Nicholson, Nottingham hold off Notre Dame
HAMILTON » What’s developed into an annual battle between the Nottingham and Notre Dame high school football teams was also largely a clash of standout sophomore running backs.
And just like the Nottingham team itself, Dionte Nicholson who got just the little bit better of Cortaz Williams as the Northstars avenged a stunning loss from year by beating Notre Dame, 21-16, on Saturday afternoon.
With the victory, Nottingham improved to 5-1 and is rapidly closing in on a high seed for the playoffs. Notre Dame, meanwhile, is now 2-4 following last year’s 3-7 season.
In a physical game in which both teams more or less packed the box and dared the other to throw, Nicholson ended up with 199 yards on 27 carries and scored two touchdowns.
Williams didn’t reach the end zone, but kept the Irish in the game with some hard inside running and picked up 125 yards on 23 carries.
“We’re actually very good friends,” replied Nicholson when asked if he knows Williams. “We played on the same Pop Warner team (Hamilton Revolution) together. We had a great team. We scored all kinds of points and took an undefeated record to regions.”
Although both are very effective, they have very different styles. Nicholson is a speed back while Williams is more of a fullback masquerading as an ace back. They would make a dynamite combination if they were on the same team in an I-formation, but on the other hand it would limit their opportunities.
Be it as it may, Nicholson continued to make the most of his by opening the scoring on a 60-yard touchdown run on just the third play of the game.
Coupled with a 10-yard burst up the middle by fullback Eric D’Herron in the second quarter, it allowed Nottingham to take the early control with a 12-0 lead.
Notre Dame did salvage something out of the first half with a long drive, but it was also forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Tom Burns with :34 remaining in the first half.
“I don’t know if we relaxed with the lead or what, but we did not play well for a while in the second half,” said Nottingham coach Jon Adams. “The good thing is we were able to pick it up when we needed it.”
The reason Nottingham needed it was because Notre Dame cut the lead to 12-10 in the third quarter on a 9-yard pass by Rob Buecker to Michael Whalen-Connolly.
This led to the outcome remaining in doubt in a fourth quarter that began with Nottingham’s Alix Oge kicking a 28-yard field goal to extend the Northstar lead to 15-10.
After an interception by Robert Bennett, Nicholson followed with some of his best running of the game on four straight carries. One was a 36-yard burst, which eventually led to a 1-yard run for his second touchdown.
Notre Dame now trailed 21-10, but it was far from finished and put together a 12-yard drive culminated by a 10-yard touchdown on a roll out around left end by Buecker.
There was still time with 3:41 remaining, but Nicholson kept moving the sticks with five carries. Nottingham also picked up a key first down when Cliff Harris raced 10 yards on a third-down reverse to the Notre Dame 36 yard line.
“That was a great call by my offensive coordinator (Ross Maddalon),” said Adams. It (a fake handoff to Nicholson) really sucked them in.”
Although Notre Dame did eventually get the ball back on downs, it did so with just :07 remaning.
“I like the way we responded, but we are going to have to play better for the entire game if we are going to do anything in the playoffs,” said Adams.
There will be no playoffs, of course, this year for Notre Dame. The Irish are still young and definitely improved, but with Rancocas Valley and Lenape still remaining on the schedule, it’s very unlikely the progress it has made will be reflected in its final record.
Notre Dame (2-4) 0 Nottingham (5-1) 6 First Quarter N— Second Quarter N— ND— Third Quarter ND—
Nicholson 60 run (kick failed)
D’Herron 10 run (pass failed) Burns 29 field goal
Whalen-Connolly 9 pass from Buecker (Burns kick)
Fourth Quarter N— N— ND— 3 6 7 0 6 — 9 —
Oge 28 field goal Nicholson 1 run (run failed)
Buecker 10 run (run failed)
16 21