Notre Dame football thrives in all phases, holds off Loyola

SHERMAN OAKS — The hard work has begun to pay off for Notre Dame. Winning football requires success in all phases of the game, and the Knights did all that and more in their Mission League opener.

The Knights faced off against Loyola on Friday at Notre Dame High School, and the Knights made sure to make the most of the start of league play with a 35-10 win.

“Winning is not easy, so anytime we can chalk one in the win column, it’s a great feeling,” said Knights coach Evan Yabu. “We play a vicious league schedule, so we’d like for it to be a bit cleaner, but we’re going to work next week and make sure that happens.”

From the jump, it felt as if the game would come down to the wire as the Cubs opened the game with a surprise onside kick, stealing the opening possession. However, the Cubs were unable to capitalize and instead woke up the Knights.

From that point forward, the Knights forced five turnovers (two on downs, one forced fumble, and two interceptions) while scoring on their first four possessions to take a 28-0 halftime lead. Quarterback Wyatt Brown had a hand in all four touchdowns, recording three on the ground and one through the air to cap off his 196 total yard half.

Brown’s top receiver, Luc Weaver, ended the first half with five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, including a 57-yard catch on the Knights’ opening possession. On defense, Tahj Skinner and Maxwell Martin-Beckmann each recorded an interception.

Chris Colon recorded a sack on fourth down, and Richard Dunn forced a fumble. A lot of action in just one half of play was enough for an entire game, but the Knights were not done yet.

“I think we fell short on some things after the first half, but it’s all positive because we did it on a win, and it’s all things we can work on,” said Brown. “It’s about staying locked in and not losing focus, which we won’t do cause we are a tight-knit team. I’m just coming here to win football games.”

The Cubs began to show some life in the second half, scoring 10 unanswered points. Fortunately for the Knights, all the work they did in the first half gave them the cushion they needed.

All they needed was one more score, and it was provided with a 44-yard score by Noel Washington. With the win now secured and the Knights off to a 1-0 Mission League record, all eyes are now ahead towards the most treacherous part of their season. The Knights will now play their next three league games on the road.

“You’ve got to be consistent in terms of the will and energy in your approach,” said Yabu. “Got to be cleaner in the execution every game and put your best foot forward. None of these next four games is going to come with any sort of ease.”