Soaring in Elite Air: St. Joe’s Prep Hawks Dominate Explorers

Tagged under: District 12, Gameday Hub, News

TC Jones | October 17, 2020

There are good teams, and then there are those that fly in elite air. On a chilly Saturday night at Cardinal O’Hara High School, St. Joe’s Prep proved why there are the latter with a commanding 38-14 victory over the La Salle College High School Explorers.

What makes the Hawk’s performance even more impressive is that they dominated against an Explorers team that was ranked #5 in the state. 

From the first kickoff to the final horn, St. Joe’s Prep showed why they are the #1 ranked team in Pennsylvania and deserving of their national ranking as well. Ohio State quarterback recruit Kyle McCord led a balanced attack in the first half that showcased six scores on six possessions en route to a 38-0 halftime lead.

The drives featured three rushing touchdowns by running back Noble House, one by Blaine Bunch, and a perfect long touchdown throw by McCord to Malik Cooper. The Explorer’s defense had no answers for the Hawk’s running or passing game as the Hawks marched down the field over and over until the running clock mercy rule went into effect at the end of the 2nd quarter. 

La Salle couldn’t get anything going on offense most of the evening. St. Joe’s defenders were in quarterback Gavin Daly’s face as soon as the ball was snapped, forcing an early turnover and multiple 3 and outs. The Trotter brothers led the Hawk’s defensive unit with two sacks and a handful of quarterback hurries. 

With St. Joe’s backup units in the game for the second half, LaSalle was able to gain a bit of momentum, scoring 14 unanswered points. Star running back Sam Brown rushed for one touchdown while Daly connected with an open Nole Henry as time was expiring to make the score a respectable 38-14.

St. Joe’s Prep moves to 2-0 on the season while La Salle College High School falls to 3-1.

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