 36.  Harrison then ran a jet sweep to the right, gaining over 10 yards, but the ball was punched out, and the Patriots recovered the fumble at their own 23.
  Ruffin swept the right side, but was thrown for a two-yard loss by DB’s Jason Kessler and Jordan Headen.  Zarwie gained nothing off left tackle, stopped by DL’s Colin Hirschmann and Leland Mersky.  On third and twelve, Gray’s pass was broken up by Santoro.  Another Carroll punt, this time bounding out on the La Salle 43.
  A short pass from Solecki to Troy Holland was dropped.  Behind good blocking, Octavious Carter swept the left side for a first down to the Carroll 25.  After a low snap, Solecki scrambled but was tackled for a two-yard loss.  Carter’s draw up the middle gained ten yards, setting up a third and two.  FB Joey Burnham bulled ahead for 4 yards and a first down.  Carter, with lights-out speed, raced around the right side and into the corner of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown.  Karrash was good again with his PAT, and La Salle’s 42-6 lead would start the mercy clock, with 2:07 left in the third period.
  The kickoff was returned from the one to the 19 by Zach Butler, stopped by Sean Daly and Ian Smith.  Koran Butler was thrown for a three-yard loss by Dillon Trainer.  Shaw found an opening up the middle and gained 18 yards and a first down to the 34 before being stopped by Kessler and Headen.  Ruffin gained 9 yards off right tackle before being pulled down by Dillon Trainer and Kessler, as the third quarter ended with La Salle comfortably on top, 42-6.
  Dillon Trainer made another tackle, stopping the Patriot ball-carrier for just two yards, but Carroll got the first down.  Shaw went up the middle for a yard, again stopped by the younger Trainer.  Gray’s bomb down the left side overthrew Carlon Brown.  On third and nine, La Salle’s all-out blitz on Gray was unsuccessful, as he somehow avoided the onslaught and scrambled to the La Salle 34 before Santoro could stop him.  Zebby Zarwie swept the left side for two yards, stopped by Kessler.  On a counter, Koran Butler gained just a yard before Dillon Trainer hauled him down.  On third and seven, Gray found a wide receiver for a gain to the La Salle 20 and a first down, and Carroll was marching against the second-line defense.  Shaw gained nothing up the middle on a tackle by DL Matthew Eckert.  A bomb from Gray to Koran Butler was broken up by Jordan Headen.  Shaw went up the middle for a good gain and a first and goal at the La Salle 8.  DB James Scotto stopped the Carroll rusher after a 5-yard gain to the three.  A fumbled snap was recovered by the Patriots at the three.  On third and goal, Shaw went off left guard but was stuffed for no gain by Tatlonghari.  On fourth down, a swing pass by Gray was caught just short of the goal line, and La Salle’s defense held.
  Jack Machita came in at quarterback, and handed off to Jalen DeVose for a five-yard gain.  Brad Vespe tested the middle for no gain.  On third and five, Sean Daly ran the Wildcat and gained 11 yards to the 16.  DeVose was stopped for no gain.  Vespe went up left tackle for four yards, as the clock wound down to zero.  The Explorers moved their record to 3-1 in their 999th game, defeating Archbishop Carroll, 42-6.
  Next week, Homecoming, and a tripleheader of activities.  First, the Hall of Athletics induction ceremony at 1 PM in the Auditorium, followed by the Family Barbeque at 3 PM.  Finally, the Homecoming game, the 1000th game in La Salle football history, will be played at 7 PM at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School against Archbishop Ryan.  Make plans to attend this history-making day.

SEPT. 11
WYZBIT
  I casually check how our football alums did on Saturday, college game day. As I saw some significant achievements mount up, I figured I'd check everyone out, and found that Saturday, September 9 may have been the greatest college game day for La Salle College High School football alums.
Here's a capsule summary for what I know:

Kyle Shurmur of Vanderbilt went 15-of-18 in the air for 202 yards and 4 touchdowns, and ran it in for a touchdown of his own

Winston Eubanks of Shippensburg caught touchdown passes of 30 and 38 yards; overall, he had 6 receptions for 173 yards

Corbin Melle of Widener ran for an 8-yard touchdown, rushing 5 times for 48 yards, and catching one pass for 4 yards

Mike Raczak of Widener punted 4 times for a 42.0 yard average

Chris Ferguson of Maine had 8 completions in 17 tries for 150 yards and 3 touchdown passes

Nick Rinella of St. Francis led the team with 7 tackles, and snagged one interception

Chris Kane of Kutztown had one completion in two tosses for 4 yards, meaning that three different La Salle quarterbacks got game time on the same day, probably unprecedented

Jordan Meachum of Sacred Heart scored touchdowns of 1 and 22 yards, and rushed 14 times for 98 yards

Charles Headen of Shippensburg caught 2 passes for 22 yards

Ryan Winslow of Pitt punted 5 times for a 44.4 yard average, and was the holder for all placekicks

Jimmy Morrissey started at center for Pitt against Penn State, and had a good game for what I saw

Zaire Franklin led Syracuse with 7 tackles

Our alums accounted for 13 college touchdowns on Saturday. Amazing!

To give you a better perspective of our alums playing in college, click here for the 2017 College Poster. This poster will be on display at La Salle's Open House on Sunday, October 1.

Here's to our college stars!!

SEPT. 9
NON-LEAGUE
La Salle 45, Malvern 21

  For the third game of the 1957 season, the Little Explorer starting quarterback, senior Paul Aita, was nursing a sore ankle, and his backup, a senior, started that game, and led his team to a 27-12 victory over Cardinal Dougherty.  Tonight, 60 years later, senior starting quarterback Isaiah Jones was unable to play, nursing a knee injury that may keep him out for several games.  His replacement led the Explorers to a signature victory over the Friars of Malvern Prep, 45-21, at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School.
 
  So is that the deja vu?  Well, what if I told you that Danny Solecki was the quarterback in tonight's game, and that his grandfather, Al Solecki, starred in that game 60 years ago?  Here's how this great game unfolded:
 
  La Salle kicked off, and Daniel Karrash put the ball into the end zone.  O'Shaan Allison, the Friar feature back, gained just a yard, stopped by LB Austin Lemke.  Allison gained 3 yards up the middle before being stopped by LB Liam Trainer and DE Daniel Kuznetsov.  On third and six, QB Drew Gunther was sacked up the middle by hard-rushing DL Chris Maloney.  Malvern's punt was fair-caught by Troy Holland right at midfield.
 
  RB Manny Quiles went off left tackle and cut back to the middle for 3 yards.  Quiles then swept the right side but the Friar pursuit stopped him for no gain.  On third and seven, QB Danny Solecki, benefiting from good protection, stepped up in the pocket and found TE Liam Trainer for a first down at the Friar 39.  Solecki's screen pass on first down was batted down.  On play action, Solecki hit WR Troy Holland on a slant in to the Malvern 15, and La Salle was moving.  A procedure call set them back 5 yards, but Solecki got that yardage back on a short pass to WR Marvin Harrison, Jr.  Solecki then rolled right and hit WR Brett Mallee on a pinpoint pass on the right side, and Mallee surged down to the one-yard line for a first and goal.  Quiles went up right guard for the one-yard touchdown, Daniel Karrash added the extra point, and La Salle was up, 7-0, with 7:28 left in the first stanza, and this looked like it was going to be easy.  Not so fast, Karrash's kick carried to the two, where Quinn McCahon toted the pigskin out to the 18, but Malvern was flagged for holding and were set back to their 10.  QB Gunther let it fly down the right sideline and hit WR Quincy Watson for a big gain to the 44.  After a procedure call, Allison ran to the 43 for a 4-yard gain.  Then Gunther, rolling left, tossed an easy long pass to a wide open Watson, who waltzed into the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown, and Garrett Reilly tied the game with a PAT, with 6:34 left in the first quarter.
 
  Octavious Carter returned the kick from the 2 to the 18.  Solecki fired a pass to Harrison for 11 yards and a first down.  On a rollout, Solecki threw to a wide open Carter, but the pass was broken up at the last second.  Solecki ran a draw on his own for a yard.  On third down, Solecki's pass was blocked, forcing a punt, and the momentum was shifting to the Friars.  Karrash's wobbly punt went out of bounds on the Malvern 30.
 
  Allison tried left tackle, and gained 4 yards before Austin Lemke and DL Lucas McNally combined for the tackle.  Gunther was hit while throwing, and the resultant wounded duck fell harmlessly incomplete.  On third and six, a swing pass to Allison was stopped just short of the first down by Kuznetsov.  On fourth and one at their own 39, the Friars went for it, and paid the price for their gamble.  Allison went off left tackle, but was stopped by a gang tackle that included DL Leland Mersky, Lemke, and DB Devon Smith, and the momentum shifted back to the Blue and Gold.
 
  Some trickery in the form of a hook and lateral from Solecki to Mallee to Quiles was smelled out for a three-yard loss.  Quiles gained that back off left tackle.  On third and then, Carter, lined up deep in the backfield, went through a big hole off left tackle to gain 18 yards and a first down to the Friar 21.  Quiles went off right guard, and cut back for a 5-yard gain.  Solecki, with patience, hit Holland on a drag pattern across the middle, and Holland bolted toward the goal line and dove into the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown.  Karrash's PAT made it 14-7, La Salle, with 1:41 left in the first.
 
  Karrash pounded the kick into the end zone.  Gunther's first down pass was blocked by Kuznetsov.  McCahon ran a jet sweep to the right, but was ushered out of bounds for a five-yard loss by Kuznetsov, who had a stellar game.  La Salle was called for offside prior to the next play.  On third and ten, Gunther's deep pass to Watson was well overthrown.  Reilly's punt was fair caught by Holland on La Salle's 43, with 1:19 left in the first.
 
  Brett Mallee came in for the Wildcat, and pitched the ball to Carter who was smothered for a five-yard loss.  Solecki, with good protection, fired to Carter over the middle for a first down at the Malvern 46.  Quiles was stopped for no gain as the first quarter ended with La Salle up, 14-7.  Solecki threw too low to Harison on the left side.  On third and ten, Solecki ran his own draw for 7 yards to the 39.  On fourth and three, Solecki surprised everyone by throwing a bomb to Holland down the right side, but Holland could not make the catch, and Malvern took over on their own 39, looking to tie the score.
 
  Gunther's swing pass to WR Kevin Boyle was dropped.  Boyle redeemed himself by making a diving catch for a four-yard gain.  Allison was stifled for just a one-yard gain by a hard tackle from DT Garrett Zobel, and Malvern would have to punt.  Well, maybe not.  Punter Reilly, looking like a rugby punter, tucked the ball under his arm and swept the right side for a first down at the La Salle 48.  Gunther gunned the ball to TE Daniel Garrity to the La Salle 35.  Allison, showing great power, bulled his way to the Blue and Gold 20, and Malvern was now knocking on the door.  Allison gained two yards, and then powered forward for 6 more yards, setting up a third and two on the La Salle 12.  On play action, Gunther floated a ball to WR Keith Maguire, who alley-ooped the catch in the end zone for a touchdown from 12 yards out.  Reilly tied the score at 14-14, with 8:26 left in the second period.  Malvern was flagged with a dead ball personal foul right after the touchdown, and would kick off at their own 25.

  Devon Smith ran the kick out to the La Salle 31.  Quiles went off left tackle for 6 yards.  Solecki then swung a flat pass to Mallee, who was swarmed for a 3-yard loss.  On third and seven, Solecki went deep to Holland, who made a great leaping catch to the Malvern 36.  Quiles broke a tackle or two for a six-yard gain.  Solecki scrambled for a yard, setting up a third and three.  But Solecki was sacked on a blitz for a five-yard loss.  On fourth down, Solecki's pass was deflected, and Malvern would seek a long drive to get their first lead.

  Allison, running with more confidence, went through a big hole for a thirteen-yard gain to his 47.  Gunther swung a pass to Allison for a one-yard gain, as DB Brennan Daly came up for the hit.  Gunther overthrew a bomb to WR Isaac White.  On third and nine, Gunther's next bomb was overthrown as well, and Reilly's rugby punt was returned by Mallee for 21 yards to the La Salle 41, and the Explorers would seek to regain the lead.

  On an option read, Solecki weaved his way forward to the Malvern 41 for a first down.  Solecki's keeper lost three yards.  Quiles ran a draw for six yards, setting up a third and seven.  Solecki ran his own draw up the middle, breaking tackles, and gaining 17 yards and a first down to the Friar 21.  Solecki's screen to Harrison gained 6 yards.  He was then sacked for a 9-yard loss on a big rush by the Friars.  On third and 13, Solecki arced a pass toward the left flag.  Liam Trainer was interfered with, but still managed to come down with the pass at around the 5-yard line, and then banged his way into the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown.  Karrash's extra point gave La Salle a 21-14 lead, with 1:58 left in the half.
 
  The interference call was applied on the kickoff, and Karrash easily blasted it into the end zone.  Gunther's bomb down the right side to Watson was broken up by DB Sean Daly.  Gunther then found Garrity on the right side for a 14-yard gain and a first down.  Kuznetsov then hunted down Gunther for a 12-yard sack.  Gunther's long pass to Watson was caught at the Malvern 46 for a first down.  Gunther's slant in to Garrity gained to the La Salle 42, with 1:02 left in the half.  On play action, Gunther's bomb to McCahon was overthrown.  Gunther's pass over the middle to WR Keith Maguire gained a first down to the Explorer 29.   A swing pass to Allison gained just a yard, but Malvern was hit for a personal foul which sent them back to the 43.  Another incompletion, and a third down sack of Gunther by Kuznetsov and DL Colin Hirschmann ended the half with La Salle leading, 21-14.

  The Explorers came out on fire in the second half.  Devon Smith returned the kickoff just to the La Salle 11.  Solecki scrambled for a yard, and then Quiles gained three.  On third and six, Solecki, with really good protection, hit Octavious Carter on the run, and the fleet receiver gained 57 yards down to the Malvern 30.  Solecki then threaded a great fade to Brett Mallee to the left flag down to the one-yard line.  Quiles then waltzed in off the right side for a one-yard touchdown.  Karrash's PAT made it 28-14, La Salle , with 10:07 left in the third.

  The kickoff was returned to the 25 by Matteo Santoleri.  O'Shaan Allison gained five yards, stopped by DL Ronnie Ross.  Allison was stuff for no gain by Ross and Garrett Zobel, bringing up a third and five.  A swing pass from Gunther to Allison was bobbled and dropped.  The punt was fair caught on the La Salle 35, but a roughing the kicker penalty gave new life to the Friars on their own 45.  Allison was slammed down for a two-yard loss by Zobel.  A bubble screen to Watson gained six yards, stopped by Sean Daly.  Then, Gunther's third down pass was tipped, and intercepted by Austin Lemke who returned the ball around 15 yards to the Malvern 32, and the momentum in the game turned to the Explorers for good.

  On a quick rollout, Solecki tossed for 5 yards to Marvin Harrison, Jr.  Solecki then scrambled on a draw for three yards.  On third and two, Quiles went up left tackle for 6 yards and a first down.  Quiles, with good speed, swept the right side for 13 yards to the five-yard line for a first and goal.  FB Joey Burnham gained a yard.  Solecki then rolled left and hit Troy Holland for a 4-yard touchdown.  Karrash's PAT gave La Salle a dominating 35-14 lead with 5;47 left in the third period.

  The kickoff was returned by McCahon to the 21, with a tackle by the ubiquitous Sean Daly.  Allison gained 4 yards before being stopped by Kuznetsov.  Allison was hit immediately in the backfield for a 4-yard loss by Liam Trainer and Ronnie Ross.  On third and ten, Gunther was sacked on a big hit by Lucas McNally for a 7-yard loss, and the Malvern punt was downed at the La Salle 46.

  La Salle would strike quickly.  Solecki's bomb to Brett Mallee was complete, and Mallee weaved his way to the Malvern 13.  A jet sweep by Carter gained just a yard.  On play action, Solecki hit Joey Burnham on the left side, and Burnham plowed his way into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown.  Karrash's kick gave La Salle an eye-opening 42-14 lead, with 3:07 left in the third period.

  Karrash found the end zone with another kickoff.  Allison lost a hard on a good tackle by Leland Mersky.  Gunther's look-in pass to Kevin Boyle gained 9 yards, setting up a third and two.  Gunther tossed yet another bomb down the left side, but no receiver went deep.  The punt was fair caught by Mallee at the La Salle 36.

  Solecki's option read was stopped for no gain.  His swing pass to Carter lost two yards.  His third down pass over the middle was behind Mallee, and La Salle would punt.  The punt was retured 70 yards for a touchdown by Boyle, but was called back for a block in the back penalty.  Malvern, starting a their own 22, would get stuffed for no gain by DL Chris Maloney on a bubble screen to end the third quarter with La Salle in a commanding position, 42-14.  Gunther then hit Boyle for a first down at their 35.  Allison broke free up the middle for a huge gain, and was chased down from behind at the La Salle 8 by DB Owen Pighini.  Allison was banged up on the play, and it seemed like he did not return.  Quincy Watson moved to running back, and was stopped for a one-yard loss by Kuznetsov.  Gunther then rolled right, and passed to WR TyGee Leach for a 9-yard touchdown.  The extra point made the score 42-21, La Salle, with 10:58 left.

  The ensuing onsides kick was covered by Brennan Daly at midfield.  Solecki rolled right and hit Harrison for 7 yards.  On play action, Solecki threaded a strike to a slanting Holland for a 16-yard gain to the Malvern 27.  Quiles gained a yard up the middle.  Solecki, with good protection zipped a pass to Trainer up the middle for 5 yards.  On third and four, Solecki and Holland hooked up again over the middle for a first down at the Malvern 14.  Mallee ran the right side but was stuffed for a one-yard loss.  Quiles gained three, but the Explorers were flagged for a tripping penalty.  Burnham caught a flare from Solecki for 8 yards, setting up a third and eighteen at the Friar 22.  Solecki's end zone pass to Quiles was overthrown, and La Salle would go for a field goal.  Karrash nailed a 39-yard field goal to put the Explorers on top, 45-21, with 6:32 left in the fourth stanza.

  The kickoff was muffed but returned to the Malvern 16, with a tackle by Jason Kessler.  Watson gained three yards up left tackle.  An out pattern tot he right was nearly intercepted by Pighini.  Watson took a pitch right and gained 13 yards aftrer several missed tackles.  Gunther hit WR Ryan Iacone on a bubble screen for a good gain, but Malvern was hit for another personal foul.  on first and ten at the Malvern 44, Gunther overthrew another bomb.  Watson gained three yards up the middle.  Iacone then dropped a bubble screen as La Salle blitzed Gunther.  On fourth down, Gunther overthrew Iacone, and Malvern breathed its last.

  Jack Machita stepped in at quarterback, and some of the younger players on the roster got some game time.  RB Brad Vespe was stopped up the middle for no gain.  RB Jalen DeVose exhibited a great lean with an 8-yard gain up right guard.  DeVose got the first down with a four-yard surge up the middle.  RB Liam Tatlonghari gained 4 yards off left tackle.  Vespe then gave multiple efforts in scrounging forward for an 8-yard gain and another first down.  Two more runs by DeVose gained 11 more yards, and then a knee by Machita ended the game.

  La Salle, behind their new general, Danny Solecki, following the lead of his grandfather, Al Solecki, a mere 60 years ago, defeated Malvern Prep, 45-21.

  Next week, the Patriots of Archbishop Carroll, Friday night at 7 PM, at Upper Dublin High School.
 
  Hail La Salle!

SEPT. 1
NON-LEAGUE
McDonogh (MD) 21, La Salle 9
  On a cool, damp night north of Baltimore in Owings Mills, La Salle suffered their first loss of the season as the McDonogh Eagles rode a couple of 80-yard plays to a 21-9 win. The loss may have hurt, but more of a concern is an injury suffered by Isaiah Jones, who was kept out of the game after his injury.

Here's how it unfolded:

  La Salle received the opening kickoff, and Devon Smith returned the ball from the 1 to the 25-yard line. QB Isaiah Jones ran the option read up left tackle through a good hole for 13 yards and a first down. RB Manny Quiles hit the same hole for 3. After a 5 yard gain, on 3rd and two, Quiles was stopped for a 1-yard loss, and La Salle would have to punt. Daniel Karrash's boot was downed at the McDonogh 13. Dejuan Ellis, the dynamic Eagle quarterback, and Virginia Tech recruit, scrambled to the left and found one of his receivers for a 21-yard gain to the 34. WR BJ Farrare ran a jet sweep to the right and cut up the middle for 6 yards. Bruising running back Jabriel Johnson broke a tackle to gain 6 yards and another first down. Johnson then gained 3 yards up right guard. He then burst off left tackle through a big hole for a 21-yard gain to the La Salle 30, and the Explorers were reeling. Ellis, with great speed, ran a keeper to the outside down to the 15. Then Jabriel Johnson pounded through a big hole up the middle and went untouched into the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown. Harrison Beattie booted the extra point, and McDonogh broke on top, 7-0.

  The kickoff went into the end zone. Jones' first-down pass was tipped and fell incomplete. Quiles went up left guard for 6. On third and four, Jones rolled out and fired a strike to WR Troy Holland for a first down at the La Salle 36. After a play stopped for no gain, La Salle was then called for a procedure penalty. Jones scrambled for 10 yards, and then on third and four, Jones rolled to his left and hit WR Brett Mallee for a first down at the McDonogh 48. Jones ran for 4 yards on an option read. He then fired another strike up the left slot to Holland for 12 yards and another first down to the McDonogh 32, and the Explorers were rolling. On a big rush, Jones dumped a pass incomplete. A swing pass to Quiles gained just one yard. On third and nine, Jones ran a delay up the middle for just 3 yards, setting up a 4th and 6 at the 28. The Blue and Gold would go for it, but Jones' pass to Mallee was overthrown, and the Eagles would take over.

  Dejuan Ellis came out firing, and sent a bomb down the left side that was dropped by Farrare. Johnson ran a delay up the middle for 4. On third and 6 at their 32, Ellis scrambled to the left and was 6 inches short of a first down. Ellis snuck for the first down to the 39. Johnson went up left tackle and cut back for 6 yards. Johnson gained 7 on the next play, but the Eagles were called for holding. On first and 16 at their own 42, Ellis scrambled to the left, beating La Salle pursuers to the outside, and gained 13 yards to the La Salle 45. McDonogh was then called for a procedure penalty. Johnson was stopped after only a 2-yard gain by DL Colin Hirschmann. On third and 7 at the La Salle 48, the Eagles were called for a delay of game penalty. Ellis rolled out to the right and fired a bomb down that side, but again Farrare dropped the ball, as the first quarter ended with McDonogh leading La Salle, 7-0.

  The punt went out of bounds at the La Salle 16, and senior Danny Solecki came in at quarterback, as it was apparent that Jones was hurt on his last play in the prior possession. Quiles went off left tackle for 2 yards. Solecki rolled out right but he pass was too short for WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. Solecki scrambled but was sacked for a 4-yard loss, and La Salle would punt. Karrash's punt looked like it was downed by La Salle beyond midfield, and after a long discussion, the officials awarded the ball to La Salle on the McDonogh 43, as the ball must have touched an Eagle player. With new life, Brett Mallee came in as the Wildcat quarterback. He went up the middle for 5, and ran a delay up the middle for 3. On third and two, Mallee gained a first down on a sweep right. Harrison ran a jet sweep left for 7 yards, and La Salle was knocking at the door again. But then the Explorers were called for procedure. Mallee bootlegged left out of the Wildcat down to the 13, but La Salle was called for holding. On a second and 5 at the 29, Mallee rolled right on play action and threw his first pass, a flare to FB Joey Burnham, who rumbled to the 10 for a first and goal. Quiles went up the middle for 1, testing the big McDonogh line. The rollout play was tried again, but Burnham couldn't hold onto the short pass. Danny Solecki came in on a passing down, but scrambled and was sacked at the 11, as the potential screen pass was covered. Daniel Karrash's field goal attempt was wide to the left, and La Salle could not break onto the board.

  On first down at their own 20, Ellis wasted no time, but this time as a wide receiver, as backup quarterback Nathan Walsh came into the game and sent a bomb down the left side to Ellis, who beat the La Salle defenders down the field for an 80-yard touchdown. The extra point by Beattie put McDonogh on top, 14-0.

  Octavious Carter returned the kickoff from the 1 to the 26. Mallee ran for 15 yards out of the Wildcat on a draw play, finding a seam in the Eagle defense. Mallee gained 3 yards off right tackle, and then gained 12 yards off left tackle with a great cutback, to the McDonogh 44. Quiles gained three up the middle. But then La Salle was called for a procedure call, something more prevalent when you have a different signal-caller back there. Mallee gained the 5 yards back on a scramble, as the clock ticked to under 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. On third and seven, Quiles took the ball and went off the right side, ending up in the end zone for a 41-yard TD, but La Salle was called for holding. On third and 10 at the Eagle 44, Mallee faked a jet sweep and kept the ball for a 4-yard gain. La Salle called time out on the fourth and six. Another fake jet sweep to the left, and Mallee followed to the left, but there was no room, as Mallee lost a yard, and McDonogh took over on their own 41.

  Johnson was back at it, gaining 5 yards up the middle before being stopped by Chris Maloney. After an Eagle time out, Ellis and Walsh traded spots, as Ellis threw a bomb to Walsh, which was dropped in double coverage, but La Salle was called for holding. Johnson went up the middle for 4, and then Ellis, on a big rush by Daniel Kuznetsov, lofted a ball downfield that was almost intercepted. On third and six at the La Salle 40, Ellis ran an option keeper for a first down at the La Salle 31, running out of bounds with 38 seconds left in the half. Ellis rolled left, but had a good rush on him, and his pass was almost intercepted by DB Devon Smith. Ellis then bobbled the shotgun snap and was sacked by Colin Hirschmann for a 6-yard loss. McDonogh was hit for a personal foul penalty, sending the ball back to midfield. Johnson ran up the middle for 7 yards, as Hirschmann made another tackle, and the half ended with McDonogh in command, 14-0.

  Karrash's kickoff to start the second half carried to the 11, and was taken out to the 20. McDonogh was then hit for an illegal substitution penalty to start their drive. Jabriel Johnson started the drive with a 6-yard gain up the middle before being stopped by Liam Trainer. QB Dejuan Ellis ran an option keeper to the 34 for a first down. Ellis was banged up on the play, and replaced by !B Nathan Walsh, who handed off to Johnson for just a one-yard gain, with another tackle by Trainer. LB Austin Lemke then nailed BJ Farrare for a one-yard loss on a jet sweep. On third and ten, La Salle blitzed, and Walsh fired a bomb that was overthrown, with good double coverage by the Explorer d-backs. The low punt was scooped up by Troy Holland at the La Salle 35 and returned to the 40.

  Danny Solecki started the second half at quarterback, and fired a strike to Brett Mallee off of play action for a first down to the McDonogh 46. Solecki then rolled left and found Troy Holland for a 5-yard gain. La Salle was in a hurry-up offense to keep McDonogh from substituting. Solecki's next pass was blocked, and he then was sacked for a four-yard loss. On fourth and nine at the McDonogh 45, Karrash's punt was downed at the Eagle 23.

  With Ellis back at the helm, Johnson, a workhorse, slammed for 4 yards, tackled by SS Brendan Daly. Johnson tried the middle, but was stopped for a one-yard loss by linemen Stephen Matchett and Dan Kuznetsov. On third and seven, Ellis lined up at QB, with backup QB Walsh at wide receiver. Ellis bootlegged right, but Brendan Daly contained him for a 4-yard gain. McDonogh was called for holding on the play, and La Salle declined the penalty to force the punt, which went off the side of the punter's foot and went out of bounds at the Eagle 42, setting up the Explorers in good field position.

  Brett Mallee, in the Wildcat position, gained 2 yards on a bootleg left. Manny Quiles went up right guard for two more. On third and six, Solecki came in and rifled a pass to TE Liam Trainer for a six-yard gain and a first down. On play action, Solecki passed up the left slot to Octavious Carter for a first and goal at the McDonogh 10. The Eagles used a time out to regroup. Mallee's Wildcat option run gained nothing. Solecki then rolled left and underthrew Holland. Solecki's third-down rollout pass to Mallee at the right flag was wide. On fourth down, Daniel Karrash put the Blue and Gold on the board with a 26-yard field goal, and La Salle now trailed, 14-3, with 3:33 left in the third quarter.

  Karrash's kickoff went down to the 10, and Giovanni Procaccini raced out to the 35 to start the McDonogh possession. With Ellis at QB, Johnson broke through a big hole for an 8-yard gain before being stopped by Trainer. He then gained 6 and 5 yards on successive plays. Ellis kept the ball to the La Salle 43, tackled by SS Jason Kessler. DT Ronnie Ross stopped Ellis up the middle for a one-yard gain, setting up a fourth and one at the La Salle 42. The reliable Johnson gained two yards off tackle for the first down, which ended the third quarter, with McDonogh in the lead, 14-3.

  The fourth quarter started with a wild snap over Ellis' head, and Brendan Daly tackled the quarterback for a 25-yard loss. Ellis fired over the middle to a wide receiver for a nine-yard gain. On third and long, Ellis' rollout pass down the left side was overthrown. The ensuing punt also went off the side of the punter's foot, going out of bounds at the La Salle 30.

  In the Wildcat, Mallee went off right tackle for two. On a delay, Mallee slanted off right tackle for 5 yards. On third and three, Solecki's play action pass to Joey Burnham was overthrown, and La Salle, on fourth and three at their own 37, gambled and went for it. Mallee's sweep left was bottled up for a three-yard loss, and the Eagles would take over at the La Salle 34.

  Johnson went back to work, bolting up the middle and breaking tackles before being stopped for an 11-yard gain by DB Devon Smith. Ellis scrambled down the left side for an 8-yard gain to the 15. Then Johnson went off-tackle, and was untouched going into the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown, but McDonogh was flagged for holding. Johnson tried the middle for no gain, as Trainer and SS Liam Tatlonghari combined for the tackle. On a big rush, Ellis was sacked for a 5-yard loss by DT Garrett Zobel. McDonogh's punt was tipped by Brennan Daly, and was returned by Mallee to the La Salle 25, but the Explorers were called for a block in the back, and would start their drive on their own 15.

  With Solecki at quarterback, Quiles gained one up the middle. Mallee ran a Wildcat option keeper up the middle for three yards. On third and six, Solecki fired an out pattern to Holland on the right side for a first down at the 28. On play action, Solecki gunned a pass over the middle to TE Liam Trainer for another first down to the La Salle 45. An out pass from Solecki to Holland was too high, but McDonogh was again flagged for illegal substitution, moving the ball to midfield. Solecki scrambled left, and threw the ball out of bounds to avoid the sack. His deep pass to Octavious Carter was almost intercepted. On third and five, Mallee ran with a Wildcat draw for 7 yards and a first down. Solecki's look-in pass to Mallee was on target, and Mallee raced down to the McDonogh 19 for another first down, and the Eagles called time out to regroup. Solecki rolled out right, and had to throw the ball away due to a big rush. He then rolled right again, but threw back to the left to Joey Burnham for a nine-yard gain. On third and one at the 10, a muffed snap cost the Explorers five yards. Karrash's 32-yard field goal attempt to bring the deficit to just one score was wide, and with 2:56 left, La Salle still trailed, 14-3.

  The momentum that the Explorers had in their drive was quickly deflated in the next Eagle drive. At the 20, Johnson was stacked up for no gain. Johnson then raced around the right side, broke through some early tackles, and broke into the clear, going 80 yards for the back-breaking touchdown. Beattie's extra point was good, and with 2:43 left, La Salle was now down, 21-3.

  The squib kick was covered by La Salle on their own 36. Solecki scrambled for 2 yards, and then threw a pass up the left slot, but Troy Holland tripped. On a bootleg right, Solecki gained 7 yards. On a fourth and one, Solecki gained 13 yards on a quarterback draw for a first down to the McDonogh 42. Liam Trainer made a one-handed catch of Solecki's pass for an 8-yard gain. Solecki's pass to Holland was short. On third and two, with good protection, Solecki completed a pass to Holland for a first down at the 25. Then Solecki rolled right, and threw a deep pass into the right corner of the end zone, where Mallee made a great leaping catch for a 25-yard touchdown. The two-point attempt by Solecki on a bootleg failed, and La Salle got on the board with their first touchdown with 41 seconds left, 21-9.

  The onsides kick was covered by the Eagles, and two kneeldowns later, the game was over, with McDonogh defeating La Salle, 21-9.

  NOTES: Hoping that Isaiah Jones' injury is not severe, and is available to play next Saturday night vs. Malvern Prep at 7 PM at P-W... La Salle has had a long stretch of not winning an out-of-state game at an opponent's home field. In 2012, La Salle defeated Monsignor Farrell of New York, 37-20, but the game was at a neutral site (Rutgers Stadium). You have to go back to 1976, when La Salle ventured over the Ben Franklin bridge to defeat Camden Catholic in a late season game, 20-14.

AUG. 25
NON-LEAGUE
La Salle 41, North Penn 28
  The Explorers used a multi-dimensional offense, led by senior quarterback Isaiah Jones, to defeat the North Penn Knights at Crawford Stadium 41-28. A game that was a 28-0 cakewalk soon became a 28-21 nail-biter, but the Blue and Gold made a couple of key stops on defense, and the offense rose up again to put the game away.

  Here's a play by play of the game:

  La Salle won the toss and deferred to the second half. Daniel Karrash boomed the ball into the end zone, and North Penn would start at their own 20. RB Khan Jamal went off left tackle for 9 yards before being stopped by DT Garrett Zobel. Jamal was then stopped for no gain up the middle as LB Austin Lemke lowered the boom. North Penn then burned its first time out. Again Jamal toted the pigskin, gaining 4 yards and a first down. QB Justis Henley, who eventually switched to a more familiar wide receiver role, faked a hand-off and took off around left end to the La Salle 43, and the Knights were driving. RB Anthony Andrews gained a yard up the middle before being stopped by DT Ronnie Ross. Jamal tried right tackle, but a good gang tackle thwarted him for no gain. On third and nine, Henley's pass on the right side to Jon Haynes was overthrown, and the Knights would punt, which was fair caught by Troy Holland on the La Salle 10 yard line, with 8:25 left in the first quarter.

  Out of the pistol, QB Isaiah Jones raced up the middle for 12 yards. WR Octavious Carter gained a yard on a jet sweep, and then Jones sliced up the middle for 4. On third and five, after a La Salle time out, Jones was thrown for a 4 yard loss on an option keeper, and La Salle would have to punt. Karrash's punt was returned for three yards to the North Penn 49 by Henley, tackled by Charles Wroten.

  North Penn, with good field position, saw Henley scramble for7 yards to the La Salle 43. Jamal went off right guard for a yard, stopped by Ross. On third and two, the Knights were called for a false start. Henley then fired a deep pass down the right side to Owen Thomas, but the pass was overthrown. A flubbed punt was downed on La Salle's 23 with 4:05 left in the first period. RB Manny Quiles got his first touch, a five yard gain up left guard. Jones then fired a pass to WR Brett Mallee, but it was overthrown. On third and five, a swing pass from Jones to Quiles was just enough for the first down. Jones then sprinted out right and gained 13 yards following a good block by RG Garrett Zobel. On first and ten on the La Salle 46, North Penn was called on an offsides penalty. Isaiah Jones got some good yardage on a left-side keeper, but the Explorers were caught for holding.downfield, and the penalty brought the ball back to the line of scrimmage. Jones' next pass over the middle was incomplete, as the Knights rush hurried the throw. Carter's jet sweep gained 5 yards and a first down. Jones' bomb to Mallee deep down the middle was overthrown. Quiles banged up the middle for 4 yards. On third and six, Jones rolled right, and threw back to the left to FB Joey Burnham, but the pass was short. Again, Karrash would have to punt, and the ball landed in the end zone, with 1:35 left in a scoreless first stanza.

  Steve DePaul entered the game as the North Penn QB, and he pitched the ball out to RB Kaseem Cartwright, who gained 5 yards before being tackled by Wroten. North Penn then burned their second time out. On a strong La Salle rush, DePaul was sacked by DE Daniel Kuznetsov for a five-yard loss. On third and 10, DePaul tossed a screen to Jamal, who gained 8 yards to the 28, as the scoreless quarter ended.

  On fourth and two, North Penn punted, and the high punt was fair caught by Holland on the La Salle 40, and this time, the La Salle offense would sustain a drive that would end up in the end zone. Jones kept the ball off the left side and gained 17 yards, and then gained two up left guard, but La Salle was again called for holding. Mallee gained 10 of those yards back on a pass from Jones, after Jones faked a handoff to Quiles on a sweep. Again, Mallee snagged a Jones pass on the left side for an 11-yard gain and a first down at the Knight 32. On a slight delay, Jones shot up the middle for 12 yards behind good blocking. A deep pass from Jones to Holland down the left side was incomplete, but North Penn was flagged for holding. With first and goal at the 10, Quiles swept the right side and came up just a yard short of the goal line. Quiles then pushed up left guard for the 1-yard touchdown, and Karrash's extra point put La Salle on the board, 7-0, with 9:27 left in the second quarter.

  Karrash's kickoff again went into the end zone. Khan Jamal was hit immediately for no gain by DT Lucas McNally. Jamal then gained 8 yards up left tackle. He again went up the same hole for 2 yards and a first down. DePaul tried to hit Henley on a slant in, but DB Brennan Daly broke the play up. DePaul then rolled right and hit WR Shamar Edwards for 16 yards and a first down to the Knight 46. Andrews went up the middle for 2. Cartwright was stopped for a one-yard loss. On third and nine, DePaul's pass up the middle to Owen Thomas was dropped. In punt formation, the punter accidentally touched his knee down picking up a low snap, and the gaffe gave the ball to the Explorers at the North Penn 35-yard line.

  Mallee and Jones had trouble with the handoff on a jet sweep, but Mallee recovered the ball for no gain. On a right-side option read, Jones broke through some tackles to gain 12 yards to the 23. Jones then faked the jet sweep to Carter and kept the ball for a 7-yard gain to the 16. After a dropped snap, Jones handed the ball off to Manny Quiles, who swept the left side and then cut back for a 13-yard gain to the 3 and a first and goal. Jones then ran up left tackle and into the end zone for a three yard touchdown. Karrash's PAT, however, was blocked, but La Salle expanded their lead to 13-0 with 3:18 remaining in the first half.

  Karrash's kickoff was returned this time, to the North Penn 24. DePaul found Haynes on the left side for an 11-yard gain. Jamal got a yard before Brennan Daly stopped him, but La Salle was called for a minor face mask penalty for 5 yards. A play action bomb from DePaul to Henley was too long. On third and four, DePaul's pass on the left side was intercepted by DB Frank Joyce, who ran about 28 yards to the North Penn 15, setting La Salle up with a chance to both score and eat up the remaining clock in the first half.

  Jones tried to hit Holland on a fly pattern down the right side, but the ball was overthrown. Jones kept the ball up right tackle for 9 yards, bringing up a third and one, and La Salle took their second time out, at 1:23. Quiles lurched up the middle for a first down at the 3. Quiles then took the next handoff and went up right tackle for the 3-yard touchdown. The Explorers would go for two, and on play action, Jones hit Holland for the deuce, making it 21-0 La Salle, with 47 seconds left in the half.

  The ensuing kickoff was returned to the 27. A pass from DePaul to Henley was broken up by DB Owen Pighini. Another DePaul pass fell incomplete, as his receiver broke off his route. DePaul's short pass to Haynes gained just 3 yards, as LB Liam Trainer lowered the boom. La Salle called time out to save the few remaining seconds. The Knight punt was returned by Mallee to the La Salle 45-yard line Jones hit Mallee for 20 yards, and Mallee got out of bounds to stop the clock with 5.6 seconds left in the half. Jones ran a hook-and-lateral play by completing a pass to Holland, who lateraled to Carter, gaining about 19 yards, but the half ended with La Salle on top 21-0, and seemingly coasting.

  North Penn's Kelly McNamara (yes, she's a girl!) kicked off out of bounds, but La Salle forced a re-kick instead of taking the ball at their own 35. Mallee returned the next kickoff from the 12 to the 30, where the Explorers would start. Quiles went through a big hole up the middle for 21 yards to the North Penn 49. He was then stopped for no gain up the middle. A Carter jet sweep to the left gained 5 yards, setting up a third and 5. North Penn burned their first time out of the second half, which would have later ramifications. Jones faked a jet sweep to Carter, and kept the ball up the middle for 25 yards to the Knight 24. Jones fumbled the next snap and lost 3 yards, but La Salle was called yet again for holding. On first and 24, Quiles gained 9 yards off the left side. After a fake handoff, Jones hit Mallee on a bubble screen, and Mallee wove his way down to the 1-yard line. Quiles went up left tackle for the touchdown, and Karrash's PAT made it 28-0, with 8:48 left in the third quarter, and La Salle now had command of this game.

  Well, don't speak too soon. The kickoff was returned to the 25, with a tackle by Alec Santoro. RB Xavier Gorski entered the game for the Knights, and he would have an immediate impact. Gorski gained three yards, and then swept the left side for a big gainer to the La Salle 35, but the Knights were called for holding. DePaul found a wide receiver (#19) for a 15-yard gain, and then DePaul overthrew Henley on a deep route. On third and five, DePaul, weathering a big blitz, overthrew Henley, and the Knights were forced to punt, and some of the faithful in the stands were thinking of the mercy rule, daring fate. A short high punt sailed downfield, and the deep men were too far back to try a fair catch. The ball came down and struck a La Salle player on the front of his helmet as he ran downfield, propelling the spheroid further down field, where it was recovered by North Penn at the La Salle 22, giving them new life.

  And they took advantage of it. Gorski gained 5 yards up the middle. He then bounced outside left and raced for the flag for the Knights' first touchdown. McNamara's PAT attempt was wide, but North Penn was on the board at 28-6, with 7:04 left in the third period. McNamara's pooch kick was returned 4 yards by Joey Burnham to the La Salle 37. A pass in the flat from Jones to Carter was low, and Carter caught the pass for a 3-yard loss. Quiles gained one yard up the middle. Jones, under pressure, shoveled a pass to Quiles for a 4-yard gain, but La Salle would have to punt. Karrash's punt got a good roll and stopped dead on the Knight 23. DePaul threw a bomb to Henley, but good coverage by Devon Smith broke the play up. DePaul then missed Cartwright on the right side. On third and 10, DePaul's bomb to Henley was on target, and he was finally tackled on the 2-yard line after a 75-yard gain by Devon Smith, who raced over from the other side of the field. Gorski gained one yard, and then Jamal rumbled in for the one-yard score. DePaul completed a two-point pass to Haynes, and North Penn trailed, 28-14, and the Knight fan base was back into the game.

  Another pooch kick was muffed, but rolled out of bounds at the La Salle 27. Jones faked a handoff, and kept the ball up the middle for 11 yards. Quiles ran a counter for 5. Jones tried the middle, but was thrown for a 3-yard loss. Jones' pass to Mallee was short, and La Salle would punt, and the ball was downed on the North Penn 31-yard line, with 1:13 left in the third quarter.

  Gorski gained 5 yards off left tackle, and a face mask penalty against La Salle tacked on 15 more yards. Gorski swept the right side for 2 yards. North Penn burned another time out, with 43 seconds left in the third quarter. The Knights were called for procedure. On second and thirteen, DePaul hit Henley for 11 yards, after rolling left and throwing right. Jamal got the first down with a 5-yard run up the middle. DePaul fumbled the snap, but fell on the ball for a three-yard loss, as the quarter ended, with La Salle up, 28-14, but North Penn driving.

  DePaul scrambled up a wide-open middle for a 15-yard gain and a first down on La Salle's 24. With great power, Jamal pushed the pile up the middle for an 8-yard gain. Then, DePaul rolled left and found Henley on an "alley-oop" play in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown, and McNamara's extra point brought the Knights within 7 at 28-21, and the Explorers now had to stem the tide.

  Another pooch kick was returned by Mallee to the 31. North Penn burned their final time out as they saw La Salle line up with an empty backfield. In the same formation, Jones faked the jet sweep and kept the ball up the middle for 6 yards. Quiles went off left tackle for 2 yards. On third and two, Carter's jet sweep was stopped for a one-yard loss, and La Salle would have to punt, and the North Penn fans were howling. Karrash's punt was downed at the North Penn 24, with 8:48 left in the fourth quarter.

  As the Knights set up for their first play, it was La Salle who would burn a time out. A quick pass from DePaul to Henley gained 6 yards. A pitch-out to Gorski was stopped for a one-yard loss, as Charles Wroten made the hit. On third and five, Cartwright was stopped up the middle for just 2 yards, as the defense collapsed on him. Now it was fourth down, and with less than 8 minutes to go, and no time outs, Dick Beck decided to go for it. DePaul fired a pass to Henley on the right side, and Henley appeared to be open, but DE Daniel Kuznetsov swatted the pass down, and La Salle weathered this storm, at least. Jones leaped forward on a 3-yard keeper. Jones' toss to Mallee on a post pattern in the end zone was just broken up at the last second. On third and seven at the Knight 27, Jones rolled right, and fired into the right corner of the end zone, and the pass was slightly under-thrown. But freshman receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. adjusted to the throw, and came back to make a diving catch for a 27-yard touchdown. Karrash's PAT made it 35-21, La Salle, with 6:46 left, allowing the Blue and Gold faithful to take a couple of deep breaths.

  Karrash's line drive kickoff rolled into the end zone. DePaul overthrew Haynes on a deep route. Henley gained 5 yards on a screen pass from DePaul. A pass from DePaul to Thomas was broken up by Devon Smith, and fourth and five loomed. Again, Beck had to go for it, and DePaul's deep pass sailed beyond Cartwright, and La Salle could ice the game, taking over at the Knight 25. If you thought the Explorers would just run the ball, you would be wrong. Jones rolled left and hit a diving Mallee at the one-yard line. If you thought La Salle would just power it in, you would again be wrong. Jones faked into the line, and rolled right, and Mallee snaked into the end zone from a halfback position to catch a pass from Jones for a touchdown. The PAT was not good, but La Salle now had a lead of 41-21, with 5:29 left.

  Gorski returned the kickoff to the 27. Gorski gained 18 yards up the middle, and then Jamal tried the middle for another 11 yards. Gorski again powered up the middle for 6 yards. A North Penn procedure call set them back to the La Salle 43, with a second and nine. Gorski went up the middle again for 2 yards. All of these running plays made one think that Dick Beck had cashed it in; without any time outs left, maybe that was the case. But then DePaul hit Shamar Edwards for a 12 yard gain for a first down. Jamal went up the middle for 3 yards, and then La Salle was hit for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, moving the ball down to the 13. Gorski was stacked up for a two-yard loss, with a tackle by Trainer. DePaul's pass to Edwards was incomplete, but La Salle was called for interference. DePaul rolled right, and hit Henley for another touchdown. McNamara's extra point made it 41-28, La Salle, with 1:12 left.

  McNamara's onside kick rolled out of bounds, and La Salle sent out QB Danny Solecki to take two knees, and the Explorers came away with a 41-28 victory over the host Knights of North Penn.

  Next Friday, La Salle journeys to Owings Mills, Maryland to take on the McDonogh School. Kickoff time is 6 PM.