By BRIAN REED-BAIOTTO, Sports Editor La Salle hasn’t lost any of their six games because they were out-worked, out-coached or out-prepared by an opponent. It’s just a simple truth that when you lose 22 seniors who accounted for literally one hundred percent of the Lancers offensive touchdowns in 2016, it was bound an uphill climb, […]
By BRIAN REED-BAIOTTO, Sports Editor
La Salle hasn’t lost any of their six games because they were out-worked, out-coached or out-prepared by an opponent.
It’s just a simple truth that when you lose 22 seniors who accounted for literally one hundred percent of the Lancers offensive touchdowns in 2016, it was bound an uphill climb, as they battled to replace key starters at every position.
And such is the case for the 2017 La Salle football program.
They show glimpses of what’s to be, but for now, it’s been a tough going.
St. Paul rushed for four scores and handed the visiting Lancers a 34-9 setback on Friday night in a game that got chippy, and at times, it got out of hand.
In fact, a Swordsmen player who hit La Salle’s Dante Coxsom out of bounds after Coxsom’s 75-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter was ejected.
The play nearly started a bench-clearing brawl, but the La Salle coaching staff was able to keep their players close to their own sidelines as the referees decided what needed to be done about the cheap shot that took place on the St. Paul sidelines.
Coxsom isn’t immune to being targeted for late hits, and in both cases, he didn’t react and took the high road, including a brutally classless late hit in the Salesian game.
St. Paul’s Que Allen had TD runs of 40 and 42 yards.
Joseph Troncoza scored from 25 yards out for the Swordsmen, and on a fourth-and-19 play late in the game, quarterback Christopher Allen poured salt in the La Salle wound with a 21-yard scamper into the end zone.
Garcia started St. Paul’s scoring Friday night when he found Armando Velasco from 5 yards out to get the Swordsmen out front, 7-0., halfway through the first quarter.
La Salle got a 31-yard field goal from Cristian Reyes to cut the St. Paul lead to 14-3, but the Lancers never got within striking distance.
CJ Montes struggled most of the night, threw two interceptions and saw several batted down at the line of scrimmage.
Montes, though, did hit Justin Lockhart on an 11-yard score in the fourth quarter.
La Salle got a 70-yard punt return from R’mon Huff, and a 75-yard kickoff return from Dante Coxsom.
The Lancers will travel to Harvard-Westlake (7-2, 2-2) next Friday at 7 in their regular-season finale, and then hope they’ve earned a CIF-SS playoff berth.
Quotable:
La Salle coach Russell Gordon: “I’m happy that we fought to the final whistle. We lack a little bit of depth and experience, but our kids never give up. We’re making sure our character comes first. We’re not going to commit stupid penalties to put us in a bad situation. If we win next week, we definitely have a shot at an at-large bid.”
Box Score:
LS: 0-3-6-0-(9)
SP: 7-7-13-7-(34)
Scoring:
SP: Armando Velasco 5 pass from Christopher Garcia (Miles Mean
SP: Joseph Troncoza 25 run (Miles Mena kick)
LS: Cristian Reyes 31 FG
SP: Que Allen 40 run (Miles Mena kick)
SP: Que Allen 42 run (Miles Mena kick)
LS: Justin Lockhart 21 pass from CJ Montes (Pass failed)
SP: Christopher Garcia 2 run (Kick failed)
This Week’s Angelus League Scores:
Thursday: St. Francis 77, Harvard-Westlake 27
Friday: St. Paul 34, La Salle 9
Cathedral 49, Salesian 0
Angelus League Standings:
St. Francis (9-0 overall, 4-0 in league)
Cathedral (8-1, 4-0)
Harvard-Westlake (7-2, 2-2)
La Salle (3-6, 1-3(
St. Paul (3-6, 1-3)
Salesian (1-9, 0-4)
Week 10 Angelus League’s Friday Schedule:
Cathedral at St. Francis at 7
La Salle at Harvard-Westlake at 7
Salesian at St. Paul at 7:30
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