La Salle wins low-scoring affair with Archbishop Wood on McFadden’s overtime TD
WARMINSTER >> Sean McFadden had been petitioning the La Salle coaching staff to get a carry.
“In middle school and elementary I was a running back and I’ve always wanted to run the ball,” the Explorers senior said. “And I’ve been telling my coaches all week that I can run those goal-line plays, I’m a downhill runner so put me in, I’ll make it happen.”
With La Salle two yards for the end zone in overtime, McFadden got his chance, charging through the middle to score the Explorers’ only points Friday night but they were enough to edge Archbishop Wood for a 6-3 Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division victory at William Tennent.
“He’s never gotten any reps at running back, he just kind of went in there, he was like ‘What am I doing?’” said La Salle senior Nole Henry of McFadden. “He was like ‘Am I lead blocking?’ I was like, ‘No you’re getting the ball.’ And he was ‘Where?’ and I’m like ‘Right there.’ I literally pointed it out cause at that point it doesn’t matter if they know the plays it’s just who wants it more down on the goal line.”
The teams finished four quarters tied 0-0 although McFadden gave the Explorers (3-4, 1-1 division) the possibility to win late in regulation, intercepting a pass in the middle of the field and returning it to the Wood 24 with 1:01 remaining.
La Salle collected just one more yard then attempted a 40-yard field goal, but it came up short – hitting off the front of the crossbar.
“We had to end this game,” McFadden said. So when I had that pick I thought if I housed this, this is it so I got to house it. Didn’t house it, I was like ‘That might have been my only chance.”
On the opening series of OT, the Vikings could only gain a yard on 3rd-and-Goal from the four. After a penalty backed Wood up five, Leo Ricci’s 26-yard field goal to post the first points of the night.
La Salle’s possession began at the five thanks to Wood getting whistled for offsides. Henry ran for three yards on 1st-and-Goal with McFadden, who has been battling a sickness, punching it in for the walk-off win the following play.
“I actually missed practice yesterday, I was throwing up so that wasn’t fun,” he said. “I’ve thrown up a couple times this morning too – I’m down about five pounds.”
Archbishop Wood (1-5, 0-3) came close to scoring in the first quarter, but on 4th-and-Goal from the two could only gain a yard.
In the fourth, the Vikings had a pair of drives in La Salle territory but fumbled on the first and turned the ball over on downs on the second.
McFadden’s late interception almost did in Wood only for the missed field goal kept the Vikings’ hopes alive. But getting just three points in the extra session gave La Salle the opening to take the low-scoring battle and hand Archbishop Wood a fourth straight loss.
“Every time you play La Salle you hope it’s a good game, it should be, it’s a rivalry game,” Vikings coach Dave Armstrong said. “Past couple years they beat us pretty good, ’19 when we won it was in overtime right down there we blocked an extra point so it should be an exciting game.
“Course I was hoping we’d have a little bit more productivity from our offense. I think pretty happy with the way defense played. Pretty happy with the way our special teams played for the most part. We had some penalties, too many penalties in the first half but we helped that along, we kind of fixed that a little bit in the second half.”
Wood’s Ryan Wilson led all rushers with 67 yards on 17 carries.
With La Salle low on quarterbacks due to injuries, Henry – an All-PCL Red second-team wide receiver last season – stepped in to take snaps at the position. His first throw was intercepted but he paced the Explorers with 28 yards on 11 carries and also had a 9-yard reception. Senior Tim Smith was 6-of-10 passing for 38 yards. La Salle finished with just 76 total offensive yards.
“I never expected this to happen,” Henry said. “I didn’t realize last week (in a 40-11 loss to St. Joseph’s Prep) when I went in that we were down everyone, I thought they were just putting me in cause we were going to get killed. And then ending up have to start this week.”
Both teams stay in PCL Red play Friday, La Salle taking on Roman Catholic at Cardinal O’Hara while Wood is back at Tennent hosting Father Judge.
“It’s disappointing but I’m proud of these kids,” said Armstrong, in his first year as Wood head coach. “They fight. And 30 kids on the team dressed tonight.”
A Joseph Scarpello interception put Wood at the La Salle 41 in the first quarter and on a 3rd-and-16 from the 47 Vikings quarterback Frankie Mawson connected with Markus Dixon for 26 yards.
Wood got another first down to have a 1st-and-Goal at the eight but on fourth down from the two the Explorers held the Vikings to a yard to get the ball back with 1:14 left in the quarter.
“It gives you a lift even if it’s not the end-all, say-all it still gives you an emotional lift to put one in the end zone,” Armstrong said. “Close but we didn’t get it done.”
La Salle punted after a three-and-out and Wood took over at the Explorers 45. The Vikings drove down to 29 but a holding penalty after Wood recovered its own fumble derailed the series, which ended at the 31 after a fourth-down incompletion.
The Explorers opened the second half with a drive that reached the Vikings 42 after Wood was flagged for offsides. But after La Salle was called for a false start, Explorers gained four on 2nd-and-8 then on third down had a pass batted down and proceeded to punt.
In the fourth, Archbishop Wood began a series from the La Salle 48 with Wilson 18-yard run down to the 30 but on the following play fumbled, the Explorers’ Matt Wills recovering at the 38 with 9:19 left.
A La Salle three-and-out had the Vikings with the ball again at the Explorers 47. Wood earned a first down after Nakai Robinson’s four-yard run on 3rd-and-2 from the 39 but could not move the sticks again – La Salle stuffing a run on 4th-and-1 at the 26 for no gain at 2:47.
“We knew it was going to be a defensive battle,” McFadden said. “At halftime we went behind those trees back there and we were like ‘OK guys we got another half of this, this is the football we’re going to be playing for this game.'”
Wood forced another Explorers punt to start a drive at its own 39 at 1:21 but on 2nd-and-10 McFadden picked off a pass down the middle and brought it back to the Vikings 24 with 61 seconds remaining.
“I don’t know who he was trying to pass to, it’s just my coaching tells me to keep dropping and dropping and dropping until I can see someone,” McFadden said. “I’m looking around, I’m looking around, the ball’s coming right to me, I’m like ‘OK, this is my time.’
“I wish I would’ve capitalized there but I did the best I could.”
After two runs gained a combined one yards then an incomplete pass toward the end zone, La Salle attempted a 40-yard field goal to break the 0-0 tie but it was a bit short and the game needed overtime to finally settle things.
La Salle 6, Archbishop Wood 3 (OT)
La Salle (3-4, 1-1 0 0 0 0 6 – 6
Archbishop Wood (1-5, 0-3) 0 0 0 0 3 – 3
Overtime
AW – Leo Ricci 26 field goal
LS – Sean McFadden 2 run.
LS AW
First Downs 5 7
Rushes-yards 27-41 34-90
Passing 7-13-1 6-12-1
Passing yards 35 69
Totals yards 76 159
Punts 5 3
Penalties-yards 6-50 9-70
Fumbles-lost 2-0 3-1
Rushing
La Salle: Nole Henry 11-28; Kieran Campbell 1-17; Chris Fileppo 7-2; John McSorley 2-5; Desmond Ortiz 3-4; Sean McFadden 1-2, TD; Tim Smith 2-(-17).
Archbishop Wood: Ryan Wilson 17-67; Nakai Robinson 8-22; Jimmy Wade 1-6; Eric Gardner 1-2; Michael Holly 1-1; Frankie Mawson 6-(-8).
Passing
La Salle: Tim Smith 6-10-0, 38; Nole Henry 1-3-1, (-3).
Archbishop Wood: Frankie Mawson 6-12-1, 69.
Receiving: Chris Filippo 2-27; Nole Henry 1-9; Ryan Sorge 1-6; Desmond Ortiz 1-0; James Dolan 1-(-3); Del Jackson 1-(-4).
Archbishop Wood: Jimmy Wade 2-28; Markus Dixon 1-26; Michael Holly 1-7; Luke Shaeffer 1-6; Ryan Wilson 1-2.
Interceptions
La Salle: Sean McFadden.
Archbishop Wood: Joseph Scarpello.
