If Salesianum running back Dennis Kelly appears to be growling, it's because he is. The bullish runner has just taken the haldoff from quarterback Lou Mancari (in background) and has just come face to face with a crew of Dickinson defenders while making his way forward. Kelly burst through the line for 34 yards in six carries late in the game when the about-to-be-crowned state champions needed a strong running back to maintain possession of the ball in the closing moments after star Mark McLane was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.
As shared by: Wilmington Evening News
Monday, December 4, 1972
Lake Forest High must have known it was in trouble in Saturday night's football game against Salesianum. On thegame's first play, it tried an on-side kick that failed. After that things got worse.
Except for Neil Travis' 66-yard first period TD it was all Salesianum en route to a 34-6 breeze. Or possibly, it was all Mark McLane.
The sensational tailback scored three times from nine, five and 50 yards while gaining 200 yards on 26 carries.
His effectiveness also made fullback Dennis Kelly a threat in Salesianum's WHAM offense.
In that offense, the fullback proceeds the tailback coming through the hole. When the tailback is McLane, the defense rarely bothers with the blocking back. Thus Kelly managed 67 yards in eight tries.
Salesianum scored on every possession but two and the last one was stopped at the Lake Forest 40 as time ran out. Mc-Lane scored the first two times and Kelly the third from 11 yards out to make it 20-6 at the half.
Salesianum put the contest out of reach at the start of the last 24 minutes with a 71-yard march with Kelly again putting it over. The drive was aided by two 15-yard face-mask penalties trying to pull MicLane down.
Lake Forest failed to mount a threat against the Sals defense which was laying back waiting for Larry Sorden’s passes. Highly-touted running back Donnie Parker was held to 33 yards on 11 tried. Travis got a total of zero yards on five other attempts. Sorden complimented just four of 15 passes for 28 yards.
McKane completed the scoring at Baynard Stadium with a beautiful 50-yard effort, eluding four tacklers in the open field. That play came with 8:20 remaining and was McLane's last effort of the game. He now has totaled 1606 yards in nine games for Salesianum, 7-2.
“The coach has set a goal for me of 300 yards in a game and 200 for the season," the 6-foot,190-pound senior said.
“It’s not that important to me because when you come down to it, winning is what counts.”
And a similar victory next Friday against Middletown will almost assure Salesianum the at-large berth in the state tourney. Coach Tom Olivadotti thinks his club will be ready.
"We'll be prepared," Olivadotti said. "But I'm glad the boys weren't looking past this one to next week. They were sharp and everyone did their job. It’s uncanny because each week a different team is sky-high for us.”
Lake Forest...... 6 - 0 - 0 - 0 = 6
Salesianum....... 7 - 13 - 7 - 7 = 34
S - McLane 9 run
LF - Travis 66 run
S - McLane 5 run
S - Kelly 9 run
S - Kelly 11 run
S - McLane 50 run
34 Salesianum School's Dennis Kelly finds the going rough in the second annual Delaware High School Football Tournament championship game at Delaware Stadium, Evening Journal, December 4, 1972.