St. Joseph's Prep edges La Salle

Last season, en route to the Catholic League football championship, La Salle beat St. Joseph's Prep in the regular season, snapping the Hawks' 55-game league winning streak in the process, and triumphed again in a high-scoring playoff semifinal.

That said, the Prep was itching for payback when the squads renewed their bitter rivalry last night in a Division AAAA opener at jam-packed Plymouth Whitemarsh High.

The Hawks gained redemption, but it took late-game heroics, as was the case in their first two wins of the season, to come away with a pulsating 24-17 victory in a steady rain.

The Prep, ranked No. 4 in Southeastern Pennsylvania, notched the winning score with 1 minute, 30 seconds to play. Sophomore Skyler Mornhinweg lofted an 18-yard pass in the right corner to wideout Bobby D'Orazio to make it 18-17.

As soon as the No. 2-ranked Explorers took over, a botched snap resulted in a Prep fumble recovery at the La Salle 14. Two plays later, senior fullback Mike Labor rumbled 10 yards for an insurance score.

"After what happened last year, beating La Salle was on my mind all week," said Labor, also a linebacker.

Explorer quarterback Drew Loughery (15-for-34 passing, 190 yards, one TD) drove the visitors to the 19 in the final minute. On fourth and 10, he was hit on the release and the pass fell incomplete.

"He's a great quarterback," Labor said. "He's smart, instinctive, has a great arm."

The Explorers (3-1, 0-1) scored on their first three possessions. Late in the second quarter, a 2-yard TD plunge by sophomore fullback Tim Wade (30 carries for 162 yards) put the reeling Hawks (3-1, 1-0) in a 17-6 hole.

The comfort factor quickly faded. With time running out in the first half, Steve O'Hara intercepted a Loughery pass and returned it 49 yards to the La Salle 9. Three plays later, Mornhinweg connected with sophomore Desmon Peoples to make it a 17-12 contest at the break.

Mornhinweg connected on 7 of 19 passes for 99 yards. Labor rushed six times for 28 yards and two touchdowns.

The Explorers were without the services of quick-footed junior tailback Jamal Abdur-Rahman (bruised knee) for the second straight week. Wideout Sam Feleccia, who missed the first three games with a high ankle sprain, caught five passes for 47 yards and ran once for 16 yards.

Late in the third quarter, Prep senior tailback Garrett Compton (14 carries for 57 yards) had to be carried off the field with a left-knee injury.

La Salle   7 10 0 0 - 17

St. Joseph's Prep   6 6 0 12 - 24

LS: Feleccia 6 pass from Loughery (Bennett kick)

SJP: Labor 1 run (run failed)

LS: FG Bennett 32

LS: Wade 2 run (Bennett kick)

SJP: Peoples 11 pass from Mornhinweg (run failed)

SJP: D'Orazio 18 pass from Mornhinweg (pass failed)

SJP: Labor 10 run (kick blocked)