St. Joe’s Prep vs. La Salle will be a showdown of top Pa. football teams

There’s a longstanding, “healthy” rivalry between two prominent Catholic League programs in St. Joseph’s Prep and La Salle College High School that dates back to 1915. It’s no secret, however, that the Prep has been considered the gold standard of Eastern Pennsylvania football, and the Hawks have beaten the Explorers in 14 of the last 15 matchups.

But this year feels different, says first-year La Salle coach Brett Gordon, who’s considered one of the all-time greats in the school’s gridiron history and is the son of the late Drew Gordon, a coach who led the Explorers to a state title in 2009.

The unbeaten Explorers (6-0) are having a dominant season while the nationally ranked Hawks (3-1), led by coach Tim Roken, are on a three-game winning streak. The Hawks and Explorers are the top two teams in Pennsylvania, making Saturday night’s game at Upper Dublin High School a highly anticipated matchup.

“I do expect this game to be competitive,” Gordon said. “We have the utmost respect for their program, their success, and the level of consistency of having success. But I do feel this year, this should be a very competitive game. The environment is going to be electric at Upper Dublin High School.

“I even said to our players recently, even for those that are going on to various levels of college football, the environment you’re going to play in Saturday night might be the pinnacle of your football careers.”

La Salle, which finished the last two seasons at .500, is coming off a 48-0 win against Cardinal O’Hara. A win Saturday night would be its first against the Prep since 2021.

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The Prep, which graduated 28 seniors last year, opened Catholic League play against Father Judge. The No. 3-ranked Hawks rolled past the Crusaders, 42-13. Roken said that despite previous success, every team has a one-year life expectancy, so the main focus heading into Saturday is on themselves.

“Whether it’s playing on ESPN or it’s playing in a hostile environment like we did against Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.), it’s trying to get the young man to focus on being prepared every single day so that we’re on the same page,” said the coach, who has been with the program since 2010. “These are two great schools that have great alumni. When it comes to athletics and football, they go back many years and we have a lot of respect for them as a program.”

Players to watch

Both teams feature standout players who will go on to play in college.

Of the Prep’s 29 seniors, six were named captains: linebacker Anthony Sacca (committed to Notre Dame), defensive back Ryan McDonald, offensive lineman Kahlil Stewart (Syracuse), receiver Rameir Hardy (Temple), defensive lineman Maxwell Roy (Ohio State), who’s out with an injury, and running back Isaiah West (Ohio State), the Prep’s main offensive contributor with eight touchdowns.

Other notable names include first-year starting quarterback Charlie Foulke, a sophomore who has thrown for five touchdowns and 682 yards in four games.

New receiver Jett Harrison is the younger brother of Arizona Cardinals rookie and former Prep star Marvin Harrison Jr. The freshman has totaled 16 receptions for 251 yards, with his most impressive outing coming against Father Judge on Sept. 27, when he scored two touchdowns.

La Salle also has a strong senior core, which features linebacker Dylan Clair, receiver Julian McFadden (committed to Syracuse), defensive back Eddie Sutter, linebacker/safety Chris Fileppo (West Virginia), who’s been out with an injury, and linebacker/running back Jack Leuthe.

“There’s just so many of them that I’m so proud of,” Gordon said. “Not only did they buy into a new way of doing things, some of these kids bought into playing an entirely different position from what they had played before, and in some cases, on a complete different side of the ball.”

Four-star wide receiver and defensive back Joey O’Brien is another Explorers standout. The junior has seven touchdowns while scoring in every game this season. Quarterback Gavin Sidwar, who has committed to Rutgers, is also a member of the 2026 class. He has thrown for 18 touchdowns and 1,456 yards.

Longstanding tradition

Gordon said one of his most memorable moments of playing against the Prep was when he was junior quarterback for La Salle. It was on Thanksgiving Day at La Salle University, and the Explorers came back to beat the Prep, 17-14.

“It was a slugfest,” he added. “We ended up coming out on top, which kept our winning streak going at the time. It was just a great memory. My classmates and teammates from back in those days, we still talk about it today. Thanksgiving mornings with 7,000 to 8,000 people in the stands. It’s a lot of pressure. But pressure is a privilege, and it’s a reminder that what we’re doing is important and it matters.

“When you look at the history of the Catholic League, the history of these programs, the history of the games and the seasons over so many years, it’s a big deal to a lot of people. I tell that to our players to hopefully give them a sense of pride and excitement that this is bigger than just the game. It’s bigger than just this team. There’s a lot of pride from a lot of people that are anxiously waiting to see what happens tomorrow night.”

The two coaches know what this game means to the community and how it brings the alumni together.

Back in 2010, Roken and Gordon were offensive coordinators for their respective programs. They’ve seen the uphill battle it takes to turn around a team, and now as they go head-to-head, it’s a reminder of how far these two coaches have come.

“I know with that program, the hard work and dedication he and his staff put in getting those guys ready, and they’ve done a great job this year,” Roken said. “We’re excited for a great opportunity. Should be a great atmosphere. This is a game that a lot of people always come out to.”