Notre Dame Gets Its Repeat

K.C. Croal had a feeling it would happen, so when the opportunity arose, the Sherman Oaks Notre Dame linebacker was prepared.

Near the end of the first half of the Southern Section Division III championship game Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Palmdale lined up for a 51-yard field goal that would have tied the score.

Instead, Croal burst through the middle of the line, laid out his body and blocked the kick. Teammate Jimmy Welker scooped up the ball and raced 45 yards for a touchdown, giving the Knights a 10-point halftime lead and all the momentum they would need to win, 31-7.

“We called out that it was going to happen,” Croal said. “We scouted out their films and knew we could get in on their field-goal team. It was a huge momentum changer.”

Notre Dame led, 10-7, at the time, but took a 17-7 halftime lead. The Knights broke Palmdale’s spirit by forcing a punt on the opening possession of the second half then driving 97 yards on a 15-play that consumed 7 minutes 40 seconds. Every play was a run, including the 34-yard touchdown run by quarterback Garrett Green that finished it.

“We were a little down after the blocked field goal,” Palmdale Coach Jeff Williams said. “That was a very crucial play. We’re looking at going to halftime tied and then all of a sudden it’s 17-7. Something like that takes all the wind out of your sails.”

Notre Dame’s defense took over from there. Palmdale (12-2) gained 175 total yards and only 83 in the second half.

On offense, Notre Dame controlled the clock by rushing on every play of the second half.

Running back Brandon Clayton led the way with 121 yards and two touchdowns in 17 carries.

Cary Harris added 60 yards in 15 carries for Notre Dame, which had 248 total yards. Clayton ended the season with 1,122 yards and Harris had 1,125.

“It’s not a one-man show here,” Clayton said. “We knew if we played like a team, we could get the job done.”

It is the second consecutive title and third overall for Notre Dame (12-2), which many pegged as a team rebuilding because it started a sophomore at quarterback and three juniors on the offensive line.

An early-season loss to Westlake Village Westlake and a Mission League loss to Santa Fe Springs St. Paul seemed to validate the assumption, but Notre Dame used that as motivation.

“There is satisfaction because we had adversity this season,” Notre Dame Coach Kevin Rooney said. “We were second in our league and to come back and win a title after that is pretty remarkable.”