PRICE HILL - The Elder High School football team continued its dominant start to the season Friday night, opening Greater Catholic League South play with a commanding defensive performance.

Quarterback Kaden Estep accounted for 271 yards of offense and threw three touchdown passes as the Panthers defeated La Salle 35-0 at The Pit, improving to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the GCL South.

Estep completed 8 of 9 passes for 161 yards while adding 110 rushing yards on 13 carries. His only incompletion came on a Hail Mary attempt at the end of the first half. The senior's performance, highlighted by a remarkable 72-yard touchdown pass to Chase Walpole.

Elder complemented its efficient offense with its first shutout of the season. The Panthers held La Salle to 123 total yards, forced two turnovers and stopped the Lancers on 10 of their 14 third-down attempts.

The result also gave Elder a running clock for the fourth consecutive week. The Panthers have outscored Middletown, Covington Catholic, East Central and La Salle by a combined 168-30.

La Salle received the opening kickoff and briefly moved into Elder territory, aided by a Panthers penalty, before Tye Roden broke up a deep pass on third down. The Lancers punted and pinned Elder at its own 10-yard line, giving the Panthers a long field for their first possession.

It did not matter.

Elder marched 90 yards in 13 plays, taking 6:30 off the clock. Estep powered the drive with several designed runs, including a long gain on second-and-17 that moved the Panthers out of the shadow of their own end zone.

The Panthers also mixed in carries by junior receiver Jake Bier and senior running back Andrew Tallen. Facing second-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Tallen took a direct snap, followed fullback Rocco Hockenberry to the left and fought his way across the goal line.

Tyler Homan converted the extra point to put Elder ahead 7-0 with 54 seconds remaining in the first quarter. It was Tallen's sixth touchdown of the season.

Elder's defense then forced another La Salle punt, and the Panthers took possession at their own 14. A holding penalty moved Elder back near its goal line, but Estep quickly erased the difficult down-and-distance situation.

First, he completed a short pass to Bier. Estep then ran for a first down, escaping the congestion near the line of scrimmage and moving Elder out to the 28.

Two plays later, Estep produced the game's signature moment.

Rolling to his left, Estep looked through his early options before spotting Walpole crossing the field behind the secondary. Estep reset his body and delivered a deep throw across the field, hitting Walpole in stride.

Walpole did the rest, racing into the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown that gave Elder a 14-0 advantage with 9:32 left in the second quarter.  It was Walpole's second touchdown reception in as many weeks.

Elder's defense soon created the game's first turnover.

With La Salle facing third down in Elder territory, pressure from the Panthers forced quarterback Garrett Fraley to make a hurried throw. Senior defensive back AJ Meyer read the play, broke in front of the intended receiver and intercepted the pass near Elder's goal line.

Meyer did more than end La Salle's scoring opportunity. He returned the interception 41 yards, taking the ball close to midfield and immediately putting Elder's offense in position to add to its lead.

Estep found senior receiver Drew Wauligman for a 31-yard gain on the first play of the ensuing possession. Wauligman slipped behind the defense and secured Estep's pass at the La Salle 13.

Three plays later, Estep rolled to his right and connected with Bier near the front corner of the end zone. Bier reached the ball across the goal line for a 9-yard touchdown, sending the Panthers into halftime with a 21-0 advantage.

Elder scored touchdowns on all three of its meaningful first-half possessions. Estep was 6 of 7 for 136 yards and two scores at the break, with the lone incompletion coming on the final-play Hail Mary.

Although the third quarter ended without a point, the Panthers maintained control.

Elder punted on its opening series of the half, but the Lancers were initially backed up near their goal line. A penalty for contacting the punter extended La Salle's possession, and a later defensive penalty kept the drive alive again.

The defense eventually ended the threat itself.

Junior defensive lineman Patrick Spinney delivered the hit that knocked the ball loose from Fraley, and junior linebacker Brayden Tepe recovered the fumble at Elder's 46. It was Tepe's latest contribution to a defense on which he has consistently been one of the Panthers' leading tacklers.

The ensuing drive carried into the fourth quarter, when Elder faced fourth-and-5 at the La Salle 19. Estep completed a short pass to Bier, who broke through multiple tackle attempts and powered into the end zone for his second touchdown reception of the night.

The 19-yard score, followed by Homan's fourth extra point, extended Elder's lead to 28-0 with 10:26 remaining.

Bier was one of the Panthers' most versatile contributors. He caught five passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns, carried the ball 10 times for 53 yards and added a long punt return that set up Elder's final touchdown.

Following that return, Elder turned to its reserves and continued moving the ball on the ground. Sophomore running back Kam Bedel finished the short drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, his second score in as many weeks.

Homan's extra point made it 35-0 with 5:13 remaining and activated the running clock.

The Panthers totaled 361 yards on 43 offensive plays while averaging more than eight yards per snap. Walpole led Elder with 72 receiving yards on his touchdown catch, while Wauligman caught two passes for 35 yards. Tallen had 27 rushing yards and the game's opening touchdown.

Elder's defense allowed only 54 passing yards in the first half and did not surrender a point despite La Salle possessing the ball for long stretches. The Lancers gained fewer than three yards per offensive play for the game.

Pete Fortkamp led the Panthers with 10 tackles. Brody Turner and Tepe recorded seven tackles apiece, while Max Doogan finished with five tackles and 1½ sacks. Major Kittles also recorded a sack, and Spinney's forced fumble helped end La Salle's best sustained second-half possession.

Elder's shutout was especially significant against a La Salle program that had given the Panthers difficulty in recent meetings. The teams had split their previous six matchups, and the Lancers were the last visiting team to defeat Elder at The Pit, doing so in 2024. Elder won last season's meeting 16-8 before producing a much more decisive result Friday.

The Panthers will remain home next week to face Louisville St. Xavier. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at The Pit, with the pregame show beginning at 6:30.

Louisville St. Xavier will enter the game following an open week. Elder defeated the Tigers 26-24 on the road last season, and the rematch begins another important stretch for the Panthers. Elder will host Cincinnati St. Xavier on Sept. 25 before traveling to Welcome Stadium in Dayton to play Moeller on Oct. 2.