Penalties doom Holy Trinity football in non-league loss to Rhode Island's La Salle Academy
Josiah Patrick of Holy Trinity drops back to pass during a non-league football game against La Salle Academy on Saturday at Holy Trinity. Credit: David Meisenholder
Before his first game as Holy Trinity’s head football coach, Gino Tassone made sure to take in the moment.
“During the national anthem, my son was standing next to me and I was looking at the bleachers,” said Tassone, a Holy Trinity alum who started his coaching career as a Titans assistant in 2003. “It just feels different when you’re home. I’m excited. I want us to win.
“I want us to be the best, like we should be. And I feel like now, with my hands on the wheel, we can do it.”
While Holy Trinity’s 28-7 home loss to La Salle Academy (Rhode Island) in Saturday’s non-league opener was not how Tassone drew it up, it was a bittersweet start to a hopeful new era in Hicksville.
“It felt like I was out here getting ready to play, myself,” Tassone said. “I was excited, and to have this kind of result, it’s sour.”
Holy Trinity senior quarterback Josiah Patrick completed 24 of 34 passes for 321 yards, a fourth-quarter touchdown and an interception, but the Titans were unable to claw back after the Rams took a 21-0 second-quarter lead.
The Titans had three touchdowns negated by penalties: an offensive pass interference call and a chop block on two second-quarter catches, and an illegal block in the back on a 92-yard punt return halfway through the third quarter.
“A couple of big plays called back from stupid penalties,” Tassone said. “We shot ourselves in the foot. La Salle came to play. They made plays when we made mistakes, and that equals touchdowns.”
Patrick added: “At halftime we went in, we were all bummed about [the penalties]. The momentum changed as soon as they got the ball … It was really sickening.”
After a scoreless first quarter, La Salle quarterback Sam Perry connected with Antonio Bearden for a 25-yard touchdown 2:58 into the second. The Rams forced a turnover on downs in the red zone on the ensuing Titans drive, and Perry threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Timoy Stitchell with 2:09 left in the half.
Stitchell intercepted Patrick on the second play of the following Holy Trinity drive. The next play, Perry found Matt Sanzi from 44 yards out for his third touchdown pass to make it 21-0 with 1:36 until halftime.
Holy Trinity nearly scored early in the fourth, but backup quarterback Rodney Hill Jr. – in because Patrick was cramping – was picked off by Bearden for a would-be 102-yard pick-six that was nullified by a flag.
Grey Iannitti threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Bearden to give La Salle a 28-0 lead with 3:50 left. Patrick responded with an 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 44-yard pass to Chase Cruz, to avoid the shutout.
Said Patrick: “It’s Week 0, so we just got to move on next week and keep winning the league games so we can get to the [championship].”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
