Nov. 17, 2007

Box Score

On Senior Day at McCarthy Stadium, Calvin Williams rushed for 243 yards and three touchdowns as Saint Francis topped La Salle, 51-10.

The La Salle defense was able to force four turnovers on the afternoon, but the ball-hawking secondary of the Red Flash picked off four passes to keep the Explorer offense in check.

Freshman quarterback Steve Panasuk completed 10 of 25 passes for 113 yards, but was pressured all afternoon by the Saint Francis front seven.

The Explorers found themselves in an early hole, as Saint Francis scored on its first three possessions of the game. Quarterback George Little connected with Omar Winston on a 37-yard play action pass to put the Red Flash up 6-0 just 46 seconds into the contest. On their next possession, Williams rushed up the middle for 85 yards and another Red Flash touchdown. A one-yard plunge from Little made the score 20-0 with 6:10 left in the first quarter.

Facing a three-touchdown deficit, the Explorer defense came up big when they forced a fumble by Little deep in Red Flash territory. Sophomore safety Gary Michalowski came up with the recovery at the Saint Francis 32 yard line. Two plays later, Panasuk found Shane Kendrick on a bubble screen, which went for 22 yards and an Explorer touchdown.

On the ensuing Red Flash possession, running back Jude Yearwood coughed up another fumble, which was recovered by freshman linebacker Brandon Gallman at the La Salle 37. The Explorer offense was able to move deep into Saint Francis territory, thanks in part to a 42-yard bomb from Panasuk to senior tight end Geoffrey Nagle. After the drive stalled at the Saint Francis 9, Anthony Perlozzo split the uprights on a 26-yard field goal to cut the Red Flash lead to 20-10.

Having forced two consecutive turnovers, the Explorer defense came out fired up and forced a three and out on the next Saint Francis possession. La Salle looked to have good field position for its next drive, as Bobby Fuller lined up to punt from his own 19-yard line. However, Carmen Aliberti muffed the punt at the Explorer 47 and Saint Francis came up with the loose ball.

With the momentum back in its favor, the Red Flash struck quick, as Little hooked up with Antoine Rivera on a 39-yard pass to put Saint Francis up 27-10.

After a La Salle three and out, Rivera returned Perlozzo's punt to the Explorer 8, and Williams punched it in to extend the Red Flash lead to 34-10. Williams would add a 56-yard rushing touchdown and Adam Sciulli booted a 29-yard field goal to close out the first-half scoring, as Saint Francis took a 44-10 lead into halftime.

The Explorers looked to have stalled on the opening possession of the second half, but the drive was kept alive thanks to some special team's trickery. La Salle lined up to punt at its own 47, but the snap went to back Casey Walsh, who rumbled 30 yards to the Red Flash 23. The Explorers picked up a first down at the 13-yard line, but penalties and strong pressure from the Red Flash line forced La Salle out of field-goal range.

Little and Rivera would connect once again in the fourth quarter, this time on a 23-yard touchdown pass to close out the scoring on the afternoon.

Nagle was the leading receiver for La Salle, catching three passes for 61 yards. Kendrick had four catches for 46 yards and the lone Explorer touchdown.