ND cruises past Steinert to stay undefeated
LAWRENCE >> Hey Rickey Spruill, what kind of night was it?
“Tonight was a fun night,” Spruill said with a grin. “I was enjoying myself.”
The junior sure looked it, as the guy they call “Pops” came out with a bang in helping the Notre Dame High football team to a 42-7 Senior Night victory over Steinert Friday.
Spruill caught four passes for 39 yards and a touchdown, played in the secondary for a defense that allowed just 139 yards of total offense and, most dynamically, returned five punts for 133 yards (26.3 per return) and an eye-popping touchdown.
Cortaz Williams had his usual 109 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries — all in the first half — while twin brother Cole Wil- liams returned an interception for a touchdown and Jake Renda threw for 48 yards and a touchdown and rushed six times for 38 yards.
It all added up to an incredible second-quarter explosion, in which Notre Dame (5-0) scored 35 points in the final 9:09 of the first half.
Steinert (1-4) hung tough in a scoreless first quarter. The Spartans allowed ND to move the ball but forced a missed field goal on the first possession and stopped the Irish on fourth down at the Steinert 36 on the second.
“They came out real excited and were kind of lazy,” Cole Williams said. “But we focused up and shut ‘em down.”
Shutting them down wasn’t the problem as much as finishing drives, as Steinert got just one first down in the first half. Once ND’s offense got moving, there was no looking back.
A partially blocked punt gave the Irish possession at the 50 early in the second quarter, resulting in an 11-yard TD pass from Renda to Spruill. George Chrissafis added the first of six PATs.
“I was just telling him throw me the ball, I’m always open,” Spruill said.
Prior to the snap, the confident receiver looked over at Athletic Director Rich Roche and said “This one’s for you coach.”
“Yeah, I love my athletic director,” he said.
As often happens this season, when Notre Dame gets started it’s tough to stop. Steinert fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Sean Mulligan recovered at the 29 to set up a 4-yard TD run by Taz Williams.
On the Spartans next possession, Cole Williams intercepted a pass that deflected off a Spartan receiver and returned it 25 yards down the sideline to give Notre Dame 21 points within 3:27.
“I was playing my zone,” Williams said. “I looked at the quarterback, read him, unfortunately (the receiver) dropped the ball and I was there.”
On its next series Steinert quickly punted and Spruill returned it 39 yards to the 16, with Taz Williams scoring on the first play. Spruill went back to work in the final minute, returning a punt 19 yards and making a 28-yard reception to set up Renda’s TD toss to Leon Jones.
“In the first quarter we came out real flat,” Spruill said. “We said we had to pick it up and we did. That’s how we put up all the points.”
With a running clock to start the second half, Spruill produced his biggest highlight reel of the night on another Steinert punt. The ball was rolling dead at the ND 30 with a Spartan defender standing over it, and Spruill rushed in, picked it up and took off on an electrifying 70-yard return for a TD.
“They always freeze up when they get close to me, so I knew I had him there,” Spruill said. “What’s going through my mind after that is to score. I was just trying to get a touchdown.”
Steinert avoided the shutout on quarterback Nick Wright’s 1-yard run, but it wasn’t enough to spoil Spruill’s fun for the night.
Follow Rich Fisher on twitter @fish4scores
HS FOOTBALL SCORES
Steinert (1-4) 0 0 7 0 — 7
Notre Dame (5-0) 0 35 7 0 — 42
N-Spruill 11 pass from Renda (Chrissafis kick) N-Cor Williams 4 run (Chrissafis kick)
N-Col Williams 25 interception return (Chrissafis kick)
N-Cor Williams 16 run (Chrissafis kick) N-Jones 3 pass from Renda (Chrissafis kick) N-Spruill 70 punt return (Chrissafis kick) S-Wright 1 run (Mingle kick)