CINCINNATI, oh – It was do or die for the #13 La Salle Lancers Friday night, as they hit the road to take on the Mt. Healthy Owls.
Win and in the Ohio Division II, Region 8 playoffs. Lose, and likely miss the playoffs.
The Lancers made sure they took care of business, jumping out to a 28-7 lead at halftime en route to a 48-15 victory over the Owls to ensure themselves a playoff berth.
La Salle’s defense started the scoring in the first quarter, as junior defensive back Nikari Issac recovered a Mt. Healthy fumble and scampered for a 46-yard touchdown to give the Lancers a 7-0 lead.
The Lancer offense then got rolling, closing out the first quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run by Naseer Salaam to take a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.
Mt. Healthy tried to make it a game, however, closing the gap to 14-7 at the 11:01 mark of the second quarter on a 4-yard touchdown run by Kierre Jones. But then the Lancer defense again stepped up, as Salaam – who is also a defensive back for the La Salle defense – scooped up a fumble deep in Mt. Healthy territory and took it in from three yards out to make it 21-7.
La Salle would add more with roughly 4 minutes left in the first half, as quarterback Garrett Fraley would hook up with wideout Jack McLaughlin on a 12-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-7 at halftime.
The Lancers would add two more touchdowns in the third quarter, one a 12-yard run by Jordan Lowe and the other a 12-yard run by Zach McAlister, to make it 42-7 entering the final quarter.
The Owls would find the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown run by Aliou Ba and convert the 2-point conversion to make it 42-15, but La Salle’s offense had one more score left in them, a 15-yard touchdown pass to Lane Mueller from Zach McAlister, to make it 48-15.
La Salle racked up 194 yards rushing on the night, and 335 yards of total offense, while their defense held Mt. Healthy to only 196 total yards of offense on the night. Most of that offense for the Owls came from running back Kierre Jones, who carried 16 times for 108 yards and one touchdown in the loss.
With the victory, La Salle finishes the regular season 5-5 and nabs a playoff berth in Ohio Division II, Region 8, with their first-round opponent yet to be determined. Mt. Healthy finishes their 2026 season with a record of 2-8.
SCORING BY QUARTERS
La Salle: 14-14-14-6-48
Mt. Healthy: 0-7-0-8-15
SCORING PLAYS
L: Nikari Isaacs 46-yard fumble recovery return (Grayson Bedacht kick)
L: Naseer Salaam 2-yard run (Bedacht kick)
MH: Kierre Jones 4-yard run (Brayden Johnson kick)
L: Naseer Salaam 3-yard fumble recovery return (Bedacht kick)
L: Jack McLaughlin 12-yard pass from Garrett Fraley (Bedacht kick)
L: Jordan Lowe 12-yard run (Bedacht kick)
L: Zach McAlister 12-yard run (Bedacht kick)
MH: Aliou Ba 2-yard run (Pierre Jones run)
L: Lane Mueller 15-yard pass from Zach McAlister (kick failed)
RECORDS: La Salle 5-5, Mt. Healthy 2-8
UP NEXT: La Salle first-round, Ohio Division II, Region 8 playoff game; Mt. Healthy season is completed
