EXPLORER - La Salle College High School

4 Explorer Autumn 2008
Happenings At La Salle
Underdogs Rule
The Football Team began the season unranked and not picked to make the
playoffs. In September, they snapped St. Joseph’s Prep 55-game regular season
winning streak that had dated back to 1999 and proceeded to finish the season
tied for first place in the Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division. In the
playoffs, they beat The Prep for a second time and then avenged an earlier loss
to Father Judge to capture their second Philadelphia Catholic League
Championship in three years. The “dream season” came to an end when the
Explorers lost to George Washington High School in the City Championship game
(PIAA District XII AAAA Championship). The team was comprised of seventeen
All-Catholics, of which ten were underclassman, and Head Coach Drew Gordon
was named Coach-Of-The Year.
Arsenic and Old Lace
What happens when two elderly sisters take it upon themselves to ease the
loneliness of others by poisoning them? La Salle College High School presented
three performances of Arsenic and Old Lace, the hilariously funny Broadway farce
that spawned the Frank Capra movie of the same name. The performances ran
October 17–19, 2008 and featured a diverse cast representing students from
all four classes.
Navy Seal
The Men of La Salle held the 59th Annual Father/Son Banquet on Thursday,
November 20, 2008 at Williamson Restaurant in Horsham. Over 700 fathers and
sons attended the event, which included an wonderful dinner, prizes, and music
by the La Salle Jazz Band. The keynote speaker was Rear Admiral Ray Smith,
USN (Ret.), who is widely regarded as one of the Navy’s most inspirational
leaders. A Navy SEAL for thirty-one years, he achieved extraordinary
success through focused, participatory leadership. During his four-year tenure
as Commander of the 2300-men SEAL force, he raised personnel retention
to a level three times the Navy average and as a Navy Captain, he led
the Navy SEALs in Operation Desert Storm, conducting over two hundred
operations of strategic significance while incurring no casualties.
Proud Grandparents
The holiday season commenced with over 340 grandparents proudly visiting
with their freshman grandsons on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 for a
Thanksgiving Prayer Service lead by La Salle’s chaplain, Reverend Anthony
Janton ‘69. Brother Richard Kestler, FSC ’60 offered a few remarks before
inviting the guests to light refreshments in the auditorium followed by family
photos in the gym. The grandparents concluded their visit by touring the new
first floor addition including the chapel, campus ministry, and the book store.
Crossing The Finish Line
Fresh off winning their sixth consecutive Philadelphia Catholic League
Championship and first ever District XII Championship, the Cross Country Team
traveled to the Hershey Parkview Cross Country Course and ran what is perhaps
the greatest team race in school history. They entered the Pennsylvania State
Championship largely overlooked by most outside observers, despite having won
the Philadelphia Catholic League and District XII in very impressive fashion.
The Explorers were only ranked 10th in the state; however, their pack running
style proved to be too much. After waiting nearly 45 minutes for results, it
was finally announced that La Salle had finished second – 35 points behind
North Penn, who were ranked 11th in the USA and 2nd in the Northeast.
Men of Intellect
The National Merit Scholarship Program announced the names of ten seniors
from La Salle College High School who are semifinalists in the 2009 competition
for Merit Scholarship Awards. Founded in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship
Corporation in Evanston, IL was established to reward high school students for
academic excellence. Winners stand to receive corporate-donated scholarships of
no less than $2,500. Last year, a total of $51.9 million was disbursed nationwide.
About 16,000 students nationwide were named as semifinalists, including nearly
400 from the Delaware Valley. The La Salle seniors receiving the distinction are:
Timothy M. Asztalos, James P. Catalino, William Dearden, David J. Dickson,
Patrick J. Gavin, Nicholas C. Rizzuto, Kevin T. Seybert, John E. Stumpo, Jonathan
W. Walsh, and Mathew C. White.