Lynwood Beats Notre Dame With Speed

The event that figures to have the greatest effect on Notre Dame High’s football program took place during the off-season, when the Knights jumped from Division VII to Division III.

“The competition will be tougher,” Knight Coach Kevin Rooney said. “It’s like being in the playoffs every week.”

If Friday night’s opener is any indication, Notre Dame might have trouble keeping up. A much faster Lynwood team dominated almost from the start in rolling to a 28-15 win.

Lynwood’s Eugene Jackson, making his first start at quarterback, completed five of nine passes for 161 yards and rushed 14 times for 67 yards to lead the win. Jackson ran for three of his team’s touchdowns and threw for the other.

“Playing quarterback for the first time, looking over that line, I was very nervous,” Jackson said. “Thank God we have good receivers and good running backs.”

Notre Dame started fast, but then ran out of gas. On the Knights’ first possession, they drove 69 yards in 10 plays, getting a key fourth-down conversion on Lynwood’s 40-yard line. Setefano Malieitulua closed the drive, scoring from the one.

But almost as soon as Notre Dame kicked off, the momentum swung.

On consecutive plays, Jackson threw 32 yards to Juaquin Hawkins and 47 yards to Jock Ingram, the second pass going for a touchdown that tied the score, 7-7.

After this aerial opening, Lynwood settled into its veer offense and, on the next two possessions, grinded out touchdown drives of 93 and 78 yards. Lynwood running back Theodore Anderson finished the evening with 13 carries for 122 yards.

Jackson ran for both scores as Lynwood took a 21-7 lead at halftime.

Notre Dame started the second half in much the same fashion as the first, by scoring. Justin Mitchell’s one-yard touchdown run capped a 73-yard drive that was highlighted by quarterback Steve Colella’s passing. Mitchell ran for a two-point conversion to make the score, 21-15.