Explorers hit road for opener
La Salle visits Manheim Township with heavy heart after death of senior Isaiah Turner
La Salle opens its season on the road Friday night against Manheim Township at 7 p.m.
The Explorers will be taking the field with heavy hearts after the death of senior Isaiah Turner. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman died after football practice Friday, Sept. 4. The cause of death is still unknown.
No fans will be permitted at the game. Follow @emor09 on Twitter for live updates.
La Salle is coming off an 8-3 season in 2019 with all three losses coming against eventual state champions. They lost two games to 6A champ St. Joseph’s Prep and one to 5A winner Archbishop Wood. Some quality nonleague wins came against Imhotep, North Penn and Malvern Prep.
The Explorers offense returns a pair of first team All-Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division selections from 2019 — senior offensive lineman Ryan Wills and junior running back Sam Brown.
Wills, a 6-foot-4, 287-pound tackle, will help pave the way for the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Brown — just as he did last season.
Brown showed what he can do as a sophomore, especially in their 42-6 win over North Penn. He caught eight passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns while adding 63 yards and two touchdowns on nine rushing attempts.
Brown did it again the following week against Malvern Prep. He carried the ball 25 times for 150 yards. The highlight was a goahead 73-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead the Explorers to a 24-13 win.
La Salle’s defense helped the team win plenty of games in 2019. In eight victories, the defense al
lowed an average of 9.75 points per game. The top
performance of the season was a shutout against Archbishop Ryan.
Linebacker Abdul Carter is the top returner on the defensive side of the ball. The junior earned first
team All-League honors as a sophomore.
Manheim Township went 11-1 last season, winning its first 11 games before losing to Central Dauphin, 35-34 in double overtime, in the
District 3-6A semifinals. It was the third straight season the Lebanon-Lancaster League power won 10 or more games.
The Blue Streaks had an impressive offense last season,
routinely scoring more than 40 points, but graduated their first team AllLeague quarterback, running back and tight end.
Defensively, Manheim limited opponents to 7.3 points per game during their 11-game winning streak, including three consecutive shutouts. PREDICTION » La Salle 24, Manheim Township 14.