Villa Park Turnovers Help Notre Dame Win

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s explosive offense didn’t need any help, but Villa Park gave the Knights some assistance anyway.

Villa Park turned over the ball four times, and Notre Dame turned three of them into scores en route to a 33-6 rout of the Spartans Friday night in the second round of the Southern Section Division IV playoffs at El Modena High School.

For Notre Dame (10-2), which advanced to the semifinals against Moreno Valley Canyon Springs, the victory erased the memory of last year’s journey to Orange County, when the Knights lost decisively to El Modena in the first round of the Division IV playoffs.

“The biggest difference is that we’re a year older,” Knight Coach Kevin Rooney said. “Last year, we were primarily a junior team. Now we are largely a senior team. Villa Park is a fine team and we were very concerned about coming back.”

Villa Park (8-4) took a 6-0 lead after Grant Pearsall returned the game-opening kickoff 58 yards to the Notre Dame 37. Pearsall scored on a one-yard run, but after Matt Brady’s conversion kick sailed wide left, the roof caved in.

After Notre Dame recovered a fumble by Spartan quarterback Sean McMahon on the Knight 46, the Knight offense began its assault. Notre Dame scored in eight plays, with Lei Malieitulua plunging two yards for a touchdown.

Notre Dame kicker Chris Sailer’s 25-yard second-quarter field goal gave the Knights a 10-6 lead, but the back-breaker came when the Spartans drove to the Knight 25 only to have Notre Dame linebacker Chris St. John rip the ball from McMahon’s grasp and return it 67 yards for a touchdown.

Villa Park fell behind 23-6 with 26 seconds left in the half when Knight quarterback Jabbar Craigwell hit Joey Orlando with a 14-yard touchdown pass. A 37-yard third-quarter field goal by Sailer and a six-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run by Craigwell after Andrew Mikhail recovered a Pearsall fumble on the Knight 28 finished off the Spartans.

Notre Dame rolled up 332 yards total offense, including 220 yards rushing with Malieitulua leading the way with 85 yards in 13 carries. Pearsall gained 89 yards in 18 carries and caught three passes for 24 yards.