It’s week one for everyone.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Seton LaSalle Rebels worked their way past the North Catholic 23-12 in a penalty-filled matchup, relying on senior tailback Logan King to shorten the game and grind down the Trojans’ defense.
Seton LaSalle drew first blood, moving methodically down the field as King heard his name called early and often. Rebels’ quarterback Michael Pastirik also made time for his top target, four-star sophomore receiver Khalil Taylor, who already possesses a throng of Division 1 offers—including area schools Pitt, Penn State and WVU.
Taylor drew a pass interference call on a deep shot into the end zone, then opened the scoring on a 12 yard reception off a bubble screen.
North Catholic tied things up with a splash play on the following possession. Facing heavy pressure on third and ten, quarterback Joey Felitsky tossed up a prayer into double coverage. Receiver Jack White somehow managed to pull it in, surging past two Rebels defenders on his heels and taking it 80 yards to the house.
Seton LaSalle Finds a Groove
While the Trojans controlled the pace of play for much of the second quarter, penalties and ill-timed sacks kept them from cashing in… most notably at the end of the second quarter, when they went to the sideline empty handed after driving into the Rebels’ red zone.
When they held possession, Seton LaSalle continued to mix in Taylor’s ability out in space with King’s grinding carries. 5-foot-11 sophomore receiver Richard Littlejohn made his presence known as well, extending for a spectacular 22-yard catch over the head of a Trojans’ defender. King ended up putting Seton LaSalle ahead 13-6 midway through the frame, scampering ten yards for the score.
North Catholic turned the ball over on downs deep inside their own territory midway through the third quarter after a botched punt attempt. They managed to keep Seton LaSalle out of the end zone thanks to a pair of dropped touchdowns, but a field goal pushed the Rebels’ lead to two scores.
Trojans’ cornerback Ryan Snyder picked off a pass early in the fourth quarter, giving North Catholic a chance to get back in the game. The offense again stalled out in Seton LaSalle territory, though, with Littlejohn snagging a fourth-down interception of his own.
King took it from there, stifling North Catholic’s hopes carry after carry against a stacked box. A 34-yard touchdown carry on fourth down capped off the win.
Rebel Pride