Notre Dame controls Shoemate and Servite

USC-bound D.J. Shoemate of Anaheim Servite might as well have worn a glowing orange jersey Friday night against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, because everywhere he went, the Knights were nearby.

With Shoemate mostly neutralized, Servite, ranked No. 6 in the Southland by The Times, had little offense and was beaten by the 11th-ranked Knights, 17-9.

Not even Shoemate’s future Trojans teammate, Notre Dame defensive tackle Wes Horton, showed any sympathy for the versatile receiver.

“We knew he was their main threat,” said Horton, who had two sacks and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchback.

Shoemate’s only big play was a 47-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter on a blown defensive coverage. Other than that, the Knights swarmed around him whenever Servite (4-1) tried to get him the ball.

It was a dramatic improvement defensively in a week’s time for Notre Dame (4-1), which barely pulled out a 38-35 victory over Saugus in its last game.

“The coaches were in our faces all week [about] how many tackles we missed and how many mental mistakes we had,” Horton said.

Servite was without USC-bound lineman Matt Kalil, who missed his second consecutive game after having surgery for burns on his shoulder and forearm because of an ATV accident. He’ll be back next week for the Friars’ Trinity League opener against Santa Margarita, but they could have used his nastiness and intensity.

Notre Dame grabbed a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, getting a 37-yard field goal from Mike Salveson on its opening drive and a four-yard touchdown run from Thaddeus Brown.

Shoemate’s touchdown in the second quarter pulled the Friars to within 10-7.

Quarterback Dayne Crist, who completed 12 of 24 passes for 194 yards, guided the Knights on an 80-yard, 10-play drive, with Brown scoring on a 17-yard run for a 17-7 halftime lead.

With 1:49 left, Ryan Pulver of Servite fumbled the ball at the goal line, and Horton recovered it in the end zone for a touchback.

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eric.sondheimer@latimes.com