Notre Dame-GP on track
First, a deep post that went for a 77-yard touchdown. A pair of dump passes followed. A 39-yard TD pass on a mid-range throw was next.
On and on. One after the other. The completions from Notre Dame-Green Pond quarterback Danny Darno piled up to his six receivers in Friday’s win over Northern Lehigh.
They kept coming until Darno barely overshot a receiver in the back right corner of the end zone midway through the fourth quarter.
His final pass on the next play was a 16-yard TD pass across the field to fellow senior Josh Ludlow to complete an efficient offensive game in which the Crusaders needed only 33 plays to rack up 427 yards and 42 points.
“I really thought the wide receivers played well tonight,” Stambaugh said. “We were able to spread the ball around. That’s when we could be dangerous.
“The connection between [Darno] and his receivers, it’s special when they relax and play. Hopefully, we can build off that.”
Notre Dame-GP’s offense did not get on the field until there was 3 minutes, 19 seconds left in the first quarter.
Two plays later, it ran off with a 7-0 lead.
Three minutes later, it returned. Two plays later, it led 14-0.
The Crusaders scored 21 firsthalf points on their first eight offensive plays.
“We were conscious of the kind of game it was going to be,” Stambaugh said. “We wanted to be mature, have patience. It’s a good indication of the experience we have. That stuff isn’t easy to do when you’re going to touch the ball a limited amount of time.”
Darno threw for 370 yards and four touchdowns, one coming on his first pass and another on his last attempt.
He now has an area-best 1,443 passing yards.
“I sensed that their linebackers were trying to read me and stop me from scrambling,” Darno said. “Luckily, my wide receivers were great. They were getting open. I didn’t have to do much in the run game tonight. I was proud of those guys.”
Here is a look at others who earned praise from their coaches:
Colonial-Schuylkill League Week 7 stat leaders
Greg Campbell, Bangor: Ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, completed 11 of 21 passes for 197 yards and three scores, plus made 10 tackles and forced a fumble in a win over Lehighton.
Noah Hillis, Bangor: Rushed for 146 yards and three TDs and made eight tackles vs. Lehighton.
M.J. Siu, Bangor: Caught seven passes for 110 yards and a score, made three tackles, recovered a fumble and kicked all seven extra points against Lehighton.
Aiden Hess, Catasauqua: Completed 11 of 18 passes for 159 yards and one TD and rushed for 72 yards and a score in loss to Minersville.
Cole Lazorick, Jim Thorpe: Rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown and threw for 265 yards in a loss to North Schuylkill.
Brady O’Donnell, Lehighton: Rushed for a touchdown and threw for 141 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion vs. Bangor. Rory Dixon, Marian Catholic: Ran for a career-high 214 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Shenandoah Valley.
Jack Tosh, Northern Lehigh: Rushed for 99 yards and made five tackles in a loss to Notre Dame-GP. Shane Leh, Northwestern: Completed five of seven passes for 106 yards and three first-quarter touchdowns in a rout of Pottsville. Danny Darno, Notre Dame-GP: Completed his first 17 passes and was 18 of 19 overall for 370 yards and four touchdowns against Northern Lehigh.
Josh Ludlow, Notre Dame-GP: Rushed for two touchdowns and caught seven passes for 141 yards and two scores, plus made eight tackles against Northern Lehigh. Dainn Vassallo, Notre Dame-GP : Made a game-high 15 tackles against Northern Lehigh.
Ashton Fitzgerald, Palisades: Ran for a touchdown and returned a kickoff 60 yards for a score in a loss at Pen Argyl.
Kyle Kirsch, Palisades: Ran for 50 yards, caught two passes and made a team-high 13 tackles against Pen Argyl.
Emilio Gonzalez, Palmerton: Ran for 81 yards and three scores and a two-point conversion, caught three passes for 43 yards and one TD, plus made six tackles, four for loss, and four quarterback hurries in a win over Salisbury.
Matt Machalik, Palmerton: Rushed for 135 yards and two TDs, passed for 98 and three scores and picked off his 15th career pass, a program record, vs. Salisbury.
Matt Spino, Panther Valley: Ran for 56 yards and a touchdown and made four tackles in a loss to Schuylkill Haven.
Damian Tyminski, Pen Argyl: Caught five passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 65 yards and a score and made two tackles, one for loss, vs. Palisades. Brad Rissmiller, Pen Argyl: Completed 14 of 23 passes for 210 yards and a TD, made five tackles and intercepted a pass against Palisades.
Jamanni Cruz, Salisbury: Caught four passes for 174 yards and a touchdown against Palmerton. George Spann, Salisbury: Made 10 tackles and rushed for a TD vs. Palmerton.
Landon Beckowski, Saucon Valley: Ran for 58 yards and made a teamhigh 10 tackles in a loss to Southern Lehigh.
Cade Sawyer, Southern Lehigh: Rushed for 218 yards and four touchdowns, made six tackles, including two for loss, and intercepted a pass against Saucon Valley. Andrew Olesh, Southern Lehigh: Caught seven passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns plus made seven tackles vs. Saucon Valley. Mitchell Andrejko, Southern Lehigh: Recorded a team-high nine tackles, including three for loss (one sack) vs. Saucon Valley.
Brad Whalen, Tamaqua: Rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns in a victory over Pine Grove.
Jeramy Cressman, Wilson: Completed nine of 15 passes for 126 yards and made three tackles in a loss to Blue Mountain.