What's happen to the Lasalle program

[ramgreen]

Saw the Wood game and as I thought, Lasalle just couldn't stop Wood's running game. Since Drew G left this program has gotten worse by the year. Looks like they have size and speed but Wood much better overall. A friend told me Wood really should be 4A and Lasalle 6A ? What gives ?

 

[paul from philly]

Saw the Wood game and as I thought, Lasalle just couldn't stop Wood's running game. Since Drew G left this program has gotten worse by the year. Looks like they have size and speed but Wood much better overall. A friend told me Wood really should be 4A and Lasalle 6A ? What gives ?

Entertaining game in the first half thanks to the interception return by La Salle near the end of the half But, if not for that they would have lost 31-6.. Usually Steinmetz adjusts for the second half but it seemed like they had no answers. They've lost four games to four very good teams but it's the way they're losing. They don't seem to have anything left in the tank. Coaching? Youth??

I don't think it's so much of Gordon leaving as it is the realization that La Salle didn't want to get into an arms race with the Prep who has gone nuclear. It all started when Swift made his choice to attend Prep over La Salle. Now I know how the SEC feels every time they have to play Alabama!!

 

[Concretechuck]

Great question.

 

[ramgreen]

Saw the Wood game and as I thought, Lasalle just couldn't stop Wood's running game. Since Drew G left this program has gotten worse by the year. Looks like they have size and speed but Wood much better overall. A friend told me Wood really should be 4A and Lasalle 6A ? What gives ?

Great question.

 

[ramgreen]

It seems they still have a lot of talent. Wood looked physically much stronger so maybe off season program ? I do think u under estimate how good of a coach Drew Gordon was. Years ago, I reffed a few Lasalle games and his intensity was impressive and his kids played much harder

 

[paul from philly]

It seems they still have a lot of talent. Wood looked physically much stronger so maybe off season program ? I do think u under estimate how good of a coach Drew Gordon was. Years ago, I reffed a few Lasalle games and his intensity was impressive and his kids played much harder

Didn't mean to give that impression at all. All things being equal between Infante and Gordon back in the day, I'd take Gordon!! I think one of the main reasons he left was he saw the writing on the wall. The Admin wasn't going to jump in so why stick around!!

 

[ramgreen]

good point Paul. Does anyone know if the admin is putting restrictions on the football team ? I thought the alumni were pretty adamant about winning football. Has that changed ?

 

[6daystosaturday]

I always find these conversations interesting. The lack of reality people have about these schools is to the point of inane. By saying Lasalle's admin isn't "buying in" basically creates an unrealistic view of what schools like the Prep are doing. They are not throwing money out there to every johnny cyo whose parents think they are great. Lasalle ain't cheap nor have they just handed out money to kids who like to wear football pads. And the same goes over at the Prep. Right now the prep is doing it better than Lasalle. They have a fantastic culture with Infante and they are gonna be really hard to beat for a long time. Lasalle has a really nice team but they are in a little bit of flux right now, but from all indications they are developing some real nice younger players. It's not the right of Lasalle or any other private school to just buy a football team. And quite frankly it doesn't always fit in with the true goal of the school. Also LS faces competition from some fantastic public schools their kids could attend, and they sit with three interac schools within minutes of them always trying to pick off a kid or two. They pulled off a miracle win a few years ago, it'll happen again.

 

[pcc64]

I think it’s pretty basic. LaSalle is a Christian Brother’s school and Prep is Jesuit run. IMO Jesuits are all in on having excellent football programs. Christian Brothers not as much. If they have some down years, they will ride it out.

 

[ramgreen]

I think it’s pretty basic. LaSalle is a Christian Brother’s school and Prep is Jesuit run. IMO Jesuits are all in on having excellent football programs. Christian Brothers not as much. If they have some down years, they will ride it out.

Really pcc64 ?!?? So that’s what’s going on and why Lasalle which was one of area’s great teams for last 15-20 is not competing like they use to ?? Jesuits or Christians Brothers. Oh ok !! Has nothing to do w the football side of it ? I guess that settles that question

 

[Salvucci]

DG was not happy with Swifts decision that is true. However, lasalle word was that it came down to 2k in aid. Hard to believe LS couldn't come up with that but maybe a line in the sand, or D'andre just chose Prep. Also, something funky was going on with that staff. Dom left and replaced by Schmidt in 2014, then BG left ends up at TEP and JS left, then DG leaves and ends up at mcdevitt, and JS comes back as HC after 30 years as assistant and Dom comes back, both spring of 2015. A lot of sub plots here. I'm not sure I buy the admin support story, your telling me mcdevitt or LC has more support than LS. LS has plenty of resources for football, DG wasn't keeping his pay, the 2 new turf fields were being planned, including lights on flannery. They have the facilities, the tradition, the legacy athletes, they out number Prep and outnumber Wood 3-1...There is no reasonable explanation to lose to Wood 4 years in a row and get mercy ruled by Prep for the foreseeable future. Something more was going on in 2014/2015 that lasalle has not recovered from.

 

[roxychknpoxy]

I was in Wyndmoor for the freshman game. The resources alone are proof that admin is not opposed to competing. The fields are impressive. That's the irony when you consider the resources of SJP v LS. Prep is not offering full rides and the money they committed to the field at 11th & Brady was poorly planned. Infante needs credit for what he's done. He's created a culture that is attractive. Frannkly, not having the best at your disposal creates an additional edge. Side note - I don't think Prep frosh have a win and that hasn't happened in a long time. The worm will turn and things will cycle.

 

[tulla]

I was in Wyndmoor for the freshman game. The resources alone are proof that admin is not opposed to competing. The fields are impressive. That's the irony when you consider the resources of SJP v LS. Prep is not offering full rides and the money they committed to the field at 11th & Brady was poorly planned. Infante needs credit for what he's done. He's created a culture that is attractive. Frannkly, not having the best at your disposal creates an additional edge. Side note - I don't think Prep frosh have a win and that hasn't happened in a long time. The worm will turn and things will cycle.

Roxy, I've heard that the freshman team at SJP is much weaker than any in recent years and maybe in many years, but is that partly because five or six are playing varsity/JV? Regardless, if they want to stay at or near the level they're at now past 2019 or 2020, they'll need a good freshman class next year.

 

[tulla]

Really pcc64 ?!?? So that’s what’s going on and why Lasalle which was one of area’s great teams for last 15-20 is not competing like they use to ?? Jesuits or Christians Brothers. Oh ok !! Has nothing to do w the football side of it ? I guess that settles that question

LaSalle had a string of great seasons, but they didn't have great teams for most of the last 15 to 20 years. Yes, they beat SJP in a really freaky championship game in 2006 but their really good teams began in the 2008 season--after which they had four more excellent seasons. From '13 to '17 their teams were consistently good to very good. So if you want to be a little loose with "great," you could say they were one of the areas great teams for about 10 years. This year, you'd have to say they're so-so. I expect they have better years ahead.

 

[phillysportz]

Prep has 9 freshman on their varsity roster. No drop off. It keeps coming.

 

[new2pa]

Question for the SJP guys. A couple of people on here have mentioned that Coach Infante wants to make SJP a national program. What exactly does that mean? Play only team from NJ, CA, FL, AL, DC, TX instead of D12? Or just more of them? From what I read and see, it seems like playing in PA is going to become anti-climatic fairly soon.

 

[tulla]

Question for the SJP guys. A couple of people on here have mentioned that Coach Infante wants to make SJP a national program. What exactly does that mean? Play only team from NJ, CA, FL, AL, DC, TX instead of D12? Or just more of them? From what I read and see, it seems like playing in PA is going to become anti-climatic fairly soon.

SJP has no interest at all in leaving the PCL, so that commits them (in the Red (larger school) /Blue (smaller school) structure of the league to playing five regular season league games and to participating in the league championship process (usually two games). That doesn't leave much space for a "national" schedule. Infante is clearly interested in playing north Jersey teams. Sometimes that has meant two regular season games, but it's always meant at least one and usually two scrimmages.against Bergen Catholic and St. Joe's Montvale. They've also often played one game--and this year two games--against schools from Maryland/DC, so that leaves at most one possible game against a team from outside the Middle Atlantic region. All of that makes "national power" a kind of fuzzy notion.

 

[pclfan1]

Hey new, I think he has done it. Consistently ranked in USA today top 15, and currently number 8 on the national ranking for Catholic high schools. SJP is ahead of any of the north jersey titans, and on the eastern seaboard they are behind a DC behemoth and St Francis from Baltimore. They play anyone and anywhere. I don't know what else needs to be done to be a national power. Playing an IMG is dumb, that doesn't benefit anyone except IMG. Maybe they play a Georgia or Florida team every so often? And I don't agree winning Pa is anti-climatic ever. First, they won't win every year. And even if they don't it won't mean they aren't a national power. I don't even like the prep but damn if you can't see what the heck they built maybe we aren't watching the same sport.

 

[new2pa]

PCL - that absolutely wasn’t meant to be a shot at SJP. I admire their teams and in particular how they are coached. Up to date schemes played with good effort and technique. That’s actually one the main reason most teams out West don’t stand much of a chance even when they have comparable players. They are out-coached and out-programmed 10 out of 10 times.

Can’t wait to see my Rams play them again. Win or loss it will be a good game for us whenever it happens.

 

[Gang $$ Green]

One thing for certain. The days of measuring anything by a freshmen team have long since past. Numbers, players, all of it. I wouldn't put one bit of credence into Prep freshmen record.

Couple things have changed with Prep program. Days of 80 on sideline are gone. The program is so good and hyper competitive that it drives down numbers. They are getting better players than ever but there are lots of kids who would have went there five years ago choosing not to go because the path to ever getting anywhere near field are tenuous at best.

Add in the commitment level, travel etc, kids and parents are saying do I really want to drive 30 miles at 5:30 in the morning to maybe run under kicks. If there are 9 freshmen playing up at a place like Prep there maybe room for 4 kids at best who actually play freshmen football to ever play there.

Look at junior QB class. None can play QB there. Got recruited over. Toms River kid played up as freshman. Had to transfer because got recruited over by great talent. The kid who played QB on that freshmen team would be a top two QB in Delaware County right now. Lotta places where he could have went he would start at QB for three to four years. Would be the starter right now at both Episcopal or Haverford School who wanted him in Inter Ac. Has one offensive touch as a junior.

Know some kids who have gone down there and never played while other kids not quite as good as them start multiple years on very good public school teams. People see that and are noticing. That program will have 50 kids total in it over next few years. Those 50 are probably going to be unreal players. No different than a D1 type playing environment. If not good enough you accept it and stay or transfer back.

 

[roxychknpoxy]

Prep has been playing a non league schedule of teams predominantly on east coast and most recently nationally for 20+ years.

 

[tulla]

Prep has been playing a non league schedule of teams predominantly on east coast and most recently nationally for 20+ years.

Agreed, but when I hear "national schedule" or "national power" I think of playing at least a couple of games against teams from outside the mid-Atlantic (DC to New York) region.As far as I can recall, the Prep has often scheduled one such game in a year but not more.

 

[btm2070]

SJP

Roxy, I've heard that the freshman team at SJP is much weaker than any in recent years and maybe in many years, but is that partly because five or six are playing varsity/JV? Regardless, if they want to stay at or near the level they're at now past 2019 or 2020, they'll need a good freshman class next year.

SJP has 9, yes 9 freshman up. The freshman team would not have lost had the 9 been on team. Freshman RB will be better than 2 backs staring for Prep now. The freshman class will be very good next year!

 

[pclfan1]

New I knew that wasn't a shot. I hope the P-R rivalry heats up over the years. And now it is a semi game, it should get hotter. You now can't say at least I got there.
Gang as usual you have your finger on the pulse. Great post. Look for the inter-acs, central league, and LS to benefit from the riches of SJP.

 

[tulla]

SJP

SJP has 9, yes 9 freshman up. The freshman team would not have lost had the 9 been on team. Freshman RB will be better than 2 backs staring for Prep now. The freshman class will be very good next year!

Thanks for that. A friend saw the freshman game against Bosco and was concerned about SJP's team.

I guess with some PCL teams not having JV teams and/or freshman teams, it's especially hard to get a sense of how things look. Big difference from just 4-5 years ago.

 

[paul from philly]

They used my son's freshman team as a minor league team for the JV and Varsity. It was all new me. They didn't care about winning or losing, they just wanted to see who had talent. Mind you, his team finished 7-1 with the lone lose coming to.....wait for it........the Prep. By an extra point. They didn't have a field goal kicker at the time.

 

[new2pa]

New I knew that wasn't a shot. I hope the P-R rivalry heats up over the years. And now it is a semi game, it should get hotter. You now can't say at least I got there.
.

I hope it goes back to the old way though. Just seems more natural.

 

[DCSOL]

Looks like it may be NA and Prep... Lebo was beating PCC early...

 

[JACKY6996]

Looks like it may be NA and Prep... Lebo was beating PCC early...

Wouldn’t pencil that in just yet. NA will have to play either PCC or SV in the semifinals, then likely beat PR again at Heinz. Wpial 6A is between NA, PR, and SV imo

 

[roxychknpoxy]

Wouldn’t pencil that in just yet. NA will have to play either PCC or SV in the semifinals, then likely beat PR again at Heinz. Wpial 6A is between NA, PR, and SV imo

Unfortunately, as New alluded to above and Jacky insinuated, East heads West before it heads central (Hershey) ... Coatesville will be in Hershey against one of the teams mentioned above including the possibility of SJP - outside shot of an all Eastern final under these wacky PIAA new rules ... Western crowd should be upset.