On Friday, September 1st, I went to Notre Dame Prep, where the Saints hosted Desert Mountain, and came out on top 41-17. Here's what I saw:
Recap
The game started off with Desert Mountain's Nick Hill picking off Notre Dame QB Kylan Weisser and returning the interception for a touchdown.
After Weisser's interception, the Saints decided to stick with a ground and pound offense, with Cole Fisher and Jake Smith splitting carries, but Desert Mountain's swarming defense, led by Hill, Riley Tucker and Cole Daddario kept the Saints out of the end zone until there was 11 minutes left in the second quarter, when Jake Smith scored to make the game 7-6.
On Desert Mountain's first drive following the Notre Dame touchdown, Saints DB Ricky Manning delivered a crushing hit to Kedon Slovis- it wouldn't be Manning's last hart hit of the day- more on that later.
Cole Fisher scored for Notre Dame with 2:42 left in the half, and a second failed conversion left the score at 12-7, Saints leading Desert Mountain.
That's when things got wild.
First, Cole Fisher scored again after a Desert Mountain 3-and-out, making the score 20-7 with 1:25 left in the half.
Then, Nick Hill had a 50 yard kickoff return that set up a short drive in which he finished it off with an 18 yard TD run to make the score 20-14 with 48 seconds left.
After Hill's score, the assumption was that Notre Dame, who had run the ball all half long, would hand the ball off and take a 20-14 lead into halftime. Instead, seeing that Desert Mountain's defensive backs were playing in the face of the receivers, Kylan Weisser found Jake Smith for an 80 yard touchdown on the very first play. It was now 26-14 with 33 seconds left in the half.
But we still weren't done with the scoring, as Desert Mountain took advantage of a penalty on the kickoff, as well as a late-hit ejection of Ricky Manning for a hit he put on Slovis on a QB run, to close the half out with a FG from Brayden Narveson to make the score 26-17.
The second half was all Notre Dame, as Jake Smith scored on a 64 yard TD reception, and then a 99 yard run to make the final score 41-17. Kyle White and the Notre Dame defense only allowed one offensive touchdown to a team that scored over 50 the prior week.
Players of the Game
Offense:
Jake Smith, RB, Notre Dame
Defense:
Kyle White, DL, Notre Dame
Honorable Mention:
Nick Hill, DB, Desert Mountain
Cole Fisher, RB, Notre Dame
Quotable
"You did a lot of good tonight, but the personal fouls are irritating me." -Notre Dame Head Coach George Prelock
"Try that again." -Injured Desert Mountain WR/CB Kwame Kilonzo, who was hit with an errant kickoff before the half. Desert Mountain made Notre Dame re-kick, and the second kickoff hit him as well.
"Usually we don't have back-to-back deep snaps. That was two straight 40-yard runs downfield." -Cal commit Slater Zellers on why it was a 'Long, weird night for the deep snapper.
"It obviously shows that we're dominating the Arizona area, so we're hoping to keep that going." -Notre Dame's AJ Shurts on how it feels to be 14-1 in their last 15 games against Arizona opponents.
"He's the best athlete that has ever come through Notre Dame in my opinion." - Saints' QB Kylan Weisser on Jake Smith, who scored four times against Desert Mountain
Prospects with Potential
6-0, 220-pound Kyle White is undersized for a defensive end, but it just doesn't matter to him. He's dominant at times coming off the edge. He reminds me of another prospect that came out of Notre Dame Prep and has gone on to do big things at the next level- Parker Zellers of University of Arizona. I hear he's academically solid and could be looking at some D3, or Ivy League options.
Desert Mountain's Josh Walker had a rough night fighting off coverage from guys like Jordan Stengel, and only had four catches for 28 yards. Over his previous 7 games he had scored 13 TDs and was averaging 93 yards receiving per game. I had come out to see for myself what Walker was capable of, and I like what I saw of him on the defensive side of the ball. He has an offer from Navy, and with a big year, could add more.
Sophomore OL Cade Bennett for Notre Dame Prep caught my eye- I felt there was a maturity to his play that you don't often see from an underclassman, and at 6-3, 290, he might end up on some college radars soon.
Jake Smith might be the local prospect in speed, versatility and size that is closest to DJ Foster that I've seen in the last couple of years. Now, I realize that's a ridiculous shadow to cast on a kid who has nowhere near the production that the Saguaro product did at this same stage- and notice, I didn't say he's as talented, but I am saying he fits the mold. I wouldn't be surprised to see Smith end up as a Power-5 level recruit.
Cole Fisher told me once on an episode of the Devil's Junkie podcast that he's be willing to play any position at the next level, and seeing him in person, it's obvious that he's put a ton of work in to becoming a more aggressive, powerful runner- but his future, if he speed allows for it, might just be at safety. He's aggressive, physical, and anticipates things very well.
Both teams' QBs, Kedon Slovis and Kylan Weisser, will both play college football. At what level? I'm not sure, but Weisser has the poise and the touch, and Slovis has the arm and the toughness to continue on. Weisser is already a senior, and getting contact from schools like San Diego State. Slovis has another year before he starts to see his recruiting heat up.
Odds and Ends
Desert Mountain OC Kurt Warner was upset after the game, and I think I know why...
Notre Dame Prep's Ricky Manning was ejected for a hit at the end of the first half, and it's probably not so much the hit, as the celebratory attitude Saints players had after the flag was thrown. In the second half, a few more testy moments led to personal foul calls- something Notre Dame Head Coach George Prelock addressed with his team after the game.
Rivalry games are always chippy, and it's never fun to see someone celebrate while you struggle, but it's possible Warner, if this is the issue that was frustrating him, has a point. I did see a Notre Dame Prep team that, at times, was feeling their success to a point where it created detriment and distraction- and if they want to be a title contender like I believe they can be, they'll have to clean that up.
Also, I saw former Notre Dame Prep TE Grant Martinez at the game, who is medically retired from football and serving in a coaching role at Arizona State this season. He was unstoppable in purple and gold, and he said that he's happy to see the team reach a level of success that honors the memory of his former coach, Scot Bemis.
