La Salle Explorers
St. Joseph's Prep Hawks
CATHOLIC LEAGUE GAME OF THE WEEK
Who: St. Joseph’s Prep vs. La Salle
When: 7:00 PM Saturday, September 28, 2019
Where: Wissahickon High School
Records: St. Joseph’s Prep (1-2; 0-0); La Salle (4-0; 0-0)
Most Recent Performance: St. Joseph’s Prep dropped a 31-25 slugfest against fourth-in-the-nation IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) at Rutgers University; La Salle had no problems at Haverford School, 48-27.
Importance: Barring a huge upset later this fall, the winner of this game will probably win the Catholic League Red Division title because the best division record determines the champion.
All-Time Record: St. Joseph’s Prep leads, 53-36-5.
St. Joseph’s Prep Notes: The Hawks have won the past three Catholic League titles and five of the past six. They have defeated the Explorers in seven straight regular season contests . . . Junior QB and Ohio State University commit Kyle McCord is now the fifth leading passer in school history and, barring injury, should finish number one. His numbers this year – 58 of 109 for 809 yards and six touchdowns – are tepid by his standards . . . The Prep running game has struggled with less than three yards per carry . . . The Prep’s win, 34-30 over 40th-ranked St. John’s (DC), was offset by a 21-17 opening season loss at 36th-ranked Marietta High (GA) and the aforementioned loss to IMG . . . Junior REC/DB Marvin Harrison leads the squad with 17 catches and has caught one touchdown . . . Junior linebacker Jeremiah Trotter recently committed to Clemson University.
La Salle Notes: The Explorers are off to their best start since 2012, when they began 6-0, finished 12-2, and lost in the PIAA state semifinals. In 2006, the Explorers started 7-0. In both 2006 and 2012, La Salle ultimately captured the Catholic League title . . . Sophomore RB Sammy Brown has already found the end zone 12 times. In his last two games, the All-Catholic gained 145 and 180 yards, respectively. In the latter, he added six catches for 104 yards and totaled four touchdowns . . . Senior QB Jack Machita has completed 51 of 81 passes for 639 yards and six touchdowns . . . Senior LB Dillon Trainer, senior DE Ryan Savage, junior two-way lineman Ryan Wills, and sophomore FB/LB Abdul Carter are all competing at a particularly high level.
HAWK CHAT:
“My thoughts on the game,” said senior linebacker Liam Johnson, “are that it’s the next game and it’s important because it’s the next one, not because it’s against La Salle. IMG, Pine Richland, La Salle are the same to us. It’s just the next game.”
“It’s only an important game because it’s the next game,” said senior receiver/defensive back Anthony Rightley. “That’s how we view every game during the season – preparing the same way every week.”
St. Joseph's Prep Highlights:
EXPLORER CHAT:
“The tradition of this game runs deep for decades,” said senior linebacker Dillon Trainer. “However, the past few years have been lopsided and it really has us on the edge of our seat for this year. There’s been much speculation that they don’t even see us as a rival anymore. To us, that’s a slap in the face. Obviously, this is a good football team. Their record says nothing about their talent and scheme. However, this isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. These kids wake up, go to school, eat dinner, etc., just like us. There is that sense of rivalry in this game, but we just have to play like we know best. This is the last shot for this class to go out on top and we want it more than anything. I think this year we truly understand the power we have when we play as one and do what we know how to do. Explorers are fired up for this one for sure.”
“The game this weekend is something that has been on the team’s mind since last year, losing to Saint Joe’s in the second round of the playoffs,” said senior linebacker Giacomo Ward. “For us seniors, having one last chance to win the PCL is the only thing we have been thinking about and are very excited for the opportunity.
The amount of excitement that has been in the air this week at practice is crazy, and I’m just happy to be able to get out there on Saturday and show everyone what we are really made of.”
La Salle Highlights:
Prediction: Don’t let the “this is just another game” dialogue fool you. In many ways it is true, but for both teams, this is always the date they circle on the calendar when schedules are determined. As much as they consider each other rivals, both programs respect the other and recognize that this is a battle that almost always results in particularly acute soreness the next morning. It’s difficult to pick against a team like the Prep for obvious reasons, especially considering they have already lost twice. This year’s La Salle team, however, is playing with a tangible edge. If the Explorers can control the line of scrimmage and embark on decently lengthy drives, their chances expand. On a limb . . . La Salle scores late and then holds off the defending champions, 27-23.
(John Knebels can be reached at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)