Notre Dame Rolls Over Chaminade

The homecoming that Chaminade High football Coach Rich Lawson relished turned into a nightmare of fumbles and interceptions Friday night.

Lawson, who attended and coached at Notre Dame High, returned to his alma mater but didn’t get the payback or the victory he sought. Notre Dame, capitalizing on four turnovers in the first half, rolled to a 24-10, season-opening victory over Chaminade.

Lawson, who played for the Knights’ varsity football team in 1971 and 1972 and was an assistant coach from 1978 to ‘80, was not rehired as a coach in ’81. Now, in his first season with the Eagles, he had hoped to make a loser of Notre Dame Coach Kevin Rooney, whom he had coached under while with the Knights.

Lawson’s team, however, did not follow the script.

The Eagles started well enough, scoring on their first possession when tailback Tim Lavin raced 40 yards to a touchdown. But they turned the ball over on their next five series, and Notre Dame turned four of the miscues into points.

“Four turnovers, four scores. That’s all I have to say,” Lawson said afterward.

“We threw the game away. We beat ourselves,” said Lavin, who fumbled once but led all rushers with 106 yards on 19 carries. “It was Notre Dame and Chaminade against Chaminade.”

After Lavin’s early touchdown, Notre Dame came back with 24 unanswered points. Jere Deranja capped a 32-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run late in the first period, and Chris Afarian’s kick tied the score, 7-7.

Afarian, just a sophomore, booted a 34-yard field goal with 8:49 left in the half that put the Knights ahead for good, 10-7.

Three plays later, Chaminade’s Dave Morrison threw the first of four interceptions, and Notre Dame took over at its own 36. Quarterback Morgan Shepherd immediately hit Bill Brewer with a 64-yard touchdown pass and Notre Dame was rolling.

Jonas Escalera fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Notre Dame’s Paul Schori recovered at the Eagle 19. Three plays later, Doug McGuff scored from 13 yards out, and Afarian’s kick put the Knights ahead, 24-7.

Chaminade’s turnover parade continued in the second half--the Eagles finished with seven in all--but the visitors scored the only points of the second half on Chris Noonan’s 48-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.