Speed Leads Lynwood Past Notre Dame

Notre Dame opened its season at home Friday night facing a particularly tough schedule that began with Lynwood High.

During the off-season, the Knights jumped from Division VII to Division III and the difference a year can make was not lost on Coach Kevin Rooney.

Well, if Friday night actually were a playoff game, Notre Dame would be done for the season after losing to a faster Lynwood team, 28-15.

Lynwood’s Eugene Jackson, starting his first-ever game at quarterback, completed five of nine passes for 161 yards and rushed 14 times for 67 yards. 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 the game well. 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 dived over 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 at 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, but it was Jackson who hogged the glory, running for the score both times 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.

But a fourth-quarter Lynwood touchdown and three quarterback sacks by linebacker Fred Mailoto preserved the victory for the visiting team.