Carter, La Salle too much for Haverford School
LOWER GWYNEDD >> La Salle College High School put forth a complete effort in its 44-0 win against Haverford School on Friday.
On top of that, there was a special guest in attendance to witness it. Penn State head coach James Franklin was on hand to check out one of his newest recruits, Explorers linebacker Abdul Carter.
Carter, a four-star recruit who also had offers from South Carolina, LSU, Maryland, Ole Miss, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, and USC, was a big part of La Salle’s dominant defensive performance against Haverford.
“(Carter) has great instincts,” Explorers head coach John Steinmetz said. “He’s really understanding. He’s a four-year starter, so he really understands what we’re trying to do. He’s a real student. He studies and he knows what the other teams are doing. He has great anticipation and he’s so fast. He’s explosive.”
La Salle also handled its business on the offensive side of the ball, particularly by way of its running game. Senior running back Sam Brown led the way with 109 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, but was complemented nicely by E.J. Wentz, Ryan Moore and Stevie Davis. Wentz, in fact, ran it in from 40 yards out for the first score of the game.
Brown, a Rutgers commit, is a focal point for opposing defenses every week. Having some of his teammates shoulder the load, however, helps to keep Brown fresh and dangerous.
“It gives us some options,” Steinmetz said. “Options are always good. It helps us keep a little bit of stress off of (Brown). He ran hard tonight. That was one of his better games.”
Whether the game comes down to a last second field goal or if it’s decided by halftime, special teams almost always play a critical role. Haverford was constantly mired in poor field position, which in turn helped set up the La Salle offense in advantageous parts of the field. Moore, in particular, was a highlight on special teams, having returned a punt 45 years for a touchdown right before halftime.
It was a team operating at peak level. At 4-0, the Explorers sit atop the Catholic League standings.
“I have confidence in all of our specials teams,” Steinmetz. “Between the kicker and Ryan Moore, our special teams are just as good as anybody’s in the state.”
La Salle was a very difficult non-league draw for Haverford. The Fords, in a sense, are a team still searching for its identity. Head coach Brian Martin is tasked with sorting out the quarterback situation. Senior Michael Galasso was given the start against La Salle, but Martin announced that fellow senior Michael Benincasa will start next weekend. Galasso completed three out of 12 pass attempts for 16 yards against the Explorers.
“Right now, we’re still in the evaluation period,” Martin said.
Martin, in his second season at the helm, spoke highly of his offensive line before the season started. That unit performing up to its potential is critical to Haverford’s success. It’s a unit whose performance may very well be indicative on whether the Fords win or lose each week.
“They were living up to expectations until tonight,” Martin said of the offensive line. “I give all the credit in the world to La Salle. They came to play tonight, and we did not.”
Martin’s post-game message to his team, which dropped to 1-2 on the young season, was clear.
“We have a lot of things to work on,” Martin said. “If we want to be competitive in the Inter-Ac, we need to fix them. We scrimmage these games for a reason, and that’s to get us ready for our league games.”
La Salle 44, Haverford 0
La Salle 7 24 6 7 – 44
Haverford 0 0 0 0 – 0
Scoring
La Salle: Wentz 40-run
La Salle: Sturla FG
La Salle: Brown 34-run
La Salle: Henry 15-catch
La Salle: More 45-punt return
La Salle: Brown 1-run
La Salle: Mehlmann 9-run
Individual Stats
Passing: La Salle: Paturzo 5-7, 59 yards, 1 TD. Haverford: Galasso 3-12, 16 yards.
Rushing: La Salle: Brown 17-109, 2 TDs; Wentz 4-45, 1 TD; Davis 5-33; Moore 4-35; Mehlmann 1-9, 1 TD. Haverford: Silver 5-15; Galasso 3-11; Brosko 2-4; Dean 2-4.
Receiving: La Salle: Wentz 2-21; Henry 1-15, 1 TD; Dunlap 1-15; Sorge 1-8. Haverford: Getz 1-6; Brosko 1-5; Falk 1-5.
