The562’s coverage of football in 2023-24 is sponsored in part by the MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center Foundation and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Foundation
The St. Anthony Saints will close out their regular season schedule this Friday night at Clark Field, hosting Del Rey League rivals La Salle for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
St. Anthony is riding high with four consecutive victories, and will look to finish off a perfect 4-0 record in league play. A win would give the Saints an 8-2 record going into next week’s bye, as the Saints prepare for a playoff appearance in November. Those eight wins would be the most for the Saints in the regular season since 2017.
The running game has been the key for St. Anthony this year, and the defense has played well in league action. The Purple People Eaters have not allowed more than two scores during the four-game winning streak, with opponents averaging less than nine points per game.
The visiting Lancers come in at exactly .500 with a 4-4 record overall and a 1-1 league mark. They’ve actually been better on the road with a 3-1 record in away games, and they won this meeting against the Saints 28-7 a year ago. But this St. Anthony team is much different than the one La Salle played in 2022, and the Lancers will have their work cut out for them.
RB David Vanden Bosch is the workhorse for the Lancers offense, with 171 carries through 8 games, racking up 840 rushing yards and 10 TDs. Senior QB Zachary Lifton has thrown for 1,800 yards and 16 TDs this season, but has also thrown 11 interceptions. His favorite targets are Aidan Leyland (29 catches, 626 yards, 5 TDs) and Mauricio Pavon (40 catches, 519 yards, 6 TDs).
St. Anthony is coming off a 37-7 home win over St. Genevieve last week, winning their last two games by a combined margin of 88-21.
