A closer look: St. Joseph's Prep vs. La Salle

St. Joseph's Prep and La Salle have already clinched berths in the Catholic League Class AAAA postseason tournament.

Friday night's clash between the bitter rivals, set for 7 at Plymouth Whitemarsh, is about playoff positioning and, of course, bragging rights.

The victor will earn the regular-season crown and, as the No. 1 seed, face the winner of Friday's matchup between fourth-place Father Judge and fifth-place Archbishop Ryan in a semifinal next weekend.

The loser will take on third-place Roman Catholic in the other semifinal.

Here is a closer look at the regular-season finale:

Records. The Hawks, who posted a 42-20 win over Roman last week, are 6-2 overall and 2-1 in league action; La Salle, coming off a 41-7 victory over Ryan, is 7-1 and 3-0.

Ranking. La Salle is ranked No. 2 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer.

Coaches. Gabe Infante, in his second year with the Prep, has a 10-9 record. Drew Gordon is 58-17 in six seasons with La Salle.

Last year. In Week 9, the Explorers cruised to a 31-7 victory.

Good to go. La Salle tailback Tim Wade, who sat out most of last week with a tweaked ankle, will return to the lineup.

Dual-threat QB. In the Prep's no-huddle offense, quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg has passed for 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Penn State recruit has run for 500-plus yards and five scores.

Air attack. La Salle QB Matt Magarity spreads the ball among five players: wideouts Colin Buckley, Sean Coleman and Ryan Otis; tight end Mike Piscopo; and fullback/tight end Chris Kane.

Leading the way. The Hawks' offensive line is headed by guard Peter Kelly and tackles Luke Hutkin and David Tracz.

Injury update. Matt Maginnis, a two-way tackle for the Explorers, practiced this week and should see time. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder has been slowed by the lingering effects of mononucleosis.

Up front. La Salle's stalwarts on the offensive line are center Connor Kerrigan and tackles Maginnis and Dan Wasylenko.

Solid group. The Prep's defense has been keyed by a linebacking corps composed of captains Eric Medes, Dan Mancini, and Peter Siki.

In and out. At least eight players rotate on La Salle's defensive line, including tackles Tom Spiteri and Andrew Carlone, and ends Jon Naji, Andrew Eidenshink, and Tyler Kern.

Rising underclassmen. Sophomore Vince Moffett, a workmanlike tailback, and freshman John Reid, a multipurpose threat, have been catalysts for the Hawks.

Analysis. The Prep was aided by seven turnovers in last week's triumph over Roman. We don't expect the Explorers to be anywhere near that generous. Also, Mornhinweg will find the going tough against an improving defense.

Pick: La Salle, 35-21.