For once, Parkland's explosive offense could not find a rhythm. La Salle's defense kept breaking up play after play before they could even have a chance of happening.

The Explorers got to quarterback Tim Baranek 12 times in a 28-7 win in the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals last Saturday afternoon at Northeast High School in Philadelphia. The win advances La Salle to the state semifinals for the fourth straight season, also defeating a District 11 team for the fourth straight year (Easton in 2009 and 2010, Nazareth in 2011).

Parkland (11-3) had scored at least 28 points each game this season, but the game plan was shattered from the get go.

The Trojans first offensive possession set the precedent for the game. Parkland lost 10 yards on its first two plays, and amassed 16 negative yardage plays from scrimmage over the afternoon. The Trojans averaged 407.9 yards per game coming in. But when the run was stuffed, Baranek never really saw enough time to make a good throw down field.

"We wanted to throw on early downs to get our kids into open space," said head coach Jim Morgans. "You can see what happens when you're trying to throw the ball in predictable situations. They're a little better than I thought they were."

After Parkland forced two punts on the defensive end, La Salle (12-1) took command via quarterback Chris Kane and wide out Sean Coleman. A 32-yard connection led to the first score of the game, a one yard run by Mike Eife with 5:40 left in the first quarter.

A missed assignment in the secondary led to the second Explorers touchdown just three minutes later, a 29-yard pass from Kane to Coleman. Coleman added a second touchdown reception in the third quarter, one that put the game out of reach and gave La Salle a commanding 28-0 advantage.

The Trojans reached the Explorers 24 yard line early in the second quarter, but were forced to punt after a sack. Parkland never crossed the midfield line on its next seven possessions.

"It comes down to their personnel," said Morgans. "They're just outstanding."

Senior leader Jarel Elder had a quiet 129 yards rushing, 74 of which came on the final carry of the game where he was tackled inside the 10.

The loss ends an 11-game winning streak for Parkland, and a season that should be remembered as a successful one.

"This season we grew into a family," Elder said. "We started blending together. We just made big plays and these past 11-12 games we did it together."

Added Morgans, "I'm proud of them. We're not going to talk about anything negative. What I wanted to focus on was the positive things we did this year. We won a district championship, we won a league championship, those are the things I want them to focus on. We'll talk to the seniors, and the younger guys, and we'll get back to work."

The Trojans have nothing to hang their heads about. They were a complete team, with the offense, defense and special teams shining over the course of different games during the 2012 season. It should be a season they never forget.