La Salle ends St. Joe's Prep 55-game streak

Beyond wanting to start Catholic League Division AAAA play on a winning note, La Salle's Kevin Farrington said the Explorers had another incentive while preparing to play archrival St. Joseph's Prep.

"Our motto all week was, 'End that Streak,' " said Farrington, a senior free safety. "Yeah, we talked a lot about 55 and 1. We were really focused."

Farrington was referring to the Catholic League regular-season winning streak of 55 games that the Prep carried into yesterday's showdown. The Hawks had last lost a regular-season game in 1999.

That streak - and the frustration that La Salle shared with other Catholic League teams during it - is now a thing of the past. The Explorers passed for more than 300 yards, held the visiting Prep scoreless in three red-zone trips, and triumphed, 31-17, at Plymouth Whitemarsh.

Afterward, many of La Salle's student supporters stormed onto the track behind the home sideline and reveled in the victory with the equally jubilant players.

"It's an amazing feeling," La Salle's Mike Donohoe, a senior fullback and outside linebacker, said. "You work so hard for something like this. For it to happen, it's really special. It's great to be the team that ended their run."

The streak, which spanned nine seasons, began when the Prep beat Archbishop Ryan, 7-0, in the 1999 finale. The Hawks' eight wins against the Explorers came by a combined score of 264-59.

La Salle did get the final word in 2006: After a 42-14 setback to Prep in the regular season, the Explorers won, 14-7, in the title game.

Asked after yesterday's defeat what the streak meant to him and his players, Prep coach Gil Brooks said: "Nothing whatsoever. It never meant much of anything."

La Salle (3-1, 1-0) posted a 27-26 victory last week against West Catholic, then ranked No. 8 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer. The Hawks (2-2, 0-1) entered yesterday's division opener with a No. 3 ranking.

Junior quarterback Drew Loughery torched the Prep for 318 yards and three touchdowns on 17-for-32 passing. The 6-foot, 195-pounder hooked up with wideout Sam Feleccia for second-quarter scores of 23 and 55 yards.

Midway through the third quarter, sophomore tailback Jamal Abdur-Rahman upped La Salle's advantage to 21-10 with a 74-yard TD jaunt off right tackle. Minutes later, Loughery hit Abdur-Rahman on the right flat for a 25-yard score that put the Prep in an 18-point hole going into the last 12 minutes.

The Hawks netted 243 yards on the ground, but quarterback Mark Giubilato was 8 for 24 for 109 yards.

"I thought our pass defense was great," La Salle coach Drew Gordon said. "The kids got better as the game went along."

St. Joseph's Prep 3 7 0 7 - 17

La Salle 0 14 14 3 - 31

SJP: FG Skalamera 21

LS: Feleccia 23 pass from Loughery (Bennett kick)

SJP: Compton 17 run (Skalamera kick)

LS: Feleccia 55 pass from Loughery (Bennett kick)

LS: Abdur-Rahman 74 run (Bennett kick)

LS: Abdur-Rahman 25 pass from Loughery (Bennett kick)

SJP: Turner 11 pass from Giubilato (Skalamera kick)

LS: FG Bennett 18