La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

Game 1, September 8, 1996: La Salle 28 – West Catholic 0 by Frank Bertucci, Inquirer

La Salle Blanks W. Catholic In A Game Shortened By Half; The Explorers Were Leading, 28-0, When Heavy Rain Ended The Game. They Were Declared The Winners. La Salle didn't need a full game to prove it was better than West Catholic in yesterday's game at Springfield High. So when thunder roared, lightning flashed and rain fell just before the teams returned to the field for the second half, officials delayed the start of play and then determined that the field was unplayable. The game ended after a 40-minute wait. The Explorers' 28-0 lead was declared the final score. “There was a safety factor with the field conditions,'' referee Jerry McGinn said. “It's early in the season, and we don't want the kids hurt.'' In the first half, the only hurt was to West Catholic's pride. The Burrs' total offense was 3 yards; La Salle's was 146. And the Explorers' defense and special teams, in the person of safety Ed Boron, were responsible for scoring as many touchdowns - two - as the offense. Boron opened the scoring with a 32-yard return of an interception on the game's third play from scrimmage. And he ended the scoring with a 50-yard punt return with 6 minutes, 58 seconds to play in the second period. They were the senior's first varsity TDs. “I just made a simple read, and then had a couple of nice blocks,'' he said of the interception. “Last year, it seemed that every time we had an interception, there was always a clipping penalty. “The punt, I don't know where I pulled that from.'' The game wasn't totally one-sided. West Catholic's Virgil Sheppard reached the end zone on a 71-yard pass from quarterback Eric Martinson late in the second period, but a clipping penalty nullified the play. Except for that play, La Salle's defense was in fine form. The offense, meanwhile, scored on two drives, but also saw two other series end with an interception and a fumble. “This game builds confidence in the defense, but the offense wanted to try different things,'' Boron said. Junior quarterback Brett Gordon came out throwing, as he usually does, and completed 7 of 11 pass attempts for 91 yards, with a 25-yard score to Mike Durso. Gordon also connected with his favorite receiver of a year ago, Mike Mattia three times for 26 yards. In all, five Explorers caught passes. The win was the 12th straight for La Salle, the defending Catholic League champion, and somewhat eased the sting of last season's opening 34-33 loss to West. “We talked about that early in the week,'' Boron said. This week, the Explorers can talk about what they might do if they ever play a full game.

Game 2, September 14, 1996: La Salle 41 – Valley Forge Mil. Acad. 0 by Adam Gusdorff, Inquirer

La Salle Squelches Valley Forge, 41-0; The Explorers Held The Trojans To 112 Yards. Their QB, Brett Gordon, Threw Five Touchdown Passes.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

The scariest part of La Salle's 41-0 romp over Valley Forge Military Academy on Saturday was not the cool efficiency quarterback Brett Gordon displayed while leading the Explorers downfield. Nor was it the defense's earning its second straight shutout by limiting the Trojans (0-2) to 112 total yards. No, the scariest part came after the game, when coaches and players alike agreed on one thing. “We still need to improve,'' Gordon said. “There's still some confusion with personnel, and we still had some missed assignments and reads. Hopefully, when we get to the prime part of the season, everything will be working well.'' Receiver Jeff Pietrak, who caught two of Gordon's career-high five touchdown passes, and coach Joe Colistra echoed Gordon's thoughts. Overconfidence does not seem to be a problem for the Explorers (2-0), who have outscored their opponents by 69-0 in just six quarters of play. Their first game, a 28-0 win over West Catholic, was called at halftime because of rain. In their first full game, the Explorers easily overmatched the Trojans. Gordon was in midseason form, throwing passes to seven different receivers. Making his performance even more remarkable, he did not complete a single pass to Mike Mattia, who was his favorite target last year and is among the area's best receivers. “We've got a bunch of new guys out there who can catch the ball,'' Gordon said. “Everyone recognizes that people will be keying on Mike, and he'll be the first to tell you that it's great because it's a chance for three other guys to be open.'' It seemed that every time a receiver went into his pattern on Saturday, he was open. Four fumbles by the Trojans gave La Salle excellent field position, so Gordon threw for only 143 yards on 11-of-16 passing in 2 1/2 quarters of play. “That's the best passing team we'll see this year,'' Trojans coach Mike Kormor said. “I thought we stopped the run pretty well, but we didn't stop the pass as well as we needed to.'' While the Brett Gordon Aerial Show was leading the offense to five touchdowns on its first eight possessions, the defense allowed VFMA to get inside the La Salle 30 only once. Scary, indeed.

Game 3, September 20, 1996: La Salle 21 – Kennedy-Kenrick 18 by Mike Sielski, Inquirer

La Salle Emerges A 21-18 Winner In Air War With Kennedy-Kenrick; The Explorers' Gordon And The Wolverines' DeChurch Were Two QBs Who Passed In The Night. You couldn't have asked for a better shootout from Clint and the Duke. La Salle quarterback Brett Gordon and Kennedy-Kenrick quarterback Chris DeChurch blasted away at each other and didn't stop until the Explorers prevailed, 21-18, in a nonleague game Friday night. Gordon, a junior who stands 5-foot-9, completed 14 of 21 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns, delivering the final shot midway through the fourth quarter with a 10-yard fastball to Mike Mattia. “I rolled out a lot, and that was an adjustment we made during the game,'' Gordon said. “I'm just glad Mike was open in the end zone.'' But Gordon might have been bettered by DeChurch, only 5-7 himself, who was 19 for 26 for 190 yards. He threw for one touchdown, ran for another, and completed 15 consecutive passes at one point. “Who needs professional football when you can watch a game like that?'' La Salle coach Joe Colistra asked. 2

La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

The Explorers (3-0), who had bludgeoned opponents by a 69-0 total in their first two games and were ranked No. 3 in the area by The Inquirer, ended the third quarter dazed, dizzied and trailing, 18-14. “I think La Salle was in shock that we came out throwing like we did,'' said coach Dan Bielli of Kennedy- Kenrick (0-3). “Everything was high-risk. If you lie back against La Salle, they'll eat you up.'' So DeChurch took risks. He threw early, often - and deep. He's “real good,'' Colistra said. “Boy, my heart was racing all night.'' On the drive after Mattia's winning catch, Bielli and his staff elected to run fullback Greg Sadowski up the gut on fourth and 1 from the La Salle 21. Sadowski was smothered behind the line of scrimmage. Despite his quarterback's dissection of La Salle's defense, Bielli refused to second-guess himself. “We thought [Sadowski] would make it,'' Bielli said. “If I had it to do again, I would make the same call.''

Game 4, September 27, 1996: La Salle 42 – Cardinal Dougherty 10 by Marcia C. Smith, Inquirer

Passing Of Gordon Guides Explorers To 42-10 Triumph Behind its star quarterback, its unyielding defensive line and its ability to cool the opponent's wishful crowd, La Salle routed Cardinal Dougherty, 42-10, last night in a Catholic League North Division game at Northeast High. Everything worked for the Explorers (4-0 overall, 1-0 league) and Brett Gordon, who completed 17 of 27 passes for 194 yards and four touchdowns. Gordon took his time behind the line, scrambled out of the pocket when he needed to, and fired at his targets for frequent gains. The game was typical for the junior. As for the Cardinals (3-1, 0-1), the game will be remembered for mistakes: five costly turnovers and many expensive penalties earned out of frustration. Their trials were early lessons for the season. For the first nine minutes of the game, the Cardinals thought they could pull off an upset. “As soon as the defense was able to take the ball away from Dougherty and get our offense on, we were able to run our game,'' Explorers coach Joe Colistra said. “Until then, we seemed a little flat.'' The turning point for the Explorers came late in the first quarter, after a couple of key completions between quarterback Ryan Hamilton and Mike Prince and a ground attack led by Brett Crespina set up a 32-yard field goal by the Cardinals' Matt McDonald. The score, which capped the first drive of the game, sparked Dougherty's hope of dethroning the defending Catholic League champion and second-ranked team in this week's Southeastern Pennsylvania poll. Shortly, the hope was abandoned. “We shot ourselves in the foot, and you can't do that against a team like La Salle,'' said the Cardinals' second-year coach, Frank McArdle. “They simply played better.'' Gordon countered the Dougherty field goal by connecting with junior Jeff Pietrak, who outran his defender and made an over-the-shoulder catch for a 27-yard touchdown. La Salle's defensive line, led by Brendan Coyle and Mike Zeccardi, then stonewalled Dougherty's running game. Matt Maloney recovered a Cardinals fumble, which led to a touchdown catch by Mike Mattia, Gordon's frequent target. That closed the half with the Explorers ahead, 14-3. In the second half, the momentum stayed with the Explorers, who struck on Gordon's touchdown tosses to Mattia and Tim McNichol and two touchdown rushes by Kyle Mallach.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

In the closing minutes, Crespina had a 67-yard punt return that set up John Bohrer's 3-yard scramble for the Cardinals' only touchdown. by Ted Silary, Daily News

La Salle's Pietrak Catches On To watch Jeff Pietrak play receiver for La Salle High's football team, one would think he's been catching passes all his life. Um, not really. Pietrak, a 5-11, 170-pound junior, was a two-way back in youth football and almost exclusively a cornerback last fall. “I caught one pass. It was in a JV game,'' Pietrak said. “It did go for a touchdown, though.'' So far this fall, Pietrak has contributed 10 receptions for 220 yards and five TDs to the Explorers' pass- happy attack. Three catches, 41 yards and one score came last night in a 42-10 Catholic North-opening blowout of host Cardinal Dougherty. Jeff must have worked hard all summer getting ready for football. “Not at all,'' he said. “I didn't have a chance. I went from baseball right into football. I was very busy with baseball [playing for Rhawnhurst American Legion, the Frankford Boys Club and in the Keystone Games]. But once we started football practice, I did get my work in.'' Pietrak is accustomed to making splashes. Last spring, he was slated to play centerfield for the JV. But when a few other players were late reporting for baseball while concluding their hockey commitments, Pietrak was given a chance to start for the varsity and seized it. All he did was hit .478 and become a coaches' first team All-Catholic honoree. Like University of Wisconsin quarterback Mike Samuel, Pietrak is one who got away from the Frankford High Pioneers. Though he lives near Large and Allengrove streets, and attended elementary school at Edmunds - directly across from Frankford's football field - he opted for La Salle. Actually, his parents made him opt. “They didn't think I'd do well at Frankford,'' he said. “I didn't like La Salle at first. Now, I love it. La Salle's soccer coach [Bob Peffle] is also Frankford's baseball coach. He's always kidding me about choosing to go to school out of the neighborhood.'' Pietrak was one of four Explorers to make three receptions, joining Mike Mattia (3-41, two TDs), Mike Durso (3-48) and Matt Maloney (3-41) as Brett Gordon passed 17-for-27 for 194 yards and four TDs. Four games into his junior season, Gordon needs five TD passes to tie the city league record set in 1994 by Monsignor Bonner's Mike Mitros, now starring at West Chester. “It's great being a receiver here,'' Pietrak said. “We send out five receivers on every play. Brett has no favorite. Whoever gets open, he's going to throw it to. On screens, and maybe a few other plays, the receiver [is predetermined]. But usually, we run our patterns and he picks somebody out. If you want the ball, you have to come off the line hard and concentrate on running a good pattern.'' Pietrak's sophomore football season featured the high of gaining a starting spot at cornerback and the low of losing it after missing a week because of sickness. He's again at cornerback and his seven-tackle effort last night was highlighted by his open-field stop of Kareem Osborne, preventing what likely would have been a 98-yard, kickoff-return TD. Rather than that bright spot, the Cards had to settle for Ryan Hamilton passing 9-for-21 for 95 yards and Mike Prince making eight catches for 82 yards.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

Game 5, October 5, 1996: La Salle 24 – Father Judge 3 by Frank Bertucci, Inquirer

Unbeaten La Salle Stops Judge, 24-3; Brett Gordon Had Two TD Passes. But The Explorers' Undersized Defense Also Came Up Big. It was another big game for Brett Gordon and La Salle's offense in Saturday's 24-3 victory over Father Judge. It was also another big game for the other side of the undefeated Explorers - the defense, which has allowed only four touchdowns in five games, and which limited Judge's previously powerful offense to only 24 yards and two first downs in the second half. “We play big defense, but we're not very big,'' coach Joe Colistra said after his team, ranked second in the area by The Inquirer, earned its 16th consecutive win. “We're quick and courageous. That's all we have going for us.'' Judge quarterback Joe Tyer had La Salle linemen Brendan Coyle (2 1/2 sacks), Mike Zeccardi and Paul D'Orazio in his backfield as often as his running backs. “Our quickness is an advantage,'' said Zeccardi. “The guys on the line come at you from all directions.'' The game began as if neither defense would stop the other team's offense. La Salle (5-0 overall, 2-0 Catholic League Northern Division) drove 80 yards on the game's first series before Gordon threw a 30- yard touchdown pass to Mike Mattia on a fourth-and-9 play. Judge (4-1, 1-1) answered in kind, with Tyer taking his team to La Salle's 8 before settling for a 28-yard field goal by Kevin McGerry. Gordon came back to kick a 24-yard field goal early in the second period for a 10-3 Explorers lead, and then his defense took over for the rest of the game. Judge had eight possessions in the second half. The first five lasted for three plays before a punt. The sixth picked up one first down, but ended with another punt. Judge's seventh series ended with McGerry attempting a pass (incomplete) from punt formation, and the eighth ended with a La Salle touchdown, courtesy of a 47-yard interception return by Jeff Pietrak. The game's last play ended, appropriately, with Coyle sacking Tyer for an 11-yard loss. Judge finished with 116 yards of total offense, and Tyer completed only 6 of 19 passes for 46 yards with two interceptions. “We had eight kids returning on defense'' from last season, said Colistra, “guys you never hear of, like Todd Carmody, Mike Zeccardi, John Price. They're not big; they look like chess players. But that's what we've got.'' Gordon completed only 9 of 24 pass attempts, but for 166 yards and two TDs, the second a 45-yard bomb to Tim McNichol in the third period. He now has 15 TD passes in five games. Gordon's passing will win a few more games for the Explorers, but this one belonged to his defensive partners.

Game 6, October 11, 1996: La Salle 10 – North Catholic 0 by Rick O’Brien, Inquirer

La Salle's Coyle Anchors Defense In A 10-0 Victory; The Senior Had 13 Tackles, Including 10 Solo Stops And One Sack, In The Win Over North Catholic. 5

La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, La Salle defensive tackle Brendan Coyle would appear to be overmatched when pitted against a burly offensive lineman. Coyle himself questioned the coaching staff's decision last season to position him at tackle. ``I asked them last year to move me back to linebacker, which I played as a sophomore, but they wouldn't do it,'' he said. Considering the number of tackles he has been involved in over the last two seasons, Coyle has long since stopped questioning the switch. The lightning-quick senior recorded 13 tackles, including 10 solo stops and one sack, as the Explorers shut out host North Catholic, 10-0, Friday night in a Catholic League Northern Division matchup at Northeast High. La Salle, ranked second in the area by The Inquirer, improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in division action. A coaches' second-team all-Catholic selection last season, Coyle made four tackles for a combined loss of 13 yards. “I'm undersized for the position I play,'' Coyle said, “but I'm pretty used to it by now. Tonight, I was matched up against a player that was about the same size as me, so that was nice for a change.'' Trailing by 10-0, the Falcons (2-4, 1-2) opened the second half by marching 50 yards in nine plays to the La Salle 30-yard line. Coyle, though, helped thwart the drive when he dumped quarterback Jim Miller for a 2-yard loss and joined linebacker Drew Middlemiss in stopping Brian Boss after a 3-yard pickup. “We knew North was going to try to run the ball right down our throats,'' Coyle said. “That's just the way they play.'' Coyle's brother Pat played linebacker last season for an Explorers team that won 11 straight games en route to its first Catholic League championship since 1989. He was one of only three defensive starters lost to graduation. Middlemiss and defensive back Todd Carmody (one sack) each contributed seven tackles against North. Coyle, however, was most responsible for limiting the Falcons to 45 total yards in the first half. “He's so quick, and that's what you need on defense,'' La Salle coach Joe Colistra said. “He also has good technique.'' The Explorers won despite netting only 137 total yards. Junior Brett Gordon, who missed part of the second quarter with a bruised shoulder, completed 9 of 20 passes for 63 yards. Senior Mike Durso rushed 10 times for 41 yards. La Salle did all of its scoring in the opening 13 minutes. Senior Kyle Mallach ran 3 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and junior Jeff Pietrak kicked a 35-yard field goal early in the second.

Game 7, October 20, 1996: La Salle 14 – Bishop McDevitt 6 by Ted Silary, Daily News

Sub QB Sparks Big La Salle Win; Hammond Poised In Game Of Unbeatens La Salle High's quarterback joyously accepted the game ball from coach Joe Colistra, then rode off the field on the shoulders of teammates. As the fans cheered and the pep band blared, the QB hoisted his helmet and flashed a megawatt smile. Brett Gordon is some kind of quarterback. But yesterday, he was not the hero. Jack Hammond, a 5-11, 160-pound senior, directed the Explorers' offense in a 14-6 Catholic North win over visiting Bishop McDevitt as the pass-happy Gordon, a junior, watched and nursed a tender right shoulder (except for when he kicked extra points). 6

La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

Did Hammond dazzle? No. Was he efficient? Yes. Was Colistra surprised? No. “Not to sound arrogant,'' Colistra said, “but Jack goes against the best defense in the league in practice every day. I had all the confidence in the world.'' Hammond scored La Salle's first touchdown on a 1-yard, right-side keeper 39 seconds before halftime. Before and after, he completed nine of 19 passes (no interceptions) for 83 yards, connecting four times for first downs on third-and-at-least-7. Gordon, who needs just three TD passes to tie the career city league record of 41, was injured Friday a week ago against North Catholic. Though Gordon's status remained day-to-day through the week, Hammond took all of the first team snaps in practice beginning Wednesday and was pretty sure he'd be starting. By his own admission, he is hardly a natural. “I didn't play football until ninth grade - it was all soccer before then - and my first position was linebacker,'' Hammond said. “When I got to 10th grade, the JV needed a quarterback. My dad [John] convinced me to give it a shot. I'd played baseball all my life. I figured, `If you can throw a baseball, you should be able to throw a football at least half decent.' '' If not for Gordon, Hammond likely would have been a two-season QB starter. Instead, he has been a receiver. “I didn't know much about Brett because I never saw him play for our freshman team,'' Hammond said. “But after a few practices last year, I could see he was better than I was. He had a much stronger arm. “I wasn't depressed when they switched me to tight end. I got into being a receiver right away. What helped was having a real big game in our opener against West Catholic [four catches for 91 yards and a TD]. Helping the team, that's the idea.'' Said Colistra: “To know about Jack Hammond, all you needed to see was his reaction last year [to being beaten out by Gordon]. He was great. He has never missed a practice, has never lost his enthusiasm. He's an optimistic kid, and believes in himself.'' The rivalry between La Salle and McDevitt, located 2 miles apart, is heated. Yesterday, the Explorers were more stoked than ever en route to their 18th consecutive win because of messages that were spray-painted all over their locker room sometime between the end of practice Friday and Saturday morning. One of the scrawlings advised Gordon, who was heckled by McDevitt fans, to bring a body bag to the game. Hammond was under orders not to speak about the graffiti. Colistra declined comment, except to insist no one on his staff was responsible. (Coaches have been known to trash their locker rooms, and blame it on opponents, in the name of motivation.) Joe Parisi, La Salle's athletic director, said nothing was broken or stolen. He said the handiwork might have been done during a dance at the school Friday night. McDevitt earned the game's first score on Dennis Flaherty's 67-yard, second-quarter pass to Shanga Tabb. Any letdown was halted immediately, though, when Ed Bongard blocked Russ Nelson's PAT. The Lancers did little else, witness they were held to 30 yards rushing and five first downs. La Salle's second score came with 3:10 left when Mike Durso (21 carries, 91 yards) absorbed Chris Kittredge's rock-hard hit at the line, then spun away and ran 34 yards to the end zone. “There was definitely a lot of pressure,'' Hammond said. ``With both teams 6-0, this was our biggest game yet. We missed Brett, but nobody was going, `Oh. no. We can't win without him.' The guys had confidence in me.''

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996 by Frank Bertucci, Inquirer

Hammond Lifts La Salle Past McDevitt, 14-6; Starting For Injured QB Brett Gordon, He Scored The Explorers' First TD In The North Division Showdown. Jack Hammond said he knew Wednesday that he might be called on to replace Brett Gordon as La Salle's starting quarterback when the undefeated Explorers faced undefeated Bishop McDevitt. But he must have had some doubt about it until he actually stepped onto the field with the offense in yesterday afternoon's Catholic League Northern Division showdown at Springfield High School. Hammond scored one touchdown and led the Explorers, ranked No. 3 in the area by The Inquirer, to a 14-6 victory over No. 4 McDevitt. “I was all right all week, until this morning,'' Hammond said after La Salle's 18th consecutive victory. “Then I was nervous until the first or second play.'' La Salle coach Joe Colistra had kept everyone guessing about Gordon's playing status. The junior quarterback injured his right shoulder the week before against North Catholic, and had an MRI performed Saturday morning. “I just wanted to do whatever I needed to do,'' said Hammond, who completed 9 of 19 passes for 84 yards. His job was made easier because the Explorers (7-0 overall, 4-0 league) allowed McDevitt nothing but a 67-yard touchdown pass from Dennis Flaherty to Shanga Tabb. The Lancers (6-1, 3-1) had only five first downs, and a total offense of just 81 yards without the TD pass. “We told the defense if they [the Lancers] didn't score, we can't lose,'' Colistra said. “And they're mad that they scored.'' One defender who made his presence felt was junior linebacker Ed Bongard. He blocked the extra point after McDevitt's TD, and made a one-on-one tackle of McDevitt's speedy Jason Johnson for a 1-yard loss on a third and 2 early in the third period. “All week we said we'd do whatever we had to do to get the ball to the offense,'' Bongard said, “and the offense played great. “On the extra point, my job is to get over the center and jump as high as I can. It [the kick] was right in my face.'' After McDevitt scored midway through the second period, Hammond scored the tying touchdown from 1 yard out with 39 seconds to play in the half. Gordon's extra point kick gave the Explorers the lead at 7-6. La Salle's last TD was a 34-yard dash by Mike Durso late in the fourth period. And when the game ended on Jim Noone's interception of a desperation pass by Flaherty, Hammond didn't even have to walk off the field. He was carried off by his teammates.

Game 8, October 26, 1996: La Salle 14 – Archbishop Wood 0 by Rick O’Brien, Inquirer

Wood Is No Match As La Salle Douses Early Fire In 14-0 Win Archbishop Wood's second offensive series, which spanned 10 plays and covered 53 yards, gave first- year coach Tom Magdelinskas cause for optimism. Facing the Catholic League Northern Division's stingiest defense, Wood had posted three first downs, and seemingly demonstrated an ability to run the option attack. 8

La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

It was short-lived. Returning to its stingy ways, La Salle limited Wood to 59 yards of total offense in the last three quarters and blanked the Vikings, 14-0, Saturday night at William Tennent's Claude Lodge Memorial Field. En route to their second shutout in three games and fourth of the season, the first-place Explorers (8-0 overall, 5-0 division) held the hosts to minus-1 yard rushing in the second half and sacked quarterback Mike Becker five times. The performance by La Salle's defense overshadowed the return of junior quarterback Brett Gordon. In the previous week's 14-6 win over Bishop McDevitt, Gordon was sidelined with a bruised right shoulder. “I'm more impressed, to be honest with you, with their defense than their offense,'' Magdelinskas said. “They've shut down some pretty good teams this year.'' Wood, which had been seeking its first win over La Salle since 1987, slipped to 4-4 and 2-3. Senior linebacker Drew Middlemiss (six solos) and junior end Paul D'Orazio (five) each made eight tackles to spark La Salle's defense. Senior tackle Brendan Coyle contributed six solo tackles, including two second-half sacks. “We came out very flat in this game,'' said Middlemiss, who dumped Becker for an 8-yard, fourth-quarter loss, “but we played fairly well in the second half.'' “When you play an option team, you have to be fundamentally sound,'' said coach Joe Colistra, whose Explorers won their 19th consecutive game. “And that's OK with us, because that's what we preach anyway.'' La Salle scored its first touchdown less than a minute before halftime, capitalizing on Gordon's 11-yard toss to Mike Durso. An insurance score came on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Game 9, November 2, 1996: La Salle 24 – Archbishop Ryan 0 by Adam Gusdorff, Inquirer

La Salle Rips Ryan, 24-0, To Take North Crown La Salle running back Eric Seiferth's strategy is simple. At 5-foot-4, he doesn't have too many options. “What I have to do is hide behind the line until I see a hole I can shoot for,'' the junior said. “I'm quick, but that's pretty much all I have. I can't really knock people over, so I try to get to the hole and see what I have.'' Seiferth, starting in place of injured senior Mike Durso, found his holes pretty well Saturday in a Catholic League Northern Division game with Archbishop Ryan. He ran for a game-high 84 yards on 17 carries and scored his first two touchdowns of the season as the Explorers won, 24-0, at Springfield. The victory was the 20th in a row for La Salle (9-0 overall, 6-0 league) and clinched the division title. The Raiders (2-7, 2-4) hardly looked like the team that lost by just 14-7 to the Explorers in last year's league championship game. The teams combined for seven punts and three turnovers before Seiferth broke the scoreless tie with an 18-yard run in the second quarter. He closed the scoring with a 19-yard TD run in the third. With Durso out until the playoffs with a foot injury, the Explorers, ranked No. 4 in the area by The Inquirer, needed Seiferth's speed in the backfield. “He's a very capable runner,'' coach Joe Colistra said. “He started a couple games early in the season when a few kids were injured, so we feel comfortable with him in the backfield.''

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

The defense was again even more impressive than the offense. The Explorers sacked Ryan's three quarterbacks three times and picked off six passes. In all, the Raiders' QBs combined for 4-for-26 passing and a mere 59 yards, 40 of them on one play. In holding the Raiders to 139 total yards, La Salle earned its fifth shutout of the season. “We knew they wanted to throw the ball, so we worked on our pass defense all week at practice,'' Colistra said. “We do that every week because we face our quarterback [Brett Gordon] in practice.'' Gordon, a junior, completed 10 of 20 passes for 101 yards and threw two interceptions.

Game 10, November 9, 1996: La Salle 41 – Conwell-Egan 0 by Joe Fite, Inquirer

La Salle Has No Difficulty With Conwell-Egan, 41-0; The Unbeaten Explorers Tuned Up For The Playoffs In Their Regular-season Finale. The Eagles Fell To 0-10. For most people, the Catholic League Northern Division finale between La Salle and Conwell-Egan at Plymouth-Whitemarsh on Saturday didn't mean much. The Explorers had clinched the Northern Division regular-season title last week when they beat Archbishop Ryan, 24-0, and the Eagles had struggled all season and figured to struggle against La Salle. So this game appeared to be little more than a playoff tuneup for the Explorers, The Inquirer's No. 2- ranked area team. But it turned out to be so much more than that. The Explorers (10-0 overall, 7-0 division) dropped Conwell-Egan, 41-0, to register their third consecutive shutout, their sixth shutout overall, and their 21st consecutive win. In the midst of all that, junior quarterback Brett Gordon broke a league record for touchdown passes in a career when he hit Mike McIntyre with an 11-yard scoring pass in the middle of the end zone with 1 minute, 20 seconds left. It was his 42d touchdown pass, breaking the record of 41 set by Monsignor Bonner's Mike Mitros in 1994. “I'm excited,'' Gordon said. “I wasn't really concerned about it coming in. We knew we were close, and then, when it happened, it wasn't part of the game plan. It was just kind of the way things turned out today. The amount of times we throw the ball and the talent we have receiver-wise and the offensive line's just been improving each week - we figured it would come.'' One of those talented receivers also reached a milestone. Mike Mattia caught seven passes from Gordon for 56 yards. His fourth catch, coming in La Salle's second series in the first quarter, was his 100th career catch. “It's nice,'' Mattia said. “I like it. We work hard every day in practice. We're always throwing balls, probably 200 a practice. With Brett's arm and Coach [Drew] Gordon's mind and [Brett's] mind - he calls a lot of plays at the line of scrimmage - we just have the talent to go out and do it.'' Mattia went out and did it against the Eagles (0-10, 0-7) with a pair of touchdown catches. Matt Maloney also got it done with three rushing touchdowns. Now the Explorers will be looking to get it done against North Catholic in the playoffs this coming weekend.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

Game 11, November 16, 1996: La Salle 40 – North Catholic 0 (PCL Qfinal) by Nick Fierro, Inquirer

Fired-up La Salle Playing In A Zone; The Explorers' Catholic North Playoff Opener Was Swift And Brutal. North Catholic Was The Unlucky Victim, Falling By 40-0. As the final, meaningless minutes of La Salle's 40-0 Catholic League football playoff romp over North Catholic ticked off the clock Saturday, the La Salle band began playing Chicago's ``25 or 6 to 4.'' Although it was written long before any of the students were born, it seemed fitting because the title could refer to the time of morning when opposing coaches finally turn off the film projectors and try to sleep with the fact that this year's Explorers have little or no weaknesses. “I don't think we've ever played our best,'' said Explorers senior Ed Boron, a defensive back and captain. “There's always room for improvement.'' The scary part is that he's correct. La Salle (11-0) stumbled a few times in the first period of Saturday night's quarterfinal at Northeast High, advancing twice to the North Catholic 1-yard line and twice being denied the end zone. Quarterback Brett Gordon, one of the area's most proficient passers, was harassed by a heavy pass rush that forced him to misfire on five of his first eight attempts. He also was sacked once. “We went to a lot of three-step drops in the second through fourth quarters,'' Gordon said. “We just wanted to get the ball off quicker.'' It worked. Gordon finished with 14 completions in 23 attempts for 178 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Explorers, who were shut out in the first quarter, scored on six of their remaining seven possessions. Defensively, they allowed just six first downs, with three coming on North's final possession. The Falcons (5-6) finished with just 119 total yards, and starting quarterback James Miller went 0 for 7 in pass attempts before giving way to backup Mark Lash in the fourth quarter. “We're really kind of on a roll,'' La Salle coach Joe Colistra conceded. Gordon, who broke the scoreless tie with a 19-yard field goal early in the second period, hit Mike Mattia with a 4-yard touchdown pass 3 minutes, 23 seconds before halftime. He kicked another field goal in the third quarter, then connected with Kyle Mallach on a 40-yard scoring strike just two minutes later. It was only a 20-0 game after three quarters, but Mallach took it in from the 2 to cap a 49-yard drive shortly after the fourth period began. Drew Middlemiss then picked up a fumble on the first play of North's ensuing possession and ran 30 yards for another score. The rout was in full gear. And the band played on. by Ted Silary, Daily News

La Salle's `Bird' Soars Defensively In Win Over North What would help a youngster weighing fewer than 200 pounds thrive at defensive lineman in high school football? Familiarity. Specifically, familiarity with getting knocked around for as long as he can remember. Brendan “Bird'' Coyle, at 5-10, 175 pounds, is a standout defensive tackle for La Salle High. He is also - and this is crucial - the youngest of five sons ranging in age from 31 to 17. When Coyle was asked how many times his brothers had kicked his butt, he laughed and responded,”I can't even tell you how many.'' 11

La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

He added, “We did some destruction around the house, much to my father's dislike.'' Coyle still favors destruction. Two nights ago at Northeast High, the coaches' first-team All-Catholic selection made three tackles for losses and helped dominate the line of scrimmage as La Salle dismantled North Catholic, 40-0, in a Catholic League quarterfinal. The margin of victory was the second-highest in CL postseason history, trailing only Archbishop Carroll's 42-0 win over St. Joseph's Prep in a 1976 semifinal, and the win was the Explorers' 22nd in succession. That it came by shutout should not surprise. La Salle (11-0) owns seven blankings this season and 11 total in the streak. The Explorers' defensive unit, coordinated by Shawn Neely, includes ends Todd Carmody and Mike Zeccardi, tackles Coyle and Paul D'Orazio, nose guard John Price, linebackers Drew Middlemiss and Ed Bongard, cornerbacks Jim Noone and Justin Primus (with part-time work from Mike Mattia) and safeties Ed Boron and Hugh Donnelly. Middlemiss, Noone, Boron and all five linemen are returning starters, though Carmody last year was a safety. “When you come back with eight starters off a championship team,'' Coyle said, “you can be confident about having a good defense. We have good chemistry. We know we can rely on each other to get the job done. “Our line gets good penetration from the sides. If we get in there and the quarterback steps up, he still has to deal with John Price.'' The Coyle brothers, top to bottom, include Bill, Brian (both Archbishop Ryan), John (Archbishop Wood), Pat and Brendan (both La Salle). Pat, now concentrating on lacrosse at Vermont, started last season at linebacker. “My older brothers' always picking on me probably helped,'' said Brendan, who lives in Southampton. “I had to step up, learn how to get things on my own. There was pressure on me to be like them, but it was a good pressure. They were good at teaching me, too.'' Coyle was mostly a running back and linebacker throughout his weight-football career and was still a linebacker as recently as two seasons ago. “I asked the coaches to make me a linebacker this year, but they wouldn't go for it,'' he said. “They had me at defensive end for a while, but then they decided to leave me at tackle and move Todd Carmody up from safety. Pretty much everyone I go against is taller and heavier. I like that, though. That means they're slower. I can use my quickness.'' The defense produced one score against North, as Middlemiss picked up a fumble and dashed 30 yards. Brett Gordon took care of most of the rest, passing 14-for-23 for 177 yards and two touchdowns and kicking two field goals. Coyle, a B student with 1,000 on the Scholastic Assessment Test, is hoping to play Division II or III college football. Wherever he goes, ``Bird'' will likely follow. “My dad [Bill] gave me that name when I was younger,'' he said. “Most people don't know my real name is Brendan.''

Game 12, November 22, 1996: La Salle 41 – Cardinal O’Hara 10 (PCL Semi) by Frank Bertucci, Inquirer

La Salle's Mattia Has Big Game Vs. O'Hara. The Receiver Caught Five Passes In The Explorers' 41-10 Catholic League Semifinal Rout. Two Were For Touchdowns.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

While La Salle rolled on this season, moving its winning streak to 23 games, Mike Mattia appeared to have slowed down. Last season, he was Brett Gordon's favorite receiver, with 59 receptions for 1,037 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was named first-team all-area and first-team all-Catholic League. This season, entering Friday night's league semifinal against Cardinal O'Hara, the senior had only 34 receptions for 344 yards and 7 touchdowns, and had been a mere second-team all-league choice by the coaches. But with his performance in the Explorers' 41-10 rout of O'Hara at Northeast High, Mattia is back on track. Mattia caught five of Gordon's passes for 124 yards - his first 100-yard receiving game of the season - and two touchdowns. “We have so much talent and depth this year, we wanted to spread it around,'' Mattia said. With his performance, Mattia grabbed the team lead in catches, but there was more on the Explorers' minds than personal statistics against O'Hara. “They said something about their fab four defensive backs,'' Mattia said. “They said they could stop us. They said Brett wasn't that good, and that upset us.'' Gordon was good enough to complete 11 of 18 passes for 198 yards, and his four TD passes tied a Catholic League playoff record. The junior also raised his Philadelphia city-league career record in touchdown passes to 48. He has 25 this year. Mattia's two touchdown receptions tied another Catholic League playoff record, one that he had previously tied in a victory over Father Judge last season. “He's amazing,'' Mattia said of Gordon. “I hope when I move on to college I'll have someone like him at quarterback.'' Mattia's first touchdown Friday covered 46 yards, and gave the Explorers a 16-3 lead midway through the second period. He ran a slant pattern to the center of the field, evaded the first O'Hara tackler, and raced into the end zone. His second TD, a 20-yarder, came early in the third period and widened the lead to 29-3. There were no defenders within 15 yards of him while he waited for Gordon's pass to reach him. Of Mattia's three other receptions, two accounted for first downs. He and his teammates were very warm on a night when temperatures were in the 30s. “We don't even think about it,'' he said. “We play like it's 80 degrees out.'' Mattia also plays defense, and he pointed out that against Archbishop Ryan on Nov. 2, he covered Bill Fulforth - voted the Northern Division's most valuable player by league coaches - man to man. “They threw three passes to him,'' Mattia said. “I intercepted one and batted the ball away the other two times. They didn't throw his way again. “I guess he was MVP because he plays for Ryan.'' Gordon's passing show took some of the spotlight away from the Explorers' usual stellar defensive show. A 52-yard run by O'Hara's John Doherty in the final minutes ended in the first TD scored against La Salle in five games. Of the six TDs scored against the 12-0 Explorers this season, two have come at the end of games when most of the starters were on the sideline. Paul D'Orazio led the Explorers with five tackles, and Brendan Coyle had two solo sacks. With the win over O'Hara, the Explorers have outscored two playoff foes, 81-10, and have advanced to the Catholic League championship game for the second year in a row. And Mike Mattia is Brett Gordon's favorite receiver again.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

Game 13, Nov 28, 1996: La Salle 17 – St. Joseph’s Prep 14 (Thanksgiving) by Ted Silary, Daily News

La Salle Keeps Win Streak Intact; Field Goal Boosts Explorers To 24th Straight

Brett Gordon's right foot is now as famous as his right arm, and his La Salle High football team owns the best record in city-leagues history. With 46 seconds remaining in regulation yesterday in front of a packed house at La Salle University, and with his team's long winning streak in jeopardy, Gordon hammered a 17-yard field goal to give the Explorers a 17-14 victory over the Catholic League's other private school, St. Joseph's Prep. La Salle leads on Thanksgiving, 17-4. “Whenever field goal chances come up, I just pretend it's practice,'' said Gordon, who has kicked five field goals this season. “I kick 10 to 15 times in practice every day from various distances. I'm used to it.'' La Salle, winner of 24 straight, is 13-0 this season. No Catholic, Public or Inter-Ac team had ever been better than 12-0 or 12-0-1. Next Friday, 7 p.m., at Northeast, the Explorers will meet Father Judge for the CL title. Judge also won 13 games in 1975, but had a loss in the regular season. According to La Salle coach Joe Colistra, who said he viewed a tape of the game, his team was denied touchdowns at least twice in the four plays preceding the field goal. Colistra said Mike Mattia caught a pass in the end zone and was pushed out on a play that set up first- and-goal from a whisker. He also said the ballcarrier broke the plane on at least one of the three running plays that followed. During the timeout that preceded the field goal, there was no hesitation. “Score tied, so little time left, no question, field goal,'' Colistra said. Said Gordon: “We felt it was the safest way to get the points.'' Gordon completed 24 of 36 passes for 240 yards and one score each to Mike Durso (seven catches, 69 yards) and Tim McNichol (4-66). The Prep received strong efforts from quarterback David Hand (10-for- 23, 124), rusher Aaron Brown (18-80) and receiver Brian Kraus, who caught six passes for 94 yards and whipped a 43-yard scoring pass to Jermaine Slade. The Hawklets were coming off a loss to Judge in the semifinals. “They took it to us,'' Colistra said. “We weren't thinking of the winning streak, really. We just didn't want to tarnish our record going into the championship game. In many ways, this one meant as much as that one.'' Said Gordon: “We had to approach it as a playoff game. It wouldn't have felt right to go into the championship game with a loss to our rival.'' by Pete Schnatz, Inquirer

Explorers Rally Past The Hawks; La Salle's Brett Gordon Threw 2 TDs And Kicked The Winning Field Goal. Joe Colistra has grown accustomed to virtuoso performances by his star quarterback, but yesterday, the La Salle High coach looked like a man who had just stumbled across a masterpiece collecting dust in a corner of his attic.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

It's safe to say the majority of the overflow crowd at La Salle University - in excess of 8,000 fans - felt the same way. They watched the fourth-quarter heroics of Brett Gordon rally undefeated La Salle, The Inquirer's top-ranked team in Southeastern Pennsylvania, to a 17-14 victory over Thanksgiving Day rival St. Joseph's Prep. “I've run out of words to describe him. He was just . . . incredible,'' Colistra said with a smile. Gordon's 17-yard field goal with 46 seconds remaining in regulation, after an emotional goal-line stand by the St. Joe's defense, provided the final margin, but just hinted at the contributions of the 6-foot, 160- pound junior. The Explorers (13-0) relied almost solely on the right arm of Gordon, who completed 24 of 35 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. St. Joe's coach Gil Brooks, whose defensive prowess generated six consecutive shutouts to open the season, often flooded his secondary with eight players to try to stem the flow of La Salle's high-octane offense, which had produced 40 points or more in five games this season. “Brett Gordon's the best player in the [Catholic] League and he proved it once again,'' Brooks said. “We knew La Salle was a great team, but we felt we had a good team as well.'' Gordon repeatedly threaded passes through three and four defenders and showed great poise midway through the fourth quarter when, with La Salle trailing, 14-7, chants of “overrated'' cascaded down from the St. Joe's stands. On fourth and 1 at the Hawks' 33-yard line, Gordon silenced the critics by rolling left and firing a deep sideline pass that Tim McNichol hauled in as he glided into the end zone with 7 minutes, 44 seconds left. “The coaches told me to look for the run first, but I didn't have my footing and didn't think I could get around the end,'' Gordon said. “Tim made a great play getting behind the defensive back, so I just did what I could to get the ball to him.'' La Salle erased a 6-0 deficit in the second quarter with the help of a similar play by Gordon, who looked off his primary receiver and found Mike Durso coming out of the backfield for a 25-yard gain. Two plays later, Gordon found Durso open in the left flat for a 3-yard touchdown. St. Joe's (10-3), which limited La Salle to 17 yards rushing on 18 attempts, had grabbed the lead with a trick play on its first possession. Receiver Brian Kraus took a lateral from quarterback David Hand and heaved a rainbow pass to Jermaine Slade, who was open down the right sideline, for a 43-yard score.

December 6, 1996 by Marcia C. Smith, Inquirer

Crusaders Looking To Topple La Salle; The Explorers Have Been Dominant. In Tonight's Final, They'll Meet A Survivor: Father Judge. One game from perfection, La Salle and its season of domination stand atop the table like a house of cards. Everything - the Explorers' 24-game winning streak and their reign as Catholic League football champions - could come tumbling down. One game from its first title since 1984, Father Judge, which has stunned strong championship contenders in the playoffs, seeks to disrupt yet another football power. The Crusaders have everything to gain. Tonight, La Salle and Father Judge will contend for the Catholic League title at 7 at Northeast High. Father Judge hasn't posted the mammoth victories of La Salle. The Crusaders don't have the flashy, wunderkind players, like Explorers quarterback Brett Gordon (27 touchdowns), or the sticky-handed receivers, Jeff Pietrak and Mike Mattia, or defensive menaces Brendan Coyle and Ed Boron.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

“Nobody thinks we have a shot,'' said Father Judge veteran coach Whitey Sullivan. “Strange things happen in the playoffs. People start to gamble. We will gamble.'' What Father Judge (11-2) has is all the makings of an upset - a team of unheralded heroes like workhorse running back Jim Casey (85 yards per game, 15 touchdowns) and quarterback Joe Tyer, who, somehow, some way, come up with clutch wins. And the Crusaders have come from fourth place in the Northern Division to win the whole thing before, Sullivan said. Earlier this season, La Salle defeated Father Judge, 24-3. That was one of La Salle's closer games in a 13-0 season in which the Explorers have outscored their opponents, 357-61. The Explorers also have seven shutouts this season, including five in the last eight games, and no opponent has scored more than 18 points in a game. Strong on the aerial attack, very capable on the run, masterful on defense when it comes to preventing the short run and stunting the long pass, the Explorers have exploded through the playoffs. They've outscored their opponents, North Catholic and Cardinal O'Hara, by a combined score of 80-10. Is there a prayer for Father Judge? “Can they play 14 games?'' Sullivan said. “If we get two 15-yard penalties in our favor, an interception and strong kicking, we're in.'' La Salle, known for its passing game, surprised Archbishop Ryan in last year's championship with strong rushing performances from Kyle Mallach and Mike Durso to win, 14-7. The Crusaders, Sullivan said, have planned for it all. They also draw much of their title hope from La Salle's Thanksgiving game, a 17-14 final-minute victory over St. Joseph's Prep. A week earlier, Father Judge beat The Prep, 21-12, in the semifinals after edging Bishop McDevitt, 12-6, in overtime in the quarterfinals. They were close games, nevertheless victories. “We're hopeful,'' said Sullivan, who, in 22 years, has taken the Crusaders to a 4-2 record in title games. “It's going to be tough.''

December 6, 1996 by Ted Silary, Daily News

Judge Assistant Seeking Edge Vs. La Salle; Edger Trying To Find Explorers' Weaknesses Father Judge High will need every possible edge in its quest to dethrone La Salle as the Catholic League football champion. That's where Bill Edger comes in. Edger is the Crusaders' defensive coordinator. This week, he also has been the ultimate night owl while preparing for tonight's 7 o'clock clash at Northeast. The Public League title game between Frankford and Murrell Dobbins Tech will be 2 p.m. tomorrow, also at Northeast. “After my wife and kids go to sleep,'' Edger said, “I sit down with the films and a scratch pad and try to come up with a scheme. You name it, I've at least considered it.'' The task facing Edger, and his defenders, is to somehow shackle one of the most prolific passing attacks in CL history. Quarterback Brett Gordon, a junior, has completed 58 percent of his passes for 1,892 yards and 27 touchdowns this season, while helping La Salle become the first 13-0 team in city-leagues history and extend its winning streak to 24 games. After a midseason slump, caused mostly by a tender shoulder, Gordon has 750 yards and 11 touchdowns in his last four games.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

“He's hot, all right,'' Edger said. “You look at the films and, boy, the ball's on the money every time. The only incompletions are dropped passes . . . You can tell they put a lot of time and work into that passing game. They do an excellent job with it.'' As for running . . . Um, what running? Grizzled football purists, especially coaches, will hate this statistic: The Explorers have not produced a 100-yard rusher in any game this season, and have done so just once in the streak. “It's like basketball on grass,'' Edger said. “Spread the field and throw it all over.'' It's not as though Edger has never seen such an offense. He's coached since the mid-1970s and spent five seasons as an assistant at West Chester University. His resume: 1974-75, defensive assistant, Judge; 1976-85, defensive coordinator, Judge; 1986, head coach, Judge (while John “Whitey'' Sullivan took a sabbatical); 1987-88, linebackers, West Chester; 1989-91, defensive line, West Chester; 1992, out of coaching; 1993-present, defensive coordinator, Judge. Edger and his wife, Mary Beth, a nursing director at a local hospital, were married in 1987. Within five years, they had three kids - Billy, 8; Timmy, 7, and Bethie, 5 - and moved to Burlington County, N.J., not exactly an out pattern from West Chester. “With the three kids so fast, my wife still working full time, that long drive every day, hey, I was hanging by a thread,'' Edger said. “I had to get out of the college coaching and take a year off. My plan was to get into something else. But after the '92 season, Judge had some changes and Whitey called me about coming back. “I told him, `Call me in a month.' Another month. `Call me in a month.' I mean, I'd promised my wife. It went on like that until a day before camp was going to start. Whitey came to my mom's house down the Shore. He needed an answer. I told him, `OK, but don't tell my wife.' I coached the first day without her knowing it. I finally told her. She adjusted.'' This week, Edger has been extra busy. He also coaches the girls' varsity basketball team at Charles Audenried High, in South Philly, and has had 7 a.m. practices so he can arrive at Judge on time. In the spring, he coaches Audenried's varsity softball team. In the regular season, Judge lost to La Salle, 24-3. Gordon was only 9-for-24 that day, but hit for scores of 29 and 45 yards. “Two breakdowns,'' Edger said. “We lined up in the wrong spots. It wasn't like the kids got really burned. They just weren't where they needed to be before those plays ever got started.'' Whatever happens tonight, Edger will talk about it for a long time tomorrow. He will attend the wedding of his cousin, Tom Vesey, a La Salle grad. Tom's brother, Mike, played for the Explorers. “The whole family's La Salle people,'' Edger said. “They'll all be at the game.'' And they'll be rooting for Judge's defense to tumble off the edge.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

Game 14, December 6, 1996: La Salle 20 – Father Judge 7 (PCL Champ) by Marcia C. Smith, Inquirer

La Salle Captures Catholic League Title; “Air Gordon'' And The Explorers' Two-pronged Attack Bowled Over Father Judge, 20-7. It was a matter of being different and fooling your toughest opponent of the season. La Salle needed to play a complete game, one that did not take all of its offensive thrust from the gifted throwing arm of record-setting quarterback Brett Gordon and the hammock-like hands of receivers Jeff Pietrak and Mike Mattia. La Salle needed the rush, the bolts from the line on this mud-bowl field that could keep a pass-protecting defense off balance. And keeping Father Judge's defense guessing is what won the Explorers their second Catholic League title in two years. In front of an 8,000-spectator capacity crowd at Northeast High, La Salle defeated Father Judge, 20-7, in last night's Catholic League football final. With the victory, the Explorers (14-0) extended their winning streak to 25 games and their championship count since 1989 to three. For the Crusaders (11-3), who knelt and cried silently in the middle of the cold, worn-out field after the game, their championship drought since 1984 continues. “We never knew what to expect from them, and we couldn't lay down the block and run enough,'' said Father Judge's standout running back, Jim Casey. “We had small mistakes that cost us a lot, couldn't really get the big plays, and got caught in some dumb penalties.'' The Crusaders were forced to play defensively, and their eagerness to stop the Explorers' explosive offense resulted in 95 yards in penalties - including five personal fouls. Trying to shut down what one fan called “Air Gordon,'' Judge defenders Jeff Judge, Sean Graf and John Walker stuck tight with deep threats Mattia and Pietrak, but they did so at the expense of stopping the Explorers' running attack, which was split by Mike Durso and Kyle Mallach. Durso, who had 22 carries for 119 yards and one touchdown, threaded through the line for personal game-high gains of 19 yards on a handoff and 11 on a screen pass. “We knew we had to prove that we could run because everybody was expecting us to pass,'' said Durso, steam billowing from his head. Four possessions after Gordon settled for a 24-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead on the opening drive, La Salle's Mike Maloney recovered a fumble at the Crusaders' 25 on the return of a Drew Middlemiss punt. That set up a six-play touchdown drive capped by Durso's 9-yard run early in the second quarter. With the Explorers in a hurry-up offense, the Crusaders failed to adjust quickly enough. Gordon, mobile in the well-protected pocket, capitalized on those lapses. “We followed our designed plays,'' Gordon, a junior, said. “Judge really covered us well, but we found the socket and didn't have to force anything.'' The Crusaders' offense could not get started, not with La Salle's Hugh Donnelly (one sack, one fumble recovery), Ed Bongard and Todd Carmody shutting down the run at the line and hurrying Judge's Joe Tyer to pass. Casey was limited to 56 yards on 18 carries, the backfield to a total of 95 yards. Donnelly sacked Tyer one play into the third quarter, knocking the Crusaders back five yards and forcing a punt. Mattia returned the punt 49 yards to the Father Judge 4 before Gordon (16 for 30, 160 yards) settled for a 34-yard kick that gave La Salle a 13-0 lead. 18

La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

The score became 13-7 on the next drive. Tyer, who went 4 for 10 for 110 yards, hit tight end Pat Dowling for a 52-yard reception, and Casey bounded in on the next play for a 1-yard touchdown. Hope, however, stopped for Judge on the following drive as the Crusaders tried to blitz and Gordon connected with Pietrak (five catches, 71 yards) for a 33-yard touchdown. by Ted Silary, Daily News

Three Cheers: La Salle Runs Past Judge For CL Title The football gods can release a collective sigh. The unthinkable hasn't happened. With decades of data on their side, the gods mandate that a team must run successfully to win a title. And now, they still don't have to scramble to alter that mandate. Yes, La Salle High did roar to victory in first 13 games this season without receiving a 100-yard performance from any of its rushers. But then came game No. 14 and the Explorers, somehow, transformed themselves from Team Pass into Team Stay Close to the Grass, er, Mud. On a playing surface at Northeast High made sloppy-to-treacherous by heavy rains overnight, La Salle last night won its second consecutive Catholic League title by downing Father Judge, 20-7. The hero - Mike Durso. His primary duty - running! “Had to happen sometime,'' the smiling Durso said with a shrug. “Have to run to win, right?'' Durso, a 5-9, 170-pound senior, rushed 22 times for 113 yards and a touchdown as the Explorers extended their winning streak to 25 games and became the first team in city history to have a 14-win season (they won 11 to finish last season after an 0-2 start). That effort more than complemented a respectable, but hardly spectacular, passing effort turned in by junior quarterback Brett Gordon (16-for-33, 162 yards, one TD). Durso's previous rushing high this fall had been a 91-yard effort in a regular-season game against Bishop McDevitt. Durso knew his contributions were huge. At game's end, he quickly snatched the championship plaque and pranced around the track on the home side, showing it off to reporters, cameramen and La Salle's boisterous fans. When a teammate reached for the plaque, Durso stepped back and said with a laugh, “You can look, but don't touch.'' He could have added, “And don't step on my feet!'' Feet have been a sore subject for Durso since late October, when he tried to score on a goal-line plunge against Archbishop Wood and wound up getting his toes bent backward. Durso did not play at all in the Explorers' final two Catholic North games, carried just once in a quarterfinal, then eased back to almost full-time duty in a semifinal and the Thanksgiving game against St. Joseph's Prep. Last night, he felt chipper. “He told me he was taking his first carry 60 yards for a score,'' Gordon said. “I told him, `Great, I hope you do.' '' Instead, Durso settled for 18 yards. But the run set an early tone and increased the confidence he felt from having filled an important role in last year's championship game (14-7 over Archbishop Ryan). “This was the first week of practice where I wasn't in a lot of pain,'' Durso said. “I had a good feeling, like it was going to be a good night.

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La Salle College High School Football: Chronicle 1996

“Coach Gordon [Drew, Brett's father and the offensive coordinator] was saying all week, `We have to prove we can run.' Actually, he said, `We have to run.' We knew we could do it. Using a three-man line and dropping eight guys back, that's inviting the run. If you don't do it . . .'' La Salle's first series yielded Gordon's 23-yard field goal. Late in the first quarter, Judge's Pat Dowling muffed Drew Middlemiss' punt and Matt Maloney recovered on the 25. Durso collected all 25 yards to get the ball into the end zone, 9 on a reception, and 7 and 9 on runs. The teams scored on three consecutive possessions in the third quarter, as Jim Casey's 1-yard run for Judge was sandwiched by Gordon's 34-yard field goal and his 33-yard pass to Jeff Pietrak. Though the Crusaders at times seemed poised to provide stiffer opposition, they kept committing killer penalties. Prime example: With the help of a roughing-the-kicker call, La Salle in the fourth quarter was able to hold the ball from 8:39 until Gordon took a knee at the Judge 13 with 0:25 left. In all, the Explorers rushed 35 times for 144 yards. “They were giving us the run,'' Gordon said. “We ran it well early, which kept them honest, and made it easy to pass.'' Gordon finished the season 170-for-298 for 2,054 yards and 28 TDs. His varsity career - with one year to go, remember - has produced 307 completions in 583 attempts for 4,190 yards and 51 TDs. “We planned for two scenarios,'' coach Joe Colistra said. “One, Judge would sit back and play pass defense or two, come after us. We game-planned for both. The thing was, whatever Judge was doing, we had faith in Brett being able to come up to the line and know when to check off.'' Said Brett Gordon: “Really, we didn't audible tonight as much as we did in some games. Judge didn't do a lot of changing up. They stuck with the three-man line. That meant we could go with runs right out of the huddle.'' Considering that La Salle returned eight defensive starters this season - as well as Gordon, star wideout Mike Mattia and Durso - one would probably not be off base (pardon the baseball reference) in saying this title does not come as a surprise. The 14-0 record, yes. But not the championship. “Oh, I can't say that,'' Colistra said. “You've stood beside our kids. There's not too much to them. I mean, we have 175-pound tackles. I will say one thing: We might be small, but we're quick and courageous. “To go through 14 games perfect, it is amazing. Something [North Catholic coach] John Quinn told me early this season really stuck with me. He said when you play in this league, you can't get over winning and you can't get over losing because you have to get ready for another game. There's always someone coming after you.'' That someone is sometimes a reporter. How would you, Colistra was asked, compare this championship team with last year's? “I'm not going to try,'' he said, smiling.

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