North Penn earns first regular-season win over La Salle

TOWAMENCIN >> This one was worth the wait.

“To be the first team to do it…This was my third shot and I did not wanna go 0-3,” North Penn senior Nick Vasger said moments after his team’s opening night win over rival La Salle. “I just think we came out here and gave it everything we got. We were not gonna lose today.
“We’re 1-0, baby,” Vasger said in jubilation before leaving his feet for a celebratory chest bump with teammate Jake Hubler. “Not 0-1. Let’s get it.”
The 1-0 means a lot more when that one comes against the Explorers, who had beaten North Penn in all six previous opening-day clashes dating back to 2010.
Not this time. Not on this night.
With quarterback Reece Udinski throwing four touchdown passes to four different receivers, with a defense that took an interception back for a score before the game was four minutes old, and with a running attack that gained yards no matter who was in the backfield, the Knights built a commanding lead early and held on for a thrilling 33-24 victory over La Salle at steamy Crawford Stadium.
“I love it. It’s a great feeling,” said junior Justis Henley, who snagged Udinski’s first touchdown pass, a 12-yarder, to put NP in front on its opening drive. “After six hard years, losing to them in every season opener, we just put everything on the line, fought through injuries, cramps, everything. We got the win.”
Henley helped get the party started for the Knights, capping a seven-play drive by gathering in Udinski’s well-placed throw, on a cross over the middle.
“First career touchdown,” Henley said. “I couldn’t be any happier after that one.
“We knew our offense was gonna be explosive this year. And we just tried to execute everything that was in the game plan.”
The Knights’ offense was so explosive that they had all the points they needed by halftime. Udinski threw three touchdown passes in the first half alone, hitting Ricky Johns deep for a 37-yard score and finding Vasger in the flat for another, from 14 yards away.
“I think we’re gonna be like that all year,” Knights coach Dick Beck said of the balanced attack, which racked up 192 yards on the ground and 207 through the air. “I thought we left a couple on the table. We probably should have been six-for-six with deep balls.”
The points kept coming, even from the defense.
On the Explorers’ fifth play from scrimmage, Dan Drop stepped in front of a shallow crossing route on third down and intercepted Tom Lamorte’s pass, racing 45 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 North Penn lead.
“That was great,” Beck said. “That was really nice. That really helped us out there. (Drop) made a nice play.”
After Syaire Madden scored on a 10-yard run to bring the Explorers within 14-7, back-to-back touchdown throws by Udinski had North Penn in command, up 26-7.
A field goal by Mike Wells just before the half and a one-yard sneak for a score by Lamorte sliced the margin to 26-17, but then A.J. Catanzaro became the fourth Knight receiver to catch a touchdown pass, scoring from 10 yards away to give NP a 33-17 lead midway through the third.
Even though La Salle got within 33-24 late in the third on another score by Madden, the Knights churned out valuable yards on the ground to grind down the clock.
“I thought we really ran the ball tonight,” Beck said. “Nick Dillon looked great and Ricky gets back there and he doesn’t look too bad back there.”
Dillon, who left the game late with an injury but it is hoped that he won’t miss time, gained 76 yards on 10 carries. Johns, explosive whether he’s catching bombs or halfback tosses, contributed 35 yards on eight carries.
La Salle had one last chance late to make it a one-score game, but on 3rd-and-2 at the 13, Henley — who just moments earlier was down on the sideline battling cramps — returned to the field to make a touchdown-saving play in the end zone, swatting away a Lamorte pass.
The battering runs of Syaire Madden kept the Explorers pounding away, his 197 yards on 34 carries keeping La Salle in it.
“The whole time, I’m like ‘I gotta give it to my team,’” said Madden, a senior and the team’s leading rusher a year ago. “It’s a new team overall so there’s a lot of J.V. guys playing for the first time in a varsity game.
“They’re getting their feet wet — they really never felt what it feels like to go against an opponent who wants it more than you or just as much as you. It’s a learning experience. We lost one game but we can still win a state championship.”
The great thing about La Salle-North Penn is that the two have a habit of meeting again down the road, when the weather’s much colder and a trip to Hershey is at stake.
But this time, Round One finally went to North Penn.
“I’m really happy for the seniors,” Beck said, “because they haven’t had a chance to get this win. So I’m really happy for them.”