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10/15/05

Playoff spots can be powerful motivators, as the La Salle Lancers demonstrated Friday night.

The Lancers, the No. 3 team in the Enquirer Division I area coaches' poll, went into their Homecoming game against East Central holding the eighth and final spot in the Division I, Region 4 Harbin computer ratings, which are used to determine playoff berths. La Salle needed a win over the Trojans to stay in contention.

Mike Reed carried the ball two times, each time for a touchdown, and caught five passes for 96 yards as La Salle answered the challenge with a 28-12 win.

"We knew we had to win our last three games to get in," Reed said of the Lancers' playoff chances. "We know we're going to be lucky to get in (even if we finish) at 8-2, but we definitely knew we were the better team tonight."

Said La Salle coach Tom Grippa: "This was a playoff game. We know we need to win to keep advancing."

Isaac Green had 87 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, and quarterback Tyler Sheehan was 10-of-15 passing for 166 yards for La Salle (6-2).

The Lancers, seemingly intent on putting away the Trojans (7-2) quickly, scored on their first two possessions. Six different players handled the ball, including three different running backs, as La Salle took the opening kickoff and marched 82 yards in 12 plays.

Sheehan converted on fourth-and-10 from East Central's 36-yard line with a 21-yard pass to Reed, and Bobby Burger capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run around left end, breaking a tackle along the way.

After forcing a Trojans punt and being penalized back to their own 45-yard line, the Lancers needed just five plays to take a 14-0 lead on Reed's 2-yard run. He added a 10-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.

The Trojans, one of Indiana's top Class 4A teams, settled down after that and kept the Lancers from scoring the rest of the half while getting a 24-yard field goal from Alex Wilhelm.

Wilhelm added a 31-yard field goal, but La Salle responded with Isaac Green's 3-yard touchdown run following Vince Harris' interception deep in East Central territory.

"That was a rocket screen," East Central coach Don Stonefield said. "That kid's a great athlete. He made a good read and went with it."

<TABLE class=enqtable cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=enqtdhead><TD align=left>East Central</TD><TD class=enqtd align=left>0</TD><TD class=enqtd align=left>3</TD><TD class=enqtd align=left>3</TD><TD class=enqtd align=left>6</TD><TD class=enqtd align=left>-12</TD></TR><TR><TD class=enqtd align=left>La Salle</TD><TD class=enqtd align=left>14</TD><TD class=enqtd align=left>0</TD><TD class=enqtd align=left>7</TD><TD class=enqtd align=left>7</TD><TD class=enqtd align=left>-28</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

L - Burger 11 run (Walter kick)
L - Reed 2 run (Walter kick)
E - Wilhelm 31 FG
L - Green 3 run (Walter kick)
L - Reed 10 run (Walter kick)
E - Hartman 13 pass from Deters (pass failed)

Records: East Central 7-2, La Salle 6-2.