It’s been 93 years since La Salle ventured to Ocean City to play a football game. Before a packed house of Main Line and Wyndmoor Shoobies and retirees, La Salle and Malvern Prep treated the crowd to a slobber-knocker of a football game that took us back to the leather helmets of 1928. Here’s how this surreal game went down:
La Salle’s Santi Sturla kicked off to Malvern, and his popup kick was fielded at the 18 by Yaahdir Nash, who hurried upfield to the Prep 45 before being stopped by Kevin Hawley, a unique combination of roughneck bomb-squadder and accurate long-snapper. Senior quarterback Jack Capaldi led the Friars offense, and he handed off to Isaiah Wright for 6 yards on a sweep left, with tackles by Abdul Carter and Sam Ross. Capaldi swung a short pass on the right side to Nash, who gained to the 39 for a first down before being stopped by DB Matt Mitchell and Carter, who was in on a lot of plays all evening long. In a hurry up, Wright took a jaunt up the middle for 4 yards, with Chris Thompson and Carter on the hit. D’Angelo Stocker ran a jet sweep to the left for 4 more, with Carter and Sean McFadden bringing him down. Wright is quite a load, and he often needed multiple tacklers to stop him. On third and two at the Malvern 47, Wright gained 5 for a first down, as Carter shared the tackle with yet another teammate, Daniel Ford. Wright notched 3 more yards up right guard, with Carter again on the stop. Carter and Darold Dengohe pulled down Wright on the next carry after a three-yard gain. The large offensive line, with tight splits, was a difficult chore for the La Salle defense, as it was tough to shoot any visible gaps in their line. On third and four at the La Salle 42, Capaldi’s pass was deflected; an offsides penalty against Malvern was declined. On fourth down, Jake Reid’s punt was low, but rolled dead on the La Salle 5, with 7:19 left in the first quarter.
Alan Paturzo was at the reins of the La Salle offense, and he handed off to Sam Brown for his first carry of the season, an 8-yard gain off left tackle, with a kick out to the sideline. Brown found a gap in the middle to the 27 for a first down. He then was stopped on a pitch to the right for no gain. In a hurry-up, Paturso tossed to EJ Wentz, who fanned out of the backfields to the left side for 7 yards. On third and 3 at the 34, Ryan Moore wildcatted a draw up the middle for just a yard. Sturla came on to punt, and his boot was fair-caught at the Malvern 16 by Wright, with 4:37 left in a scoreless opening stanza.
Wright again pounded the La Salle line, first for five yards up left tackle, then 7 yards up left guard, then 11 yards up the middle. Dengohe was in the tackle for the first 2 plays, and Matt Wills and Carter for the third play. But Malvern was exploiting an advantage due to the blocking of their O-Line. Capaldi threw quickly on the right side to Ryan Falkenstein, who was hit immediately by Amir Anderson, but he gained 4 yards. Wright hit the middle, but bounced right to gain 5 more, with Anderson again on the hit. On third and 1 at the Malvern 48, Capaldi snuck to the La Salle 48 for a first down, and the Friars were on the march. Wright swept right and was bumped out of bounds by Mitchell for 4 yards. Wright then tripped before trying the middle, and he lost a yard. On third and 7 at the La Salle 45, Capaldi tried to hit Sam Brecker on a look-in, but the pass was low. Reid’s punt was nearly blocked, but he got another great roll, and La Salle would have to start at their own 1, just 99 yards away from a score, with 2 seconds left in the first period.
Brown barely got out of the end zone on his next carry for no gain, as the scoreless quarter ended. Brown then swept right and gained 7 yards. On third and three at their own 8, Paturzo hit Nole Henry on an out to the left for a 5-yard gain and a first down. Brown tested the middle for just a yard, but Malvern Prep was hit for a personal foul, and La Salle had some breathing room with a first down at their own 29. After Paturzo found Ryan Sorge on a rollout to the right for 5 yards, the 5 yards were given back on a procedure penalty before the next play. Paturzo scrambled up the middle for two yards, bringing up a third and 8 at the 31. Paturzo found Moore in the right slot on a comeback pattern, and Moore fought for a first down to the La Salle 40. Only 60 more yards to go.
Brown ran a jet sweep to the left for 5 yards. On play action, Paturzo hit Sorge on the right to Malvern’s 44 for another first down. Brown gained only one on a pitch to the left. On play action again, Paturzo tossed to Sorge on a bubble screen on the right for a 7-yard gain to the Malvern 36, setting up a third and two. Wentz got the first down on a two-yard gain. Brown broke through a big hole on the left side for a first down to the Friar 20. Brown was then stopped for no gain up left tackle. He gained just a yard up left tackle again. On third and eight at the 18, Paturzo had no one open, and he scrambled for 6 yards, setting up a fourth and 3 at the 13. La Salle called time out to decide what to do, and they decided to go for it. Moore came in at wildcat, and veered off right tackle for four yards and a first and goal at the 9. Moore faked a jet sweep handoff and kept up the middle for no gain. Paturzo was back in, and he passed to Sorge on the left side for 5 yards. On third and goal at the 4, Paturzo found Brown at the flag in the right corner of the end zone for 4-yard touchdown. Sturla blasted the extra point through. La Salle led, 7-0, after going 99 yards in a mammoth 20 plays, consuming 8:17 on the clock.
Sturla floated another short kick, and Stocker caught it at the 16 and raced out to his 47, with stop by Dominic Martin and Chris Convey, but La Salle was hit for a personal foul, and the Friars would start in La Salle territory at the 38. Capaldi threw deep to Brecker, and the ball was broken up by Anderson, but offsetting penalties negated the play. Nash bolted up the middle for 7 yards, with hits by McFadden and Lukas Donahue, a large soph who entered the game on the line to bottle up the Malvern O-line. Capaldi found Falkenstein on a quick out to the right, who was slammed down by Carter after a 5-yard gain for a first down at the 26. Capaldi and Falkenstein tried again, this time a deep ball to the right, but La Salle was tagged for interference, and Malvern was knocking on the door at the 13. Nash followed his blockers for 6 yards up the middle, dragging McFadden forward after the initial hit. Nash got just a yard as Ross contained him. On third and 3 at the 5, Wright went into the wildcat position, and he followed his blockers up left tackle into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown. Reid’s extra point tied the score at 7-7, with 1:13 left in the first half. La Salle needed to traverse 99 yards to get their score; the Friars just 38 yards to get to paydirt.
Reid’s kickoff got to the 5, and Anderson bolted up the left side past the La Salle 40, but he reversed his field, giving ground and moving to the right side, where he had a clear path for a while out toward midfield. But La Salle was called for a blind-side block, and would take over at their own 16. Brown gained 8 up left guard. Paturzo hit Moore on an out to the right for a first down at the 30. Paturzo then aired it out, and nearly completed the bomb to Sorge, but the ball was batted away before Sorge could control it. Paturzo was then sacked for a 6-yard loss on the next play, and the half ended with the teams tied at 7-7.
This was a game focused in the trenches, where Malvern’s huge offensive line tried to have their way with La Salle’s defense. Linebacker Abdul Carter stepped up to make many tackles, but the Friars showed strength with their running attack. La Salle’s running attack was a Sam Brown festival, and showed signs of success, especially in the 99-yard drive. There were a lot of big hits, reminiscent of the old Black and Blue Division in the NFC, where the scores were low and the bruises were often. This game was not destined to be a high-scoring affair, and its outcome seemed like it would stay in doubt till the last minute.
Reid’s kickoff to start the second half was to the 15, where Anderson ran right up the middle with no detours to the La Salle 40. Moore came in at wildcat, and gained 3 yards off right tackle. Paturzo hit Moore on a bubble screen for 5 yards, as Moore again scratched forward for the last 2 yards on the play. On third and two at the La Salle 48, Brown leaned forward through right tackle for three yards and a first down at the Malvern 49. Brown then took a pitch left and got outside for 16 yards to the Friar 33. A pitch right to Brown lost 2 yards. Soph Stevie Davis entered the game for Brown, and gained 2 yards up right tackle, and it was now third and 10. Paturzo scrambled to the left and hit Henry on the left side for a first down at the 20, as La Salle completed several key third-down plays through the air. On a slight counter, Brown hit the left side for 4 yards. Another pitch right to Brown was sniffed out for a 3-yard loss. On third and 9 at the 19, Paturzo and Henry connected for a 6-yard gain. On fourth and three at the 13, La Salle was flagged for another procedure penalty in the red zone. From the 18, Sturla lined up for a 35-yard field goal attempt. He buried the ball over the goalposts and almost reached the boardwalk, giving La Salle a 10-7 lead, with 7:19 left in the third quarter.
Sturla avoided the return possibility by sailing the kickoff into the end zone. Capaldi was sacked by the linebacker sandwich of Thompson and Carter for a 3-yard loss. Wright gained just a yard up left tackle, as Del Jackson and Dengohe combined on the stop. On third and 12 at the 18, Capaldi let loose a bomb, but the La Salle secondary, burned a few times in the McDevitt game, broke the pass up with triple coverage. Reid got off another punt with a great Friar bounce, stopping dead at the La Salle 36, with 5:38 left in the third stanza.
Paturzo went deep on the first play to Moore, and the pass was on the money, but the Malvern defender broke the play up at the last second. Brown got a yard up left guard. On third-and-nine at the 37, Paturzo rolled out, and fired to Sorge, who made a leaping catch at midfield for a first down. Paturzo dropped back, and no one was open, and he was trapped for a 5-yard loss. Paturzo rolled left, and threw short, into the hands of Malvern’s Hayden Pegg for an interception. The Friars would start a drive to try to take the lead from their own 46, with 3:58 left in the third quarter.
Wright gained 2 yards up left guard, with stop by Kieran Campbell, soph lineman. Wright swept the left side, but Brennen Miller shot the gap and took down Wright for a 3-yard loss, setting up a third and 11 at the 44. Capaldi tossed a screen pass on the left side to Nash, and the great play call netted a first down to the La Salle 43. On play action, Capaldi went deep to Stocker, but Jackson had great coverage and the pass fell incomplete. Nash tried the middle, and gained a yard, but was tackled hard by Carter. On third and 9 at the La Salle 42, Capaldi’s pass on a wheel route to Nash on the left side was underthrown. Reid would come in for one of his patented rolling punts, and this one was downed at the 1-yard line, with 1:39 left in the third period.
Davis came in at tailback, and gained three up the middle. Davis went off right tackle, and powered his way for a first down to the 11. He then gained 9 yards off the right side, as the third quarter ended with La Salle on top, 10-7. Davis, the tornado, went up right tackle for five yards and a first down. He then gained out to the La Salle 38 for another first down by going off left tackle. La Salle was then hit with yet another procedure call. Davis gained just a yard up right tackle, and was replaced by Brown, who gained 5 up right guard, setting up a third and 9 at the 39. Paturzo’s safety valve pass to Brown gained just 4 yards, and Sturla would punt, sending a knuckleball down to the Malvern 29, with 9:33 left, and the Friars looking to mount a game-winning drive.
Wright got 6 yards up right tackle, with Thompson and Ross on the combo. Nash tried the middle, but was buried by the predator Dengohe for no gain. Capaldi took a high-snap and handed off to Nash, but again Dengohe hit him immediately, this time for a two-yard loss. Reid’s magical punt stopped on the La Salle 14, with 7:54 left. A long La Salle drive could keep Malvern from getting the ball back.
Brown went off left tackle for 6. He then swerved to the left for a 10-yard gain and a first down to the La Salle 30. Paturzo scrambled to the left for three yards. Paturzo’s out pattern to the right to Moore was low. On third and 7 at the 33, Paturzo’s swing pass was blocked. Sturla’s punt was fair-caught on Malvern’s 29, with 6:56 left, plenty of time for the Friars to take the lead.
Capaldi tried to hit Falkenstein on a quick out, but Anderson broke it up again. Capaldi found Brecker on a look-in, but Miller was there to stop him for just a one-yard gain. On third and 9 at the 30, Capaldi ran a surprise keeper for a first down at the Friar 41, stopped by Thompson. Capaldi, frisky now, went on a scramble to the right, as Thompson and McFadden stopped him after a 3-yard gain. Wright hit the middle and broke a tackle before being hit down by Carter after 5 yards. On third and two at the Malvern 49, Wright ran the wildcat again for a three-yard gain and a first down at the La Salle 48, with McFadden on the hit, but Malvern was moving down the field and eating up the clock. Stocker ran a jet sweep, and was bumped out of bounds by Anderson after 7 yards. Then, Wright hit the right side, was gang-tackled, and the ball popped out. Out of the pileup came La Salle’s McFadden, holding the ball aloft. The first turnover by Malvern couldn’t have come at a better time, as the Explorers had the ball on their own 43 with 3:55 left. Two first downs could ice the game.
Moore wildcatted up left tackle, and lunged forward for 8 yards. He then tested the middle, and used good vision to make some moves to get down to the Malvern 20 for a first down. He then was stuffed up the middle for no gain. Moore then swung a pass to Brown on the right side, but the pass was too low, and dangerously close to a lateral, but it also stopped the clock. On third and 10 at the 20, Brown hit the middle, but was bottled up by the Friars for just a one-yard gain, and Malvern called time out with 1:48 left.
What to do? Try a field goal for a 6-point lead? Or, go for it? On fourth and nine at the 19, the matter became more complicated as La Salle was called for procedure. Now with fourth and 14 at the 24, Paturzo dropped back, and floated a ball to the right deep corner of the end zone to Brown, but the pass was broken up, and Malvern Prep would have one last chance, with 1:41 left in the game.
La Salle had kept the Malvern passing attack from hitting the long one that plagued the Explorers in the Bishop McDevitt game. Capaldi dropped back, rolled a little left, and found Brecker on the left side, who caught the ball, and was brought down by Campbell and Moore at the Malvern 40, but the Friars were flagged for 10-yard penalty that may have been an ineligible receiver downfield, and the La Salle faithful breathed a big sigh of relief. Capaldi threw for 6 yards on a look-in to Stocker, but Carter slammed him down in bounds, and Malvern took a time out with 56 seconds left. Capaldi, desperate now, sent another missile deep down the right side to Hayden Kennedy, but Jackson had great coverage and broke it up. On third and 19 at the 15, Capaldi arced a ball down the left sideline to Falkenstein, and the ball was perfectly thrown, eluding Anderson’s reach, and Anderson made the tackle, but not before Malvern had new life at the La Salle 43 for a first down. But Capaldi was sacked for a three-yard loss by the rampaging Dengohe, and he then had to spike the ball to stop the clock, bringing up a third and thirteen at the La Salle 46. It was time to air it out again, with just 25 seconds left on the clock. Capaldi went deep right, but La Salle had triple coverage, and Moore leaped up to intercept the ball at about the La Salle 12, and he ran happily down the field and out of bounds at the Malvern 45.
Paturzo and the offense came onto the field in victory formation, and La Salle had won a wonderful game against the really tough Friars of Malvern Prep, 10-7.
Notes
La Salle’s defense seemed like a “bend but don’t break” type, but Malvern had an exceptional offensive line. The Blue and Gold made adjustments during the game, and their defensive backfield was aggressive and kept the Friars from hitting the deep ball through most of the game. The D-line seemed undersized compared to Malvern’s O-line, but they stood tall and kept Malvern off the board in the second half.
The offense, led by Paturzo, who was much more accurate than last week, was versatile enough to move the ball fairly well, even though the 10 points was just enough. They have much more weaponry than just Sam Brown, and will get better as the season progresses.
The surreal setting for a high school football game is still imprinted in my eyes. Scanning from right to left, I see a brick high school building, a football field, with third floors of shore houses behind the stands, a large lit-up Ferris wheel and a gravity bouncer, the boardwalk, and the Atlantic Ocean. But, on top of that, the field contained a game seemingly from the 60’s, a run-oriented contest featuring two hard defenses, and a score right out of a La Salle season from the 60’s.
The La Salle crowd was tremendous, no doubt augmented by vacationers and retirees as La Salle brought the game down to them. The student body showed up in force, and the yells to the team as they ran over for the Alma Mater after the game still cause a ringing in my ears. It was a beautiful night, but not beautiful enough to forget the devastation felt by many earlier in the week due to Hurricane Ida. Hope that all of the La Salle faithful impacted by the storm can return their lives to normal, when watching an exciting football game is the only anxiety they have in their lives for a while.
Next Game
Homecoming! Hall of Athletics induction on Friday, September 10 at 6 PM. Please come and honor the induction of the 2009 State Champions. A multitude of activities on Saturday, including a barbeque, leading up to the game at Springfield at 1 PM against Imhotep Charter, which should be another tight affair.
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