Izzy Balisalisa, Ali Kaltenbacher, Londynn Laney
LANSDALE, PA — The pieces were there. They just had to be found and fit. Lansdale Catholic, the defending Catholic League champions, had its struggles early this season—and still won, save for one loss to Conwell-Egan.
Crusaders’ coach Brandon Reese was searching for some chemistry, starting with a quarterback. Halfway into this season, it looks like he found one in freshman Londynn Laney, who had a background in flag football at the grade school level.
Ever since then, the Crusaders have been humming.
Lansdale Catholic scored two fourth-quarter three-yard touchdowns when Laney hit sophomore Izzy Balisalisa and freshman Molly Flavel with the winning score to spell a 13-7 victory over previously undefeated Archbishop Ryan.
Ryan was the last team in the Catholic League undefeated. The Raiders loss creates a three-team logjam atop the Catholic League, with Ryan, Lansdale and Conwell-Egan each with one loss. Conwell-Egan defeated Lansdale Catholic earlier this season, without Laney at quarterback, while Ryan beat Conwell-Egan a few weeks ago.
Ryan and Lansdale Catholic are each 8-1, with both teams having two more games to play, while Conwell-Egan is 6-1 with five games left to play.
If the season were to end in a three-way tie, a point-differential is the first tie-breaker, and that may go to Conwell-Egan thanks to its 25-6 victory over Lansdale Catholic back on March 21.
But the Crusaders have wedged their way into the picture, thanks to interception by Lansdale Catholic U.S. national flag team player Ali Kaltenbacher’s interceptions and huge 30-yard catch that set up Lansdale Catholic’s first score, and Laney leading Lansdale Catholic to consecutive fourth-quarter touchdowns with her ability to run and pass.
“Londynn has really come through for us midway in the season,” Kaltenbacher said. “Ryan is very good, and this was huge, because we’re a young team. Our team is mostly freshmen. They have figured it out and I think we can make a big run this season. This was a big confidence booster.”
Laney has adjusted to the speed of the varsity level. A starter on Lansdale Catholic’s junior varsity basketball team, Laney has settled the Crusaders’ offense. This is her third year playing flag.
“This is a very big step for me, and I had to learn the ball better, more efficiently, and getting the ball out fast helps,” she said. “I’m really enjoying this season. Ryan is really good and going into this game, I had to put my emotions aside. I was anxious. Our coaches were telling us this is the biggest game, so far, this season.”
It turned to be an exciting game. Ryan scored its lone touchdown on a long drive that ended on a 30-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Bree Gavaghan to Kayla Morris, with big defensive stops on interceptions from Ansleigh Lapacinski and pretty nifty diving interception by Amber Rothley.
But with the game on the line, Lansdale Catholic took control, started to take control with Laney hit Kaltenbacher for a 30-yard reception, which seemed to awaken the Crusaders’ offense. Lansdale Catholic reached the Ryan three, when Laney found Balisalisa in a maze of players for the Crusaders’ tying score with 9:23 to play.
“I just turned my head, and the ball was right there,” said Balisalisa, who also missed the Conwell-Egan game. “I was running my route and saw an opening. I didn’t the ball was thrown until I turned around. Ryan is really good. This was big for us. This is a huge confidence boost. Ryan was the hardest team we saw all year.”
Reese feels sure Lansdale Catholic will see Ryan again.
“Londynn has made a difference,” Reese said. “This was our first year when we went into the season without a starting quarterback. Londynn has natural athleticism, and her ability to adapt running has been behind this team’s revival. Every game we have gotten better after the Conwell-Egan loss. And we have Ali, and we know when we need something big, we can go to Ali. She’s our driving force.”
Ryan did not go away easily.
With 3:51 to play, Gavaghan found Morris for a big gain, and with 27 seconds to play, the Raiders were sitting on the Lansdale Catholic 3. But two incompletions meant the end for Ryan.
“I think we needed this,” Raiders’ coach Sue Dutka said. “We fought again. But we let our foot off the gas in the second half. I have no doubt we will still make our run for the Catholic League championship. Kayla has a knack or big plays, and I feel really strong we’ll see LC again.”
Morris seems certain of it.
“We’ll learn from this, and it is good for us, because it is humbling and we need to lock in and stay focused for the whole game,” said Morris, a Ryan cheerleader who runs track. “Lansdale Catholic is really good. I don’t think there is much of a difference between us. It was great that we came back and made it close.”
Scoring Summary
Archbishop Ryan (8-1) 6 0 0 0-6
Lansdale Catholic (8-1) 0 0 0 13-13
1st Quarter
AR – Kayla Morris 30 pass from Bree Gavaghan (pass failed)
4th Quarter
LC – Izzy Balisalisa 3 pass from Londynn Laney (pass failed)
LC – Molly Flavel 3 pass from Laney (Jenna Kovacs pass from Laney)
Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball [twitter.com].