Notre Dame Prep rolls over Desert Mountain to go 3-0
After trailing, 7-0, at the end of the first quarter, Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep rattled off 26 points in a wild second quarter that eventually led to a 41-17 home win over Scottsdale Desert Mountain on Friday.
Desert Mountain's Nick Hill intercepted Notre Dame quarterback Kylan Weisser on the first possession of the game and returned it for a touchdown.
That score would hold until Jake Smith got the Wolves on the board with a 6-yard rushing score in the first minute of the second quarter.
The Saints (3-0) would force Desert Mountain to punt on the ensuing drive and Cole Fisher capped an 11-play, 65yard drive with a 1-yard rushing TD to make it 12-7 in favor of Notre Dame with 2:42 left in the quarter. That's when things got crazy. Desert Mountain (2-1) had a punt blocked on its next possession and the Saints took over on the Wolves' 15-yard line. Two plays later, Fisher converted an 8-yard run with 1:25 still left in the half.
Kurt Warner's offense finally got in the end zone with 44 seconds left on a 19yard run by Hill. But Weisser found Smith for an 80-yard TD pass on the very next play for Notre Dame.
The Wolves were able to squeak out a 44-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the half to finish a second quarter that had 36 combined points.
The second half was quiet until Weisser again hooked up with Smith, this time for a 64-yard touchdown.
After Desert Mountain was forced to punt on the ensuing drive, the Saints found themselves pinned at their own 1yard line. The first play from scrimmage? A 99-yard run by Smith, his fourth touchdown and the nail in the coffin for the Wolves.
Standout performer
Junior Jake Smith paced the Saints offense with 326 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in the win. Smith ran for 182 yards and two scores, including a 99-yard rushing TD. He caught two passes, both touchdowns, for a combined 144 yards.
More standouts
Kyle White (Notre Dame): The senior defensive lineman had four sacks and led a Saints defense that kept the Wolves at bay all night.
Kylan Weisser (Notre Dame): The senior quarterback passed for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Hill (Desert Mountain): After intercepting a pass for a touchdown, the senior two-way player later added a rushing score for the Wolves.
Star watch
Brayden Narveson (Desert Mountain): The state's top kicker, who is committed to play at Iowa State, kicked a 44yard field goal in the second quarter but missed a 50-yarder in the third.
Slater Zellers (Notre Dame): The California commit, who is considered by some to be the nation's top long snapper in the 2018 class, didn't have many chances to show off his touted play.
Quote of the game
A four-touchdown performance by Jake Smith wasn't something he was expecting on Friday. With the game of his life in tow, Smith has his eyes set on the rest of the season.
"I've been working hard and it means a lot to me," Smith said. "I've been working so hard, and I'm excited for the rest of it."
Stat of the game
The second quarter saw a combined total of 36 points scored, including 30 in the last 2:42 of the first half.
Up next
Notre Dame will remain on home turf when the Saints host Phoenix St. Mary's on Sept. 8. Meanwhile, Desert Mountain will be idle next week before hosting Chandler Basha on Sept. 15.