FOOTBALL: Joey O'Brien's conversion lifts La Salle past St. Joseph's Prep in 4OT PCL classic
UPPER DUBLIN — It wasn't quite what they drew up, but the end result was still pretty special.
After four grueling quarters in regulation and four overtimes, first-year La Salle football coach Brett Gordon decided it was time to end things one way or another and sent his offense out for a two-point conversion after a Joey O'Brien touchdown. A few days earlier, O'Brien had gotten an earful from his coaches after he'd botched their "Philly Special" but all he was thinking on Saturday was to find someone open.
O'Brien's hectic scramble paid off, the junior finding Desmond Ortiz for the winning conversion as La Salle topped St. Joe's Prep 35-34 in four overtimes at Upper Dublin High School for an instant all-timer for Philadelphia Catholic League football.
"I did not expect to throw that to anybody, but I told them before the play that people needed to get open," O'Brien said. "I was going through it and I decided why not?"
O'Brien, the electrifying junior who has bloomed into one of the top prospects nationally in his class, caught nine balls for 83 yards including that pivotal final touchdown in the fourth overtime and spent the game defensively shadowing the immensely talented Prep freshman, Jett Harrison. Beyond all that, Saturday night marked a career first for O'Brien, even if it didn't quite go as planned.
"That was my first pass," O'Brien said. "I got yelled at the other day by Coach Gordon because I overthrew Gavin and he said 'he's going to be wide open.' Well, he ended up not being open, so I had to improvise."
Saturday's game was an extremely well-played game between two of the very best teams in the state. It was also a pretty important win for La Salle (7-0, 2-0 PCL Red) in a rivalry that's been decidedly in the Prep's favor over the last decade, the Explorers marking their first win over their archrivals since Oct. 2, 2021 when they dueled at Franklin Field.
For Saturday's game to even get to overtime, it took a shocking end to regulation. With the score tied 14-14, Prep defender Brandon Lockely intercepted Sidwar to hand the Hawks the ball with 2:58 to go in the fourth quarter.
St. Joe's Prep (3-2, 1-1 PCL Red) moved down the field, got to third-and-goal on the La Salle three with eight seconds left and called timeout. However, instead of going for a field goal, the Hawks called a fake toss and went for a shot at the end zone.
La Salle senior Christian Peterman had the play read, deflecting the pass as defensive lineman Grayson McKeogh – all 6-foot-8, 265 pounds of him – then dove for the live ball. It was a pretty memorable first career interception, the sophomore holding the ball aloft at the urging of his teammates after the play.
"It was a great play call by our coaches, we had an emergency route that if the ball went to the other side, then I'm backing off and watching the QB rollout," McKeogh said. "He rolled right, I saw him, Christian Peterman comes in and great play by him for the tip, so right spot, right time.
"I played wide receiver and tight end my freshman year, so I still have a little bit of that plus I got the nice gloves."
Prep-La Salle games mean something more to the players on each team. How much? Well, the cast on Justin Hawkins' right hand should say more than enough.
The defensive back broke his thumb in practice on Monday and there was no way he was going to let them keep him from playing. La Salle was glad he did, the senior making a multitude of huge plays in the first half, none larger than the crunching hit he delivered to stop the Prep short on fourth-and-goal.
Hawkins also had several pass break-ups, one preventing a sure touchdown and even added an interception despite his hobbled hand.
"I had to get it clubbed up because I knew I was going to play in this game," Hawkins said. "I give it all to the game, I love this game and especially against these guys, I wanted to win so badly.
"I saw the ball, I wanted the ball and I went to the ball. I knew it was a big play, it was 0-0, so if they scored, it would have been a big play."
La Salle couldn't get its running game going at all, the Hawks' powerful front and excellent linebackers Anthony Sacca and Cam Smith blocking up every running lane. Ortiz said that wasn't a reason for him or fellow running back Joshua Simmons to take themselves out of the game and the two provided important pass protection for Sidwar, who completed 27-of-45 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns.
After exchanging scores all second half, the teams did the same in the overtimes. Both got touchdowns in the first overtime, then Prep kicker Leo Ricci and La Salle kicker Chris Heck traded field goals in the second and third overtimes.
Prep's Charlie Foulke hit Jamir Rowe for the go-ahead with Ricci adding the PAT in the fourth overtime, prompting La Salle to answer. O'Brien, who had scored a touchdown in all six of La Sallle's prior games, ran the streak to seven when he and Sidwar connected on the Explorers' first play of the fourth overtime.
Gordon then made the call, they were going for two.
"I decided if we scored, I was going to go for two and end it because we were already into the fourth overtime," Gordon said. "I got talked into the play and I said 'let's just run it' and fortunately, Joey's athleticism kicked in.
"I'm just really, really happy for the kids."
Prep called a timeout before the attempt. It did not dissuade the Explorers' decision.
"I was fired up because that means he puts a lot of trust in us," Ortiz said. "He put trust in us, so we made it work."
Making it work was an apt description. With his first option covered, O'Brien freelanced but had the poise to spot a teammate open in the endzone.
"I saw them there so I figured let me try it," O'Brien said.
Ortiz made the diving catch and as he did, John-Patrick Oates got his hands in on the ball as well just to add a little more drama to the moment.
"I wasn't even thinking, I just reached for the ball and we got it," Ortiz said. "I just started celebrating because we won."
The teams will almost assuredly meet again next month in a game that somehow has even higher stakes with the PCL Class 6A title and only the winner having a chance to chase a state title on the line. Both sides had some important players out on Saturday and a lot can change in just four or five weeks, so one result doesn't dictate another outcome.
Whatever happens when they play again, it likely won't go to script but it will certainly have a chance to be special.
"It's going to be very different," O'Brien said. "Both teams get a lot of players back. They're going to get their guys back, we'll get our guy back so it's going to be both teams going full force."
