DEC. 18
CLASS AAAA FINAL
North Allegheny 21, La Salle 0
  Oh, where to begin on this one? La Salle lost tonight, in a Class AAAA State Championship game in which they did not score a single point. The team that had averaged 33.6 points on offense could not hit paydirt today. When the PCN camera flashed to a weeping Connor Daly, I had to look away. I have written so many positive things about this team that this game almost seems unreal. The North Allegheny Tigers are the 2010 4A State Champs and now we must find a way to continue.
WHY THIS TEAM MATTERS
  In the fall of 2009, I begged my father to bring me to a La Salle football game, and he obliged, as we were to see our neighbor and friend, DL Steve Sinnott. The Explorers lost that game, to the SJ Prep Hawks, 24-17. It was on that day when I first felt a connection to La Salle football. A couple weeks later, Sinnott drove me to my “shadow” day at La Salle, assuring me that if anyone made fun of me; he would “pound” them, giving a worried eighth grader confidence and a feeling of relaxation. On that day, I was given a tour by OL/DL Steve Szostak, and I fell in love with the school. When I received my acceptance letter, Steve Sinnott and his dad were at my front door, to congratulate me. What began as a respectful visit evolved into a long regale of the 2009 State Championship weekend. I still think of that team and those players every day. Szostak once left a UPenn (where he now attends) shirt of his at the Sinnotts' house, and I thankfully accepted it as a gift, which I now wear regularly. These small acts of kindness contributed to my love of the school, team, and were driving reasons in my decision to ask Ted Silary to write about this team.
  Seeing this team each week has inspired a legion of believers. Matt Magarity and Sean Coleman shocked everyone in Week 1 by decimating North Penn with their numerous passing connections. Ryan Geiger showed his athletic finesse in his wondrous pick-six against Judge and major INT in the final moments against North Penn in the State semis. Joe Naji (Szostak’s second coming) made big plays every week on defense, leading a strong 11 that only gave up 10.4 points up to the state final. Even when the defense surrendered 35 to the North Penn Knights, it came up clutch during the game’s end with Naji’s tip and Geiger’s subsequent pick. Jamal Abdur-Rahman…’nuff said. The coaching staff provided great leadership to the team, including defensive coordinator John Steinmetz (recently inked by Ted Silary), and will continue to do so in the future…yet the future is months away and the time is now: to reflect and wonder.
  Even though the players did not get the outcome they wanted, they can take solace in the impacts their season has had on the rest of the student body and surrounding La Salle community. As a freshman, I still shudder every time I recognize a La Salle football player in the hallway. It could be Jamal making an appearance in religion class, and a fellow classmate of mine exclaiming, “My prayers have been answered!”, or seeing Dan Ezzo walking into English, and another football diehard mouthing at me, “Ezzzo!!” Maybe walking by Kevin Forster or Tim Wade is what does it. Anyway, these players stand out as idols in the freshmen class, men we are proud to go to school with. A few weeks ago, Matt Magarity’s father approached me at a game and thanked me for writing positive things about the team. I was thinking silently Wait, you read this? My humble column…Matt Magarity actually reads? These sentiments echo the feeling of admiration felt for these football players. It only takes a former football player (CYO/Pop Warner, etc…) to know of the grueling two-a-days in August and the blazing hot practices into the fall. That is why the sport of football and the men who play it are so respected, even though the game is, as Sports Illustrated called it, “a pale imitation of war.”
WHAT CAN WE TAKE FROM THIS
  Throughout tonight, the Explorer players will endure numerous parties and other gatherings. They will try to block out the tough memories from today’s game while many parents, coaches, and friends praise their season. Hopefully, the fact of this season’s success will get through to the players. Even though they could not get it done in Hershey, a CL and District 12 Championship are pretty heady achievements. The terrific season included two great wins over North Penn, and a gritty victory over 2A State Champion West Catholic. The Explorers have once again generated a huge fan base of La Salle alumni across the country, drawing further attention to the school. Through the innovative live streams of the game, Explorer faithful from all around were able to follow their alma mater. This season was just another stepping stone in coach Drew Gordon’s magnificent tenure at the program and its drive to state and national (hopefully?!) prominence.
  Obviously, in a season like this, the statistics were terrific. Wins and losses; rushing yards per game; run defense…but what will that mean? If we are to truly measure the success of this season, we cannot use a barometer of statistics. I spoke earlier of Steve Sinnott, and what impact his few acts of kindness had on me in eighth grade. Through La Salle football I fell in love with everything blue and gold. Now, being a student, I wonder if some other kid is mesmerized by this football team. Maybe he will be the next to make the journey to La Salle. Those things you guys do on the field do affect people in ways you cannot understand. I hope through this, my expression to you, one day you can realize the full weight of your accomplishments. God bless,
                                                                                                                        Danny Spinelli ‘14

NOV. 30
LA SALLE RETROSPECTIVE
The Season    
  In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday and a much needed Explorer bye week, it is time for a retrospective on the La Salle football year so far. Looking back to the summer, La Salle was thought to be very good, but not this good. Coming off of a state championship year in which the Explorers lost eight Coaches’ All-Catholic seniors, many thought La Salle would struggle. The 4A Catholic League, though losing Bonner and O’Hara, initially looked very competitive at the outset. Roman Catholic had a great start to the season, beating 2A CL champ West Catholic, and looked to be a threat to La Salle. The Public League, led by George Washington, appeared very dangerous in the preseason as the City runner-ups now had a Judge transfer, senior QB Tony Smith, at the helm. Peering farther into the future, Easton and State College once again threatened the Explorers. To any Explorer fan, this preseason was one of excitement but also of fear. Soon, it would be realized how far this football team had come.
  La Salle, having its ranks depleted and a rookie QB at the helm, still faced one of the toughest non-league schedules in the area. An opening-week win over suburban power North Penn, surprising many, formed a season-long theme for the team: surprise. No one expected an exhausted Explorer team to walk into Crawford Stadium and win 27-14. Winning the battle of the junior QBs in the game was Explorer Matt Magarity, who tossed 3 TDs in his first game at the helm for the La Salle varsity. Foreshadowing what would be a dominant year for the La Salle defense was the way they rebounded from trailing by eight at halftime, and shutting out the Knights the rest of the way.
  An early road bump to a nearly-spotless regular season was a second-season road loss to NJ power Bergen Catholic. Bergen, currently ranked second in the state of NJ, beat the Explorers by one point 22-21. La Salle’s valiant fight ended after a fumble occurred on La Salle’s final drive, inside the Bergen red zone with twelve seconds remaining. Mirroring last season’s 11-game win streak after an early season loss to the Prep, this season’s version of the Explorers has won 10 consecutive games since the loss to BC, showing over two years the consistent ability to rebound from losses, and learn from them. La Salle’s third non-league opponent was West Catholic, and the Burrs did come to play. After a gritty defensive battle, La Salle triumphed 14-7.
  Homecoming in week 4 was a highlight of early season football. La Salle honored the 1960 City Champs, and easily beat Bonner 28-0. The Explorers’ dominance of the Philadelphia Catholic League soon began, as the Explorers racked off a 43-17 win over Roman, a 63-0 pounding of Neumann-Goretti, a 42-14 victory over Judge in which Magarity suffered his second concussion of the year, and a 41-0 beating of Ryan. The regular season ended perfectly, with a 31-7 victory over the Prep. From West Catholic to the Prep, La Salle outscored its CL opponents by a combined 262-45.
  Playoffs began with Father Judge, and senior Kevin Forster having to quarterback his third game in a row. After downing the Crusaders easily 34-7, La Salle faced Roman in the 4A CL Title Game, in which Magarity would return. An exciting game ensued in which the Explorers faced a Cahillite lead at halftime, but thanks to 3 TDs and an INT by senior RB/DB Jamal Abdur-Rahman, La Salle won its 3rd consecutive CL Title 35-16. An entrance into the state playoffs was secured a week later with a 35-0 defensive beat-down of Northeast High on the Vikings’ home field. Capitalizing this win was a nod on Sunday Night Football, which featured a clip of senior LB Connor Daly pumping up his team.
The Players
  No season like the Explorers’ could have been accomplished without a wide variety of accomplished personnel. Bursting off the list is 4A CL MVP Abdur-Rahman, who is having the season of a lifetime. Jamal set the La Salle single-season rushing record this year by galloping for 1,455 yards on only 169 carries, giving him an average of 8.6 yards per rush on the season. Being no slouch on defense, Abdur-Rahman also snagged three INTs on the year.
  Senior everyman Kevin Forster rightfully was blessed with serious athletic gifts. The Maryland-bound lacrosse star assisted the Explorers in every way possible this year, earning him a 2-way All-Catholic nod. When taking over for injured QB Magarity, Forster ran out of the Wildcat and saved numerous broken plays through the use of his athletic talents and agility.
  Junior QB Matt Magarity, playing in a season jagged by injuries, stepped up for the Explorers in the clutch. In the North Penn game, when the Knights’ defense was successfully shutting down Jamal, Magarity utilized the La Salle aerial attack. Matt is a traditional pocket-passer, in the manner of Drew Loughery of years past. Magarity’s arm will be of great use to La Salle throughout the continuing postseason, and next year.
  A player substituting grit and toughness for spark and finesse is junior FB Tim Wade. Wade, only 5’9”, is immeasurably tough. He notably makes hard blocks and hits with brute force. When running, Wade is hard to bring down, frustrating many defenses. Rightfully so, the warrior Wade received a 1st Team-All Catholic nod.
  The La Salle defensive line, led by seniors Joe Naji, Ryan Geiger, and Cam Cappo, was lights-out, complementing a total unit that led the CL in points and rushing yards allowed. The alert secondary picked off 17 balls, including 6 by Forster. Players like senior SS Mark DiFrangia, senior DL Ted Marino, and junior LB Sean Burke were always involved in defensive stops. Senior LB Connor Daly, also a captain, was the visible leader of the defense, as noted by his pep-rally nickname of the “Hallway Linebacker.”
  The La Salle O-Line is responsible for the holes that Abdur-Rahman and Wade had to run through. Noted are two All-Catholics, seniors Dan Ezzo and Ryan Geiger. These guys work to make holes for the runners, and then on defense do the opposite, leading the defensive squad that as I stated above, finished first in the CL in rushing yards allowed.
  Special teams are an integral part of any football team. It is an inspiration to watch players like senior Casey Gillespie and sophomore Dad Poquie make plays on what it their limited time on the field. Sophomore K/P Ryan Winslow has shown great consistency over the year and La Salle fans are lucky to have him for two more.
  In the N-G vs. La Salle game, the fans witnessed what will be the future of the La Salle Explorers. Little-noticed players like junior RB John Palermo stepped up to show their stuff in this game. Palermo and junior Colin O’Hara scored two TDs each, while O’Hara rushed 4 times for 75 yards in the game. Sophomore FB Jeff Lieberman also galloped four times for 45 yards. Departing senior RB Nick Sabia also scored in the game.
  The coaches finally complete this team. The offensive wizardry of Brett Gordon, along with the outstanding dedication of John Steinmetz, form the offensive and defensive coordinators. Head coach Drew Gordon is the man to thank for bringing the La Salle Explorers to football prominence again. He delivered them four CL titles in five years, two City titles in a row, a state championship, and…? Only these final weeks will reveal what true magic this team can perform, and hopefully their work will pay off into a second trophy brought back to Wyndmoor. God bless this team for all they have done and the recognition they have brought on their school.
NOTES
  I just want to apologize for an error in my column concerning the CL Title game. Roman led at the end of the first half 16-14, not La Salle. Sorry about that one.
  Shout-out to Joe Winning '05 and Arthur Bailin '13 who have been commentating on live streams of La Salle games all year. The guys have collected a strong fan base, even a viewer from Arizona! Great work guys!

NOV. 12
CATHOLIC AAAA FINAL
La Salle 35, Roman 16
  It was the La Salle students that stormed the field, but surprisingly Roman was the team owning the first half. While the Cahillites entered the locker room down 16-14, it was the La Salle faithful shell-shocked at all that had occurred. The game seemed to have begun inconspicuously. After the kickoff by La Salle, the Explorer defense shut down sophomore QB Michael Keir. Headlining a strong defensive night for the Explorers, where they only gave up 7 points (the aforementioned safety and a later fumble recovery turned TD gave Roman its rest) was OL/DL Joe Naji with a TFL (not his last) on 2nd down of the drive, and senior OL/DL Ryan Geiger.
  After a punt by senior Kyle Haber, Explorer soph. WR/DB Sean Coleman called for a fair catch, but mishandled it, leaving junior QB Matt Magarity and Co. with a 1st and 10 on their own 5-yd. line. Coleman more than made up for his special-teams muff later in the game, with a 60-yd. catch, a TD, and some defensive stops. On the first play from scrimmage, junior FB Tim Wade was tackled in the end zone by junior OLB Anthony Johnson for a safety. Johnson is known to Explorer fans for his theatrics a couple weeks ago against La Salle, scoring two TDs.
  After the huge 60-yd. bomb to Coleman, the offense had 1st down from about the RC ¾ inch line. La Salle got on the board two plays later with 6:41 left in the first quarter, on a keep by junior QB Matt Magarity. The first quarter ended with the Cahillites driving. After a 40-yd. pass from Keir to sophomore WR/DB William Fuller, Roman upped its lead to 9-7 with a 14-yd. run by junior RB Marcus Kelly. After two punts, La Salle faced a 3rd and 13 from deep in their own territory. As Magarity went back to throw, he was hit by junior DE Jack Schanz (formerly of North Catholic), and the resulting fumble was returned for a 12-yd. score by Cahillite senior DE Jack Gallagher. The Roman Catholic faithful, who came out in droves to see this one, were in ecstasy as their team was beating the defending state champs, 16-7 with 4:33 left in the first half.
  La Salle had a chance to take the lead back when on the first play of the drive, Abdur-Rahman ran in a 58 yd. TD, but it was called back on a holding penalty. This further disillusioned the La Salle fans as to what was happening to their team. Luckily for the Explorers, after a pass-interference call on the Cahillites, and a 23-yd. run by A-R, they faced a 1st down at the RC 1. A 1-yd. plunge by Abdur-Rahman moved La Salle to within 16-14 as 1:14 remained in the half. Geiger, senior SS Mark DiFrangia, and junior LB Sean Burke then made stops to assure the score would remain that way going into intermission.
  Roman had come a long way since their 43-17 pounding six weeks ago by La Salle. They had given their fans a great effort, and brought the mighty Explorers to the edge, but in the end could not pull this one out. A quick drive resulting in a 9-yd. score for Abdur-Rahman began the third quarter. La Salle now had a 21-16 lead, and this is where the game got crazy. The Explorers squib-kicked the ball, and after taking a long bounce, it was recovered by sophomore Dad Poquie. La Salle was set to extend their lead but on the first play from scrimmage, Roman senior WR/DB Dennis Regan INT’d a Magarity pass. Saving the day once again was the La Salle-D, forcing the Cahillites to punt. After the Explorers did likewise, Roman had the ball back. On 1st down, A-R caught Keir 1st of three INTs in the game, returning it for about 25-yds. All in all, there were three turnovers in about three minutes. Coleman, who had earlier muffed the fair-catch punt leading up to the Cahillite safety, successfully redeemed himself with his 24 yd. TD off of what resembled a screen pass, giving the Explorers a 28-16 lead, as 4:12 remained in the third quarter. La Salle dominated the rest of the game, as La Salle senior everyman Kevin Forster picked off Keir twice, and Abdur-Rahman scored on a 29-yd. run in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. I left my post with a couple minutes left in the game to rush the field with my classmates. The only twinge of sadness I felt on this beautiful night for La Salle was when, as I scrambled my way through Roman fans to the side of the field, I heard many a “great season Roman,” shouted among the supportive fans. Point well made.
NOTES:
  La Salle will take on the winner of the GW-Northeast game Saturday night, in the 4A City Title game. What a season this has been.
  I recorded numerous TFLs by such defensive stalwarts as Naji, Geiger, and senior OL/DL Cam Cappo. It seemed on every drive by Roman that resulted in a punt; these guys were heavily involved in the action.
  Abdur-Rahman finished the game with 28 carries for 168 yards, and an INT.
  Roman QB Keir, though enduring a tough night with 3 picks, will be a player to watch in the CL in coming years. His arm is outstanding, and as he is only a sophomore, still has two years to improve.

NOV. 5
CATHOLIC AAAA SEMI
La Salle 34, Judge 7
  It really was no contest tonight, as La Salle bested the Father Judge Crusaders. The Explorers, still without junior QB Matt Magarity, once again utilized the athletic talents of senior Kevin Forster. Forster ran for two touchdowns, one a 52-yard QB keeper, and the other a 46-yard run off of an option play. La Salle’s offense looked similar to the one seen last week against the Prep: lots of runs/QB keeps, and not a lot of passes. It worked well for them, letting them achieve a 34-7 victory, and a date next week in the 4A CL Title Game with the winner of the Roman-SJP game tomorrow.
  Father Judge’s big playmaker of the night was senior John Donohoe, who was a huge force on defense for the Crusaders, notching plenty of stops. Senior Nick Myers was the go-to guy for the Crusaders’ offense in the fourth quarter, running the ball most of the time and getting Judge’s only points of the night on a 1-yd. plunge. At quarterback, the Crusaders ran what seemed like a two-headed monster early, between juniors Rob Daniels and Brian Hennessey. Later on in the game, most snaps were taken by Daniels.
  After a quick three-and-out by the Explorers to begin the game, the La Salle defense stepped up big, putting the up the first points of the night. On 3rd and 8 at the Crusader 27-yard line, junior TE/LB Mike Piscopo caught an INT. and returned it 31 yards for a score. After a Judge punt, Forster ran in his first TD of the night, leaving the score 14-0 La Salle with 4:13 remaining in the first quarter.
  Judge once again punted on their ensuing possession. On a bad snap to junior P Dave Faraldo, the Explorers rushed, toppling a wary Faraldo, who was attempting to run the ball. On the play were senior SSs Casey Gillespie and Connor Reilly. During the second quarter, after a couple penalties on La Salle, senior OL/DL Joe Naji ended a Judge drive with a seven-yard sack on third down. La Salle broke through again on their next drive, where Forster had his second TD of the game. With 6:46 remaining in the first half, La Salle had a 21-0 lead. After a total of four punts, the half ended.
  Early in the third quarter, Judge was forced to punt. On the play, the Crusaders were called for a false start, and had to repeat the punt. There second knack at it resulted in a 56-yard punt return TD by sophomore WR/DB Sean Coleman. Judge’s next drive was halted by another false start on the Crusaders. Four plays later, Daniels tossed an INT. to Forster. On the Explorers’ first play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive; senior RB/DB Jamal Abdur-Rahman did what we have seen all year, running for a 51-yard score. Sophomore P/K Ryan Winslow’s PAT was blocked, leaving the score 34-0 with 8:41 left in the third quarter.
  After a Judge punt, and an Explorer turnover-on-downs, Daniels passed another INT., this time to Reilly. Sophomore QB Chris Kane, who by now was at the helm for La Salle, handed the ball off to junior RB/LB John Palermo for a few downs to end the quarter. The fourth quarter mainly consisted of a lengthy Father Judge possession, beginning with exactly 10 minutes remaining in the game, and lasting until there were only 3:46 left. During the drive, Myers ran the ball nine times out of a total fourteen plays. The result was his one-yard score, making the final score 34-7 in favor of La Salle.
NOTES:
  Along with the usual suspects of senior OL/DLs Naji, Dan Ezzo, and Ryan Geiger, junior LB Dillon Smith was a playmaker tonight on defense, recording a couple stops.
  Congratulations to the eight Coaches’ 1st Team All-Catholics in the 4A Division from La Salle. From the offense were Geiger at C, Ezzo on the offensive line, Forster at WR, Abdur-Rahman at RB, and junior Tim Wade at FB. The defense consisted of Naji on the line, senior Connor Daly at LB, junior Sean Burke at LB, and Forster again at DB. Abdur-Rahman was named MVP of the 4A Divison, and Explorer coach Drew Gordon was named Coach of the Year in the division.
  It has been a disappointing end to the season for the Crusaders, who started out promisingly at 5-0 before falling twice in 4A CL play. The Explorers are rolling and will most likely face a rematch with archrival St. Joe’s Prep next week.

OCT. 16
CATHOLIC AA
Lansdale Catholic 35, Neumann-Goretti 7
  The Lansdale Catholic Crusaders beat up the Neumann-Goretti Saints 35-7, a night in which senior RB/DB Mike Bradley had the game of his life for LC. Bradley caught two TD passes totaling 135 yards, ran for a 35 yard score, and matched that on defense with three INTs. LC only diverged a little from its traditional offense. Mostly, it was senior FB/LB Devon Barrett up the gut, or an option around the end led by senior QB Andrew Mandato. N-G stayed close early but could not capitalize off an equalizing TD in the first quarter. Most of N-G’s offense was short runs by sophomore FB Faheem Williams and junior HB Antwoine Powers. Occasionally senior QB Mark Stinsman ventured out for some passes, most to senior Chad McPherson, but they were undone by either an INT or fumble. 
  LC’s defense was fantastic on all fronts. The secondary nagged four INTs, three by Bradley, and one late by senior WR/DB Rich Walsh. The D-line caught my attention on one notable drive in the first quarter. N-G was driving deep in LC territory, right after LC’s first score. A penalty on LC gave the Saints a 1 and 5 in the Crusader red zone. The plays went in succession: a run up the middle, a Stinsman pass swatted by LC, and on 3 and 2, a terrific stop by the LC line on a Powers run. The Crusaders had the crowd behind them and were making fantastic stops on D. Then on the very next play, Stinsman completed a pass to McPherson for a first down and goal. LC replicated their previous defensive efforts by stopping N-G twice at the goal line before allowing a Stinsman 1 yard QB keep, giving the Saints their only points in the game. The Crusader defense had some terrific defensive stops on this drive but had breakdowns on fourth down and the Stinsman TD. I was impressed by the D-line but disappointed in the breakdown on that drive. Ultimately, the defense redeemed itself by allowing no more the points the whole way through, having their best defensive night of the year.
  LC ran away with the game after Stinsman’s QB keep. Bradley had his second TD at the end of the first quarter. Barrett scored on a 1 yard plunge late in the first half. A few minutes into the second quarter Bradley had his third TD, and only a couple minutes later, the Crusaders found paydirt again with a Mandato end-around from ten yards out.
NOTES
  I counted nine total turnovers in this game, a sloppy but interesting one.
  LC senior OL/DL Mike Serratore was injured with only 37 seconds remaining in the first half. He was seen limping off the field, and best wishes to him in his recovery.
  Thanks to LC chemistry teacher Barb Albanese for getting me to and from tonight’s game, securing me admission, and saving me from freezing with a sweatshirt, candy bar, and hot chocolate. What a lady!
  The LC players walked out before kickoff with their parents. It was a very nice sight to see.
  La Salle beat up my father’s alma mater, Father Judge, leaving me smiling and him unhappy.

OCT. 9
NON-LEAGUE
La Salle 63, Neumann-Goretti 0
  The La Salle Explorers trounced the Neumann-Goretti Saints on Saturday night, in a game that never was a game. It was well known heading into this game, of N-G’s infamous 60-0 loss to O’Hara. La Salle never saw much of a response from the opposition, and led 35-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Saints do have an inexperienced roster, though, fielding ten freshmen on varsity. Explorer senior RB/DB Jamal Abdur-Rahman outdid himself tonight, scoring two touchdowns in 48 seconds to begin the game. On La Salle’s second play from scrimmage, Abdur-Rahman sprinted out of a play-action down the left sideline for a 61-yard score. On the first play of the Saints’ following drive, there was a fumble on the play, recovered by the Explorers. La Salle’s offense took over, and on the first play, junior QB Matt Magarity hit Abdur-Rahman for a 13-yard TD. The score was 14-0 with 11:12 remaining in the first quarter. N-G tried to get something going on the ensuing drive. Senior QB Mark Stinsman passed to freshman DE-SE Jamal Custis for a nice gain, but soon the Saints were forced to punt. La Salle’s heavy rush resulted in a bad punt, and great field position for the Explorers. They converted again with an eight yard pass from Magarity to junior WR Colin Buckley for a score. The Saints next drive ended early with an INT. A few plays later, junior RB John Palermo scored the first of his two TDs of the night, a two-yard run. Palermo performed excellently tonight, in lieu of fellow junior and under-the-radar blocking machine Tim Wade, who was injured. The Saints’ next drive resulted in another pick by the La Salle defense. The Explorers went to Palermo again, where he received his second scoring bill on a 27-yard pass from Magarity. At this point, the score was 35-0, the quarter was over, and the backups began flooding in. For the next three quarters, La Salle’s TDs came from: a QB keeper by sophomore Chris Kane, a 5 yd. run by senior Nick Sabia, and two runs of 44 and 22 yards by junior Colin O’Hara. Sophomore K/P Ryan Winslow played WR for the Explorers! Crowd favorite, La Salle sophomore RB/DB Dad Poquie even got a few reps. For the Saints, they rotated in sophomore John Mastrando and junior Shane Thomas at QB.   Frosh HB Leroy Haigler was a target for N-G in the second half. Ultimately, La Salle was just more experienced, and executed better. N-G had too many turnovers, and could not capitalize on a good drive that took up most of the fourth quarter. I believe the “mercy rule” went into effect, making the clock keep on going. Whenever I looked up in the second half, the clock was always running.
NOTES
  La Salle’s defense was spectacular. Junior OL/DL Matt Maginnis notched a beautiful sack late in the first quarter. I wrote down plenty of “almost INTd” and “heavy rush by D line.” The special teams had a nice play midway through the first quarter, when the heavy rush made the Saints’ punter kick the ball out of bounds.
  La Salle plays Judge next week. The Crusaders will play them tough. That should be an interesting game, but I believe if La Salle plays the best way they can, like they did against Roman two weeks ago, it will be a sure Explorer victory. 

OCT. 1
CATHOLIC AAAA
La Salle 43, Roman 17
  In a Friday night in which the Father Judge Crusaders shocked everyone by beating the St. Joe Prep Hawks, and remaining undefeated, La Salle took the Roman Catholic Cahillites to the house. The night could not have began more awful for Roman, as their sophomore quarterback, Michael Keir, went down on the Cahillites' first play from scrimmage, when La Salle senior DE/OL Joe Naji hit Keir’s left knee, leaving him out for the game. For the rest of the game, the crowd fell witness to the two-headed monster quarterbacking Roman. Immediately inserted at QB was sophomore Chris Cruz, but soon junior Anthony Johnson was getting reps. On some plays, both of them would be in the backfield, leaving one to wonder who was getting the ball. Sadly, none of these offensive tricks did much for Roman, as La Salle won their first league game in the Quad-A Catholic League. Cruz did not shine early in his debut at QB, but did complete a long pass to senior RB/DB Dennis Regan late in the first quarter. Unfortunately for Cruz, Regan spun out of control, fumbling the ball, which was recovered by La Salle. The second quarter began all the scoring for both teams, led by senior Explorer RB/DB Jamal Abdur-Rahman. He scored three of his total four touchdowns in this quarter. First a 53 yard touchdown scramble, giving La Salle a 7-0 lead. On Roman’s next possession, Johnson was inserted at QB, leading the Cahillites down the field, and scoring on a 32 yard keeper. This drive foreshadowed what Roman would be doing all night, utilizing that Wildcat formation. Only a couple minutes after his first score, Abdur-Rahman returned Roman’s kickoff for an electrifying 95 yards. The score was now 14-7 with 8:20 left in the second quarter. After a Roman three-and-out, junior Explorer QB Matt Magarity, now ready-to-go after the revelation of his groin injury two weeks ago against West Catholic, completed two nice passes to junior WR Colin Buckley. At 1st and Goal, Abdur-Rahman ran the ball in for a two-yard score. Sophomore K/P Ryan Winslow’s PAT was no good, making the score 20-7 in favor of La Salle. Winslow had a memorable night, winning over the La Salle section when he managed to stop sophomore Cahillite WR William Fuller from scoring on a 71 yard punt return. He ultimately had another punt return brought back for a TD, this one by Johnson. Winslow had his moment, though. What emerged next was just a barrage of Explorer offense, where numerous players were getting touches and making plays. Senior Explorer WR.DB (and in last week’s game, QB) Kevin Forster returned a punt 37 yards for a TD, giving La Salle a 27-7 score with 2:14 left in the half. He followed this up with an INT of a Cruz pass, ending Roman’s drive short. Unfortunately for La Salle, the Cahillites got the ball right back with a fumble recovery. As the clock ticked toward the half, Roman hurried across the field, but were stopped just out of the red zone. Coach Joe McCourt ultimately made the decision to let senior K/P Kyle Haber attempt a 29-yard field goal. On a bad snap, Haber made the field goal, restoring hopes to the Cahillite faithful and making the score going into halftime, 27-10. A very interesting first half only could result in an All-La Salle second half. The Explorers scored on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, with Abdur-Rahman running this time for a 67 yard score. The score was now 34-10 La Salle. On La Salle’s next possession, junior RB John Palermo ran it in from 11 yards out for a score. At the end of the third quarter, La Salle was up 41-10. In the fourth quarter, La Salle senior DB Mike Smith notched a pick, but the Explorers couldn’t do anything with the ball, forcing a punt. Johnson here had his punt return, making the score 41-17. After a bizarre safety late in the game, in which Cruz tripped, falling back into the end zone, La Salle had made it final, 43-17.
NOTES
  Abdur-Rahman was terrific, with 272 all-purpose yards, four scores, and on only twelve total touches.
  The La Salle defense was absolutely spectacular, firing at all cylinders. Senior LBs Connor Daly and Mark DiFrangia split a sack, while complementing them on the D-line was seniors Joe Naji and Ted Marino. Naji even got his own write-up by Ted Silary, well-deserved considering his almost interminable presence in the Cahillite backfield. Forster and Smith both notched INTs, and junior OL/DL Matt Maginnis had a hand on a few plays-for-losses.
  Roman’s playmakers on defense were seniors, linebackers, and captains. Abdul Basil and Jack Foley both tried their hardest, notching, eight and six stops respectively. 
  La Salle plays Neumann-Goretti next week in cross-divisional Catholic League scram. The Saints are 2-2 but include among their losses, a 60-0 beating by O’Hara.

SEPT. 24
NON-LEAGUE
La Salle 28, Bonner 0
  The La Salle Explorers handled Monsignor Bonner easily tonight on their homecoming game. Bonner’s offense never made much of a threat during the game, and La Salle played great on both sides of the ball, leading to the 28-0 final score. As they did for QB Anthony Reid of West Catholic last week, the Explorer defense caused havoc for Friar senior QB Sean Quarterman. La Salle also recovered two of Bonner’s fumbles. Senior RB/DB Jamal Abdur-Rahman was fantastic  of course, scoring a whopping three TDs with 140 yards rushing, and putting his season total of touchdowns at six. Senior Explorer OL/DL Cam Cappo had a few great stops on defense. The stands at Springfield High were overflowing with fans celebrating La Salle's homecoming. At halftime, there was a remembrance of the 1960 La Salle City Championship team. It was a night to remember for Explorer fans. When the La Salle offense first came onto the field, I looked at the quarterback and was awestruck. Quarterbacking the Explorers, in lieu of the injured Matt Magarity, was senior WR/DB Kevin Forster! Well, it was obvious then to any unbiased observer that La Salle was mainly going to be using their running game, and with junior RB Tim Wade out with an injury, the duties of leading the La Salle offense came upon Abdur-Rahman. He fulfilled them with 10:26 remaining in the first quarter, by scoring from a few yards out. About six minutes later, with 4:09 remaining in the first half, Jamal scored again at close range. I had the runs recorded at 1 and 2 yard plunges respectively. La Salle utilized the Wildcat offense many times in this game, Jamal doing his best impression of Sam Feleccia in last year’s state championship game. Bonner had a few nice plays to WR/DB John McGilligan. La Salle’s student section was divided between mostly upperclassmen in one section, freshmen in another, and the pep band in the third section. A couple La Salle students, with blue and gold paint over their shirtless bodies, led the chants for most of the game. Occasionally the freshmen would lead their own chants for their section. In the mid-third quarter, senior Pat McGuire came over to the freshmen section to lead us in a few chants. It was one of the hardest reports I’ve had to write this year, due to the overflowing amount of people. The score was 14-0 at halftime, in favor of the Explorers. The day did not get much better for the Bonner Friars as both senior LB Connor Daly and Cappo both had sacks early in the third quarter. A few minutes later, QB/WR/DB Kevin Forster ran for a TD on a short QB draw on 2nd and goal. The score was now 21-0 and the game was in La Salle’s hands as Bonner tried desperately to play catch up. Unfortunately for the Friars, their drive following the Forster TD was miserable, as soph. WR/DB Sean Coleman nearly intercepted a Quarterman pass, and Cappo made his sack. On La Salle’s ensuing possession, Abdur-Rahman scored from about thirty-five yards out. With the game at 28-0, the Friars were finished, the students could stop focusing on the game and begin planning the night ahead, and the numerous La Salle alumni in attendance could breathe a sigh of relief.
NOTES
  La Salle plays Roman Catholic next week. I’m excited to see the Cahillites play again after witnessing them take down West Catholic back in Wildwood a couple weeks ago.
  The Explorers lucked out this week, with Forster quickly adjusting well to his quarterback role. When sophomore QB Chris Kane came in for La Salle late in the game, he got more quality minutes. It’s good that Kane is getting time because he will only have his senior year to show Explorer fans his stuff, due to Magarity being a junior.
  Was it me or did the La Salle pep band play “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga?
  Email me with any questions/concerns/criticisms.

SEPT. 17
NON-LEAGUE
La Salle 14, West Catholic 7
  All across Philadelphia, in any newspaper, blog, website…etc. that covered last night’s football contest between La Salle and West Catholic, the writers will be singing the praises of senior RB/DB Jamal Abdur-Rahman, who will be taking his talents to Villanova University next year. And why wouldn’t you? The 5’10” beast rushed 22 times for 229 yards and two TDs, the first of which was a 65-yard sprint to the end zone on the game’s first play from scrimmage. There was another side to this story though. La Salle had to cope with massive injuries on some star players. Junior RB Tim Wade was limited to two carries by injuries suffered last week; Junior QB Matt Magarity revealed to the coaches at halftime a groin injury he had been fighting. That meant the second half was led by sophomore QB Chris Kane. Also, to add to the workload of Abdur-Rahman, junior DB Ryan Otis was out with an injury, so Jamal had to fill in, notching three tackles. After Jamal, defense was the name of the game tonight. West Catholic suffered a major blow after #22’s 65-yard score to begin the game. Aided by the injury to Magarity, the Burrs were able to limit La Salle’s typical aerial attack. West’s standouts tonight were senior RB/DB Brandon Hollomon, who impressed me two weeks ago against Roman Catholic, and wowed me again tonight. He contributed to West Catholic’s offense with his running, and on defense he intercepted a Magarity pass to end the first half. Senior WR/DB Quran Kent tied the game for the Burrs with an eleven yard TD pass from North Catholic turned West Catholic Burr senior QB Anthony Reid. Senior RB Joshua Mathis also lent his talents to the Burrs with a few great runs. The La Salle defensive line tortured Reid all night, leading to a Sean Coleman interception right after Abdur-Rahman’s second TD. He was constantly hurried all night. West Catholic was driving late in the second quarter before the Explorer defense went crazy. On 1st and 10, it was a toss to Hollomon who was promptly slammed by two Explorers. 2nd and 9 resulted in a pounding sack by senior LB Connor Daly. On 3rd and long, with 1:34 left, senior DL Joe Naji sent Reid to the ground again. Exactly two quarters later at 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, and the Burrs down 14-7, La Salle was faced with stopping West on 4th and 1 just outside of the La Salle red zone. The defense ended the game stopping the Burrs. I couldn’t hold back my cheers.
  NOTES: I’m not going to lie, last week when La Salle played Bergen Catholic and lost by one point, the La Salle faithful along with the pep band were heartbroken. We thought the Explorers had won it and were shocked and saddened when the game ended in defeat. They more than made up for it this week against the Burrs. How inspiring it is to see these numerous La Salle standouts fight against injuries, and triumph.
  The pep band expanded their horizons to playing “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne. What a night.
  Next week, the Explorers take on Bonner. Go La Salle! Man, do I love this school.

SEPT. 11
NON-LEAGUE
Bergen Catholic (NJ) 22, La Salle 21
  On today, September 11, when anyone living under the banner of red, white, and blue shudders in thoughts of the past, the #1 ranked team high school football team in Pennsylvania, and the #2 ranked team in New Jersey went to battle. Excluding the La Salle football team, the pep band, along with a group of fifteen or so students tagging along, rode in two school buses down to Bergen County, NJ this morning, to watch their beloved Explorers face the Bergen Catholic Crusaders. Though some could be disappointed by the outcome, a La Salle loss, no one could dispute the grandeur of the game that had come to pass. Crusader senior QB/DB Tanner McEvoy led Bergen Catholic with their signature quarterback keep. This play was unstoppable and was crucial in the Crusaders’ win by allowing Bergen Catholic to convert two separate two-point conversions. Both times McEvoy ran the ball into the end zone, and both times La Salle was powerless to stop it. La Salle ran the ball more this game than they did against North Penn last week. Senior RB/DB Jamal Abdur-Rahman found his groove today, participating in a lot of offense in the second half, including a 12 yd. touchdown run with 4:22 left in the third quarter. He was complemented by junior RB/LB Tim Wade, who put La Salle on the board first with a 6 yd. touchdown pass from junior QB Matt Magarity less than three minutes into the game. La Salle’s passing targets today were senior WR/DB Kevin Forster and sophomore WR/DB Sean Coleman. Junior wideout Colin Buckley paid his dues today with a short touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter. La Salle disposed of my misgivings early about going along for a two-hour bus ride to Bergen County. On the first drive of the game, Wade put the Explorers on the board, and sophomore Ryan Winslow’s PAT made the score 7-0. The Crusaders, not intimidated in the least, walked right down the field to score on a short pass from McEvoy to junior WR/DB Michael Gerst. The PAT hit the goalpost though and bounced off, leaving the score 7-6 in favor of La Salle. After three punts, Bergen Catholic put on a nice drive, gaining three first downs before an eventual turnover on downs deep in La Salle territory. La Salle then responded by putting together three first downs of their own, and almost a fourth but it was called back on a holding penalty. This led to a La Salle fan screaming “You homer!” to the referee. After a La Salle punt, Bergen Catholic suffered a holding penalty as well, leading the fan to then scream “Thank you Cyclops!” Near the end of the first half, Bergen lined up to punt, but the punt was blocked by senior SS Connor Reilly. La Salle’s ensuing drive ended in disappointment when Magarity’s pass on 2nd and long was intercepted by Crusader senior LB/RB Spencer Kulcsar. Bergen Catholic right out of the box broke the gap courtesy of a 32 yd. TD bomb from McEvoy to Kulcsar, with 9:01 left in the third quarter. To make matters worse for La Salle, the Crusaders made up for the missed PAT with a QB keep by McEvoy, good for a two-point conversion. Abdur-Rahman carried the Explorers on the next drive. After enduring three penalties on the drive, Jamal ran for a 12 yd. score. Unfortunately, Kulcsar, who La Salle head coach Drew Gordon will be having nightmares about tonight, blocked the PAT, making the score now 14-13 in favor of the Crusaders. La Salle’s next drive resulted in the Buckley touchdown, and a good two-point conversion on a pass to Coleman. With 9:52 remaining in the game, La Salle led 21-14. Only a few plays after a reverse-toss to sophomore WR/DB John Tsimis led Bergen Catholic inside La Salle’s red zone, Kulcsar tortured the Explorers again with a 20 yd. TD pass from McEvoy. Another QB keep on a two-point conversion gave the game its final score: 22-21 Bergen Catholic. La Salle put together a desperate last drive, but with twelve seconds remaining and the Explorers inside the Crusaders’ red zone, Magarity was hit on his blind side resulting in a fumble, which was recovered by junior LB/OL Anthony Davanzo.
NOTES
  La Salle’s Sean Coleman made a lot of nice catches and will be a player to watch in future games.
  La Salle’s D had lots of stops from players like senior LB Connor Daly, sophomore DL Jon Naji, senior DL Ryan Geiger, and senior DL Cameron Cappo.
  Bergen Catholic made its bones today on the QB keep. McEvoy could evade tackles almost at will and finished off La Salle with both two-point conversions.
  The La Salle band and student section were highly spirited and provided great fun during the game, especially when a pass by McEvoy allegedly bounced off the turf before being caught. This led to catcalls of “bounce pass!” from the students.
  The Bergen Catholic people were very courteous and welcoming to the visitors. I remember having a talk with a woman working at the snack bar after the game. She was very kind and gracious in light of our defeat.

SEPT. 10
NON-LEAGUE
North Penn 42, Lansdale Catholic 0
  This 22nd meeting between the North Penn Knights and Lansdale Catholic Crusaders was no shocker. I admire LC, not because of football skill, but because you can visibly see how outmatched they were in this game, and how much heart they played with. The 42-0 score reflected how North Penn’s brute strength and size was able to pound through the Crusaders’ line and continually pressure senior QB Andrew Mandato. This resulted in an intentional grounding penalty with around five minutes left in the second quarter. Self-destructive mistakes plagued the Crusaders all game, including a botched trick play to begin the second half that resulted in a fumble return by Trevell Moxey and a touchdown for the Knights, a Mandato interception to junior LB Matt Smith late in the first half, and a fumble on a kickoff return, which was recovered by North Penn, and after a three-and-out with less than two minutes left in the half, a punt by LC resulted in a 70-yard punt return for a TD by senior RB Brandon Mercer. Special teams in general had a tough night for LC. After arriving late near the end of the first quarter, I quickly got settled in a seat with my notepad, ready to go. North Penn set the tone early, as I learned on the radio, with a first-possession TD by senior RB Craig Needhammer, who ended up with two TDs in the game. Needhammer’s 20 yd. run completed a 70 yard drive by the Knights to open the game. The option, taken from Navy, allowed them to move the chains convincingly, but did not result in a score. After a punt, Needhammer scored again on a 34 yd run, leaving the score 14-0 in favor of the Knights, with 10:58 left in the 2nd  quarter. North Penn’s kickoff was fumbled, as I mentioned above, and recovered by junior DB Dan Gevirtz. LC then made what was one of their best plays of the game when senior DB/RB Alex Hetzel intercepted a Corey Ernst pass. After three first downs by the LC option machine, Knights coach Dick Beck called a timeout. Whatever was said in the Knights’ huddle subsequently led to 3rd and 26 after the intentional grounding. Mandato then threw his pick to Smith, which on North Penn’s ensuing drive resulted in a Gerard Mendowski TD, from a 26-yard pass from Ernst. The score was now 21-0 with 3:07 left in the first half. The second half was not much better for the Lansdale Catholic Crusaders. After stomaching Mercer’s punt return TD before the half, digging them into a 28-0 hole, LC came out with a trick up their sleeve. Luck was not on their side and the botched play and resulting fumble made the game now 35-0, and basically over. Backups were thrown in on all sides and after an early 4th quarter TD by soph. RB Taylor Everett, the game had become final 42-0.
NOTES:
  My defense of Mandato’s performance in tonight’s game would be a beautiful play on 3rd and 11 early in the 3rd quarter, when Mandato was chased around the backfield but escaped for a miraculous gain of twelve and a first down. The option, combined with a few pass plays, let LC move down the field, but mistakes (especially on special teams) were their Achilles’ heel.
  North Penn consistently ran to LC’s weak side defense, making it hard for the defense to contain the size of the Knights. 
  Players such as Devon Barrett and Tyler Smith took up the majority of LC’s runs. Mandato also held the ball a lot in the option.
  Senior FB Dom Taggart, who was a force last week scoring two TDs, apparently re-aggravated his ankle last week, leading him to play limited minutes tonight. One must think that the mixed bag of North Penn backs, Needhammer, Taggart, and Mercer, will be hard to contain in Suburban One.
  I was shocked by the intensity and passion of North Penn’s student section. I love seeing school pride (even to the extreme.)
  I will be at the La Salle v. Bergen Catholic game tomorrow, so email me with any questions/concerns/criticisms. Thank you.

SEPT. 4
NON-LEAGUE
Roman 23, West Catholic 14
  This year’s annual contest between Roman Catholic and West Catholic, known as the “War at the Shore,” did not disappoint. Talk before kickoff centered on players from the now deceased schools, North Catholic and Cardinal Dougherty. Roman alone collected nine players from North and three from Dougherty. West Catholic received four from North and none from Dougherty, but one of West’s additions is their starting quarterback, sr. QB/DB Anthony Reid. Reid started for North last year at QB. Reid had a shaky initiation as a Burr to match Cahillite QB, soph. Michael Keir. Both teams utilized the run game early. During the first drive of the game, Marcus Kelly, a junior RB/S, was the focus of Roman’s offense. After gaining a first down due to a personal foul on West, Roman was forced to punt. In the ensuing possession, West went three-and-out. Roman still had not found its passing game, and was forced to punt once again. During the Burr’s next drive, Reid suddenly found his groove, connecting with sr. WR Jaelen Strong-Rankin, and sr. WR/DB Quran Kent, who on fourth down escaped a few tackles to move the chains. Unfortunately for the Burrs, this first down was called back on a penalty, and when Roman’s D stood strong, stopping sr. FB/LB Albert Campbell, West Catholic turned the ball over on downs. After Roman went three-and-out, and the Burrs did the same, Roman finally broke through and scored. After a bizarre scene in which West Catholic’s punter accidentally put his knee on the ground, effectively downing the football, Keir ran on a QB sneak on 3rd and 1, scoring. Sr. Kyle Haber hit the PAT making the score 7-0 with 10:38 left in the second quarter. During the kickoff there was an illegal block in the back penalty charged to West Catholic, so the Burrs started the drive deep in their own territory. On a 3rd and 11 right on the goal line, Reid was hit while throwing and the ensuing fumble was recovered by junior TE/DE Jack Schanz. Schanz, a former member of North Catholic, fell on the ball as it crossed the end zone, resulting in a touchdown for the Cahillites. The good PAT made the score 14-0 in favor of Roman as the clock ticked to 8:12 left in the second quarter. West Catholic turned the ball over on downs during their next possession. Sr. RB/DE Brandon Hollomon had three consecutive carries during the drive. Roman puts together a nice drive with Keir sneaking on 4th and 1 for a first down, and sr. FB/DL Christian Seagrave catching a nice pass for a first down.  The Cahillites are pushing for another score and on 3rd and goal call a timeout with 21 seconds left. There is a fumble on the ensuing play and the Burrs recover, forcing a touchback! Suddenly a mini-brawl breaks out with numerous flags being thrown. They offset each other and no sanctions are issued. The end of the first half is coming closer and West Catholic is in desperation mode. Sr. RB Josh Mathis makes a great run to give the Burrs a first down at their own 34 yard line. Now, as Reid heaved a long ball, I watched out of the corner of my eye, a member of Roman’s secondary systematically follow the route. Sr. WR/DB Dennis Regan (who was being used more as a RB than a WR in this game) caught Reid’s long bomb and majestically returned it for a touchdown. It truly was a beautiful play to watch. The West cheering base was in disbelief. The Burrs had stopped a terrific drive by Roman by recovering the fumble. Now, they had dug themselves in a 21-0 rut from which they would not recover. The Burrs finally got on the board late in the third quarter from a pass by Reid to Strong-Rankin. Around this time the scoreboard malfunctioned so the clock was kept on the field by the officials. It was nice to see Reid get comfortable in his first game for West Catholic. He seemed to find his touch from last year, when he threw for 1,098 yards and 9 TDs with North Catholic. The score now is 21-7 in favor of the Cahillites. After Roman moved the ball up the field a little, on 1st and 10 at the Burrs’ 25, sr. WR/DB Dar-ray Jubilee made a captivating interception. This sent the West Catholic crowd into a frenzy and made me very amused. The Cahillites were not amused and actually blocked West’s subsequent punt. Sr. OL/DE Jack Gallagher recovered the punt and put the Cahillites at 1st and 10 on the Burr 12 yard line. After watching Regan run some more, and Joe McCourt spending two consecutive timeouts, West took over on downs. Then the crowd witnessed the human beast that is Brandon Hollomon. Head coach Brian Fluck all but deferred to him on the next drive. After a few runs by Hollomon, reminding us of D-Reg for Roman, Hollomon finally broke free for a Burr TD. The score now was 21-14, the West crowd was in ecstasy, and I was scared for my life. As the fourth quarter wound down, West Catholic just could not keep the magic going. On a 2nd and 18 for the Burrs, they were called for an illegal motion penalty. Many parents objected, shouting “let them play!” Schanz (the jewel of North Catholic) encored that penalty by forcing a fumble, which West recovered, but pushed them back even farther. Near their own goal line, Reid almost threw a pick, and finally on 4th and long, Fluck called a timeout. The next play sealed the War at the Shore 2010 for Roman when the Burrs fumbled the ball out of their own end zone, resulting in a safety. Time ticked away and the game ended 23-14 in favor of the Roman Catholic School for Boys.
   NOTES: I loved the setup, two inner-city Philly teams doing battle. The crowd was great. I spent the majority of the game on the Burr sideline, and sensed a great atmosphere. The fans were fiercely passionate and created a great game experience for me. Brandon Hollomon looked very good. He is small, only 5’11”, but will be a big part of West’s offense for the rest of the year. During the fourth quarter he was all of the Burrs’ offense. La Salle defensive coordinator John Steinmetz was spotted at the game, probably scouting for the Explorers’ Week 3 matchup versus West Catholic. I love seeing an assistant drive all the way down to Wildwood after watching his team beat North Penn last night, one of its program’s defining victories. It shows what commitment and passion the staff has. Though I was unable to attend Friday’s game between NP and La Salle, I watched it online with my dad, and my cousin Jim M. (La Salle Class of ’05). What I noticed was because of NP’s brute size and strength; they can get away with a mostly running-based attack. If I was a corner or linebacker, I would be intimidated by mammoth Ralph Reeves coming at me. La Salle fell victim to North Penn’s running attack in the first half but by the last two quarters, had learned to stop it. Ultimately, La Salle junior QB Matt Magarity matured into the starting role quicker than anyone expected, and North Penn’s passing fell flat. Because of La Salle’s aerial attack, and run defense, they won the game.