LORETTO, PA - The La Salle Explorers (1-3) took to DeGol field this Saturday as they edged the Red Flash (1-3) of Saint Francis with an impressive 24-21 crunchtime victory.
Current roommates and high school teammates Anthony Perlozzo and Casey Walsh (Ocean City, MD/Decatur) would prove pivotal in the Explorers first win, with Walsh converting on a fourth down fake punt and Perlozzo's 42 yard game-winning field goal.
Saint Francis made quick work of the opening series, capping off a 79-yard drive when runningback Todd Harris took the ball in for six points. Adam Sciulli's extra point gave the Red Flash a 7-0 lead.
After a Red Flash offsides call on fourth down and inches on the Saint Francis three-yard line, Dave Macknet (Haddonfield, NJ/HaddonField) bounced off the pile and walked into the endzone on third down. A second offsides by Saint Francis on the extra point prompted the Explorers go for two points in which quarterback Chris Hanson (Southamption, PA/Archbishiop Wood) scampered in give La Salle an 8-7 lead.
La Salle, who started eight freshmen, would take the lead with 9:02 left in the second quarter when Hanson connected with Lou Russo (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) for a 13-yard touchdown pass. Saint Francis blocked the extra point to keep the score at 14-7.
The Red Flash then drove 58 yards on just four playes to tie the game at 14 with 1:26 to play in the half.
The first score of the second half came from a Saint Francis drive that took the first five minutes and thirty seconds of the third quarter when Harris scored his second touchdown of the game on an 11 yard rush to reclaim the lead.
Walsh's fake punt came on a fourth-and-one at the La Salle 48 yard line. The 25-yard run continued a drive that culminated with Russo's second touchdown catch of the day on an 11-yard fade from Hanson.
Sophomore Perlozzo hit his first field goal of the season from 42 yards to cap a 10-play, 25-yard drive that left only 1:53 to play.
The Red Flash's final drive came to an abrupt end when junior John Costello (West Chester, PA/W.C. Henderson) hit Anthony Doria from the blind side and forced the quarterback to fumble. Walsh recovered the loose ball and the Explorers played out the clock for the win.
The win came two years to the date from the team's last road victory - a 30-27 win at St. Peter's.
After a week off the Explorers begin MAAC Football League play when they host Marist on Family Day on October 7th with a 1:00 pm kickoff.
