Sals’ Delco domination continues with easy win over O’Hara

By Chuck Smith

WILMINGTON, Del. >> When crossing over the state line into Delaware, there are signs posted welcoming visitors passing through the Diamond State.

For Delco football teams traveling to Delaware to play Salesianum, the signs should state something more ominous like: “Enter at your own risk.”

Salesianum (1-0) continued its impressive streak over Delco teams with a 42-7 victory over visiting Cardinal O’Hara (0-2) at Baynard Stadium Saturday night. The Sals victory marked the school’s seventh consecutive victory over a Delco school dating back to 2008. During the streak, Salesianum has defeated Glen Mills (2014 and 2013), Haverford School (2012), and Upper Darby (2011, 2010, 2009).

Only a 21-19 loss to Interboro at South Avenue Field in 2008 prevents the streak from going back any longer.

For the Lions, it was another opportunity to gauge where they are versus where they need to be under first-year coach B.J. Hogan.

“I don’t think the kids realize just how good Salesianum is,” said Hogan. “They’re going to win 10 games or more this season and they’re going to be one of the top teams that we’ll play all season. In the first half, it was great. We were fighting and our kids we’re getting off blocks, but they kind of wore on us. Good teams in the second half take over and I think (Salesianum) did a good job of doing that.”

Salesianum received big efforts from several players, including one with Delco ties. Running back/defensive back Colby Reeder trains at Titus Sports Academy in Hockessin, Del., which is owned and operated by Shawn Hoffman, a Brookhaven resident and former Millersville baseball player. Hoffman, who has done extensive work with Reeder and many other Sals, also trained Reeder’s older brother Troy, a former Sal, who is now seeing playing time as a redshirt freshman at Penn State.

Clearly the dedication to training is paying off as Colby Reeder, who at 6-4, 225 pounds, squats over 500 pounds, bench presses 330 pounds, power cleans 345 pounds, and has a vertical jump of 40 inches. He put all of that strength and explosiveness on display Saturday night.

“We knew we were a lot better than we had played (early in the game),” said Reeder, a senior who has numerous college offers, including from the University of Miami and Syracuse University. “I think we had a lot of pregame jitters. It was our first game out there; it was (O’Hara’s) second game, so they got those out of the way. We started out slow, but our line really cranked it up in the second half and made some great holes. We got some good runs and our defense played well the whole game.”

The slick conditions appeared to affect both teams early in the contest. Salesianum used a 5-yard touchdown run from Reeder to initiate the scoring in the first quarter that was set up by a punt block from Mark Ferguson.

In the second quarter, the Sals followed that up with a 24-yard scoring pass from quarterback Garrett Cannon to massive tight end Kyle Gathers (6-5, 270).

Despite the 14-0 deficit, O’Hara kept clawing back into the game.

“We came out, we fought in the weather and did a really good job, but we just have to get over the edge,”, said Hogan, who pulled the All-Delco trifecta as a player at O’Hara where he starred in football, hockey, and baseball before a standout career in football and baseball at Widener. “I thought defensively we played solid in the first half.”

As the half was winding down, Lions quarterback Tommy O’Hara saw his attempt to the end zone fall incomplete. Salesianum was whistled for a roughing-the-passer penalty, however, and O’Hara stepped up to the line with one shot at the end zone from the Sals’ 21-yard line as time expired.

With that one extra chance, O’Hara capitalized and hit receiver Jack Gibson for a leaping touchdown grab that saw Gibson outwrestle two Salesianum defenders for the score.

“It’s a mindset that we’re trying to establish,” said Hogan. “We’ve got a ton of guys going both plays because right now our numbers are limited. I like the fight in the kids and I told them that you win games in practice. We’ve got to come back and be ready to practice and look to get better.”

The Lions went into halftime with confidence, but the Sals were also determined to pull away from O’Hara and not risk opening their season with an unexpected loss.

“I was really happy with the way the kids played,” said Sals coach Bill DiNardo. “The fact that O’Hara had a game under their belt and we did not … I think that showed. In the first half, we were very sloppy. We made a lot of mistakes, we gave a lot of second chances, and we hurt ourselves a lot. O’Hara played very hard, they played very tough, and they played very hard-nosed football. My kids had to respond to that. I was absolutely thrilled with the fact that in the third quarter, after the way the first half ended, we responded.”

Reeder took the first Sals’ handoff of the second half 53 yards and followed it up with a 10-yard scoring run for a quick 21-7 Salesianum lead.

After rushing touchdowns from Cannon and Peyton Mullin, Reeder officially put the game out of reach with a 43-yard scoring run and a 42-7 Sals lead.