By Harry Pray
NEFJ Correspondent

PROVIDENCE – In what is always the most anticipated high school football game in the state of Rhode Island each time the teams meet, Hendricken visited LaSalle Friday night and earned a 22-12 win.

“We stayed patient, we did what we needed to do, and made plays in the second half,” said Hendricken head coach Keith Croft. “Continue with progression and a team mentality. It’s a great win, but we’re a long way away from a finished product.”

The Rams actually started this one fast as Timoy Stitchell took a screen pass 80-yards on the first offensive play of the game to make it 6-0 Rams, but LaSalle missed the extra point.

Bishop Hendricken was moving the ball well on the first two drives, QB Jaden Falcone hooked up with freshman standout wide receiver Sebastian Lora for a 44-yard pick up into La Salle territory. However, both drives eventually end in a turnover on downs.

Late in the second quarter with under 3:45 left, safety Jonas Rivera came away with a 41-yard interception return for Bishop Hendricken down to the LaSalle two-yard line, which led to an Oscar Weah two-yard touchdown run.

With just over three minutes to go in the first half, La Salle marched right down the field. Sophomore Grey Iannitti was a perfect 3-3 for 40 yards, and a touchdown on the drive, connecting with Antonio Bearden twice and finished with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Grover Moran making the score 12-7 La Salle with just 18 seconds left in the half.

In the second half the Hawks running game took over. Weah had an incredible 24-yard run where he broke multiple tackles down to the La Salle one. One play later, he punched it in to make it 13-12 Hawks.

Bishop Hendricken went for two points converting courtesy of Jayden Falcone, making it 15-12

On the Hawks’ next drive with 2:56 left in the third quarter, Weah ran in from 14 yards out untouched for his third touchdown of the game, ultimately sealing the win with the defense also closing the door.

“We gave it everything we had, we were letting our nerves get the best of us,” Falcone said of the first half performance.
“In the second half we just came out and played our game.”

That sealed the victory for the Hawks. The win puts Bishop Hendricken at 5-1 overall on the season as La Salle suffers its fifth loss of the season, moving to 2-5. La Salle will take on Wakefield and their upcoming game. The Hawks will face Central next Friday at 7 PM.