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By Scott Huff
TOWAMENCIN – Both defending PIAA Quad-A state champion La Salle and highly touted North Penn opened the season with extremely high expectations and quarterbacks that were untested on the varsity level.
The two scholastic powers met last night under the bright Friday Night lights at Crawford Stadium. And it was La Salle junior quarterback Matt Magarity that stole the spotlight with a glittering performance that led the Explorers to a 27-14 victory.
Magarity fired three touchdown passes – rushed for a fourth score – and torched the Knight defense for 201 passing yards.
“I thought (Magarity) was fantastic, but we expected him to be,” said North Penn head coach Dick Beck. “We saw him on film, and we were very impressed with what we saw.
“There were things, defensively, that we never really adjusted to in the second half,” added Beck as the Explorers rallied for 21 unanswered points in the second half to put the game out of reach. “We have to do a better job of making adjustments.”
“(Magarity) showed a good arm and put the ball where he wanted to,” said North Penn senior captain Dominic Taggart. “We did a good job against their running game, but they were just a better team than us in the second half.”
North Penn led at intermission 14-6 and overcame some offensive miscues to take the lead.
The Knights scored on the first play of the second period when Taggart bolted in on a 15-yard scoring run. Sophomore Brandon Mendes added the extra point to give NP a 7-0 lead.
La Salle countered quickly with a touchdown drive of its own. The Explorers used a pair of big passing plays to get into the end zone. Magarity hit Mike Piscopo with a 38-yard strike and followed with a gorgeous 24-yard scoring pass to Sean Coleman.
La Salle missed the placement and settled for a 7-6 deficit.
North Penn scored on its ensuing possession as the Knights traveled 69 yards on 11 plays for the touchdown. Taggart capped the drive with a two-yard scoring burst, and Mendes added the point after touchdown to increase the lead to 14-6.
It would be the last time the Knights would score.
“I really felt that we were beating ourselves in the first half of the game,” said La Salle head coach Drew Gordon. “But Matt really had himself a breakout game in the second half.”
Magarity fired his second scoring strike to Coleman – this one for 38 yards – and Ryan Winslow’s placement sliced the NP lead to 14-13.
The scoring drive was set up by a defensive stop by the Explorer defense. North Penn had a fourth-and-one on its own 39-yard line but bobbled the snap from center and turned the ball over on downs.
“That was a key play in the game,” said Beck. “We always – always – make a fourth and one. But we didn’t this time, and it hurt.”
La Salle came up with another defensive stop and scored quickly as Magarity found Colin Buckley on a 20-yard TD reception. The touchdown gave La Salle its first lead of the game at 20-14.
La Salle intercepted a NP pass on the next possession and turned that possession into a game breaking drive.
The Explorers traveled just 37 yards on seven plays for the score. Magarity scored on a one-yard run on a fourth-and-goal to help secure the victory.
“We thought we had a good player in Matt, but you don’t know for sure until he does it on the field,” said Gordon. “I think he showed a lot of people how good he is against a very good North Penn team.
“There is a good chance that we haven’t seen the last of North Penn,” added Gordon. “Both of us have good, fundamental football teams. And good football teams play each other late in the season.”
“I really don’t know what happened, but we have to come back and get ready for next week,” said Taggart as the Knights have cross-town Lansdale Catholic on their schedule. “We need to work hard in practice, and things will get better.”
“I know it is hard some people to believe, but we will be better for playing this game,” said Beck. “I know that I believe it.”
La Salle 0 6 21 0 - 27
North Penn 0 14 0 0 - 14
NP: Dominic Taggart 15 run (Brandon Mandes kick)
LaS: Sean Coleman 24 pass from Matt Magarity (kick failed)
NP: Taggart 2 run (Mendes kick)
LaS: Coleman 38 pass from Magarity (Ryan Winslow kick)
LaS: Colin Buckley 20 pass from Magarity (Winslow kick)
LaS: Magarity 1 run (Winslow kick)
La Salle North Penn
15 First Downs 13
104 Rush Yards 200
201 Pass Yards 78
305 Total Offense 278
2-24 Punts/Avg 1-28
3-30 Pen/Yards 6-60
La Salle Explorers
Rushing: Tim Wade 12-74; Jamal Abdul-Coleman 9-25; Matt Magarity 5-5 & TD. Totals: 26-104 & TD.
Passing: Magarity 13-22-1, 201 yards & 3 TD.
Receiving: Sean Coleman 5-114 & 2 TD; Mike Piscopo 2-43; Colin Buckley 2-35 & TD; Kevin Forester 1-20; Wade 1 (minus 4); Abdul-Rahman 2 (minus 4). Totals 13-201 & 3 TD.
Interceptions: Connor Reilly; Ryan Otis.
North Penn Knights
Rushing: Craig Needhammer 18-110; Dominic Taggart 9-51 & 2 TD; Ralphie Reeves 3-13; Corey Ernst 7-11; Ryan Hessenius 3-10; Brandon Mercer 3-5. Totals 43-200 & 2 TD.
Passing: Ernst 8-16-2, 78 yards.
Receiving: Reeves 3-37; Gerard Wendowski 3-25; Needhammer 2-16. Totals 8-78.
Interceptions: Mercer.
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