Lancers looking on intently. Photo By Anne Cypress.
(PASADENA) – La Salle came back in the second half with three impressive drives to “redeem” last season’s last minute loss to Marantha, 21-14.
“We have a theme this year,” said La Salle Head Coach Antoine Peterson. “It is called ‘redemption’.”
After a shaky first half, Lancer sophomore quarterback Michael Novell was able to get into a groove and found wide receiver Michael Alexander for two touchdowns in the third quarter to give La Salle a 14-7 lead that they would not relinquish.
Novell finished the evening, seven of 12 for 135 yards for three touchdowns. He began the second half completing five passes-in-a-row.
“We knew that Marantha would put pressure on him to rattle him,” said Peterson. “Novell does everything we ask him do. He should lots of poise for being a young quarterback.”
The Minutemen defense led by defensive lineman Trent Washington were all over Novell with blitzes and were rewarded with a 60-yard fumble-recovery for a touchdown by Mark Jebbia. The score occurred on the opening possession by the Lancers.
Mark Jebbia running to the promised land. Photo by Anne Cypress.
During the first half, La Salle managed to dodge a huge bullet midway through the second quarter when Novell was expecting Randy Miller to run a post route, only to have his pass picked off and ran back for a 95-yard touchdown. The play was negated with a late-hit by a Minutemen defender on Novell.
“We made adjustments in the second half,” said Peterson. “This team should lots of character and we knew we had another half of football.”
Unfortunately for the Marantha the second half was a mirror image of last week’s loss to Linfield Christian as the Lancers began to pound the ball at the beginning of the third quarter.
La Salle used running back Carlos Morales (21 for 40 yards) and fullback James Harmon (16 for 77 yards) often to set up the Lancers first score as Marantha was fooled on a passing play on third and fifteen at the 42-yard line. Novell
Sanders one handed grab. Photo by Anne Cypress.
was able to find a streaking Alexander for his first touchdown of the night to tie the score at seven.
On the subsequent drive by the Minutemen, quarterback Cody Keith tried to scramble from the Lancer pressure and fumbled the ball on his own 30-yard line. La Salle’s Daniel Carlos scooped the ball up.
Two plays later, Novell found Alexander for a 25-yard touchdown pass to give the Lancers the lead. Yung had an opportunity to intercept the ball but it went in-and-out of his hands.
La Salle's Chris Alvarado (9) tackles Marantha's Cody Keith (12). Photo by Anne Cypress
La Salle’s defense then stepped up with a four and out against Marantha near the end of the third quarter that set up the decisive drive of the game.
The Lancers would capitalize on a 61-yard drive that would be punctuated by Novell who found Kishon Sanders on a 23-yard seam route for the touchdown to give La Salle a 21-7 lead with 10:42 to play.
The Minutemen offense would final breakthrough with 1:28 when Keith found Danny Beckwith in the corner of the end zone on a 13-yard pass play.
Marantha 7 0 0 7 14
La Salle 0 0 14 7 21
SCORING:
M – Mark Jebbia 60-yard fumble recovery (Kurt Delahooke kick good)
LS – Michael Alexander 42-yard pass from Michael Novell (Mark Danhausen kick good)
LS – Alexander 25-yard pass from Novell (Danhausen kick good)
LS – Kishon Sanders 23-yard pass from Novell (Danhausen kick good)
M – Danny Beckwith 13-yard pass from Cody Keith (Delahooke kick good)
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