Notre Dame rolls over North Vermilion

LEROY – Notre Dame fought off an early challenge and took control for a 42-7 win at North Vermilion Friday night. The game went about as expected and very much as Coach Lewis Cook had hoped.
“To be quite honest, I was kind of glad about how the game played out. They were competitive enough to where you say we have to keep playing and we needed to play into the fourth quarter. We didn’t stay out there very long last year in district games and we thought that hurt us a little in the playoffs, so we’ve been leaving our players out there a little longer this year.”
Pios QB Brad Stoma threw back across the flow for a 65 yard completion to Adam Berken on the game’s first play. Damon Comeaux ran it in from 15 yards on the next snap for a 7-0 lead just 44 seconds into the game.
“We lost Hunter Miller to a stress fracture at the walk through Friday morning and Adam stepped in at receiver,” noted Cook. “We saw the way their safeties played up and that play was actually designed to go the other way, but Brad took it back to the other side and Adam Berken made a big play for us.”
North Vermilion converted two fourth downs on their first possession, one by penalty and one on a five yard pass. From the Pios 49, Nate Link dropped the Patriots ball carrier for a five yard loss and Matt Hanks broke up a pass. The Pats elected to quick kick on third down and rolled a punt dead at the Notre Dame one yard line.
Three runs by Damon Comeaux got the ball out to the 23. Ivy Paul Robichaux ripped off a 20 yard run and eleven plays later, Brad Stoma fired to Boedy Borill who made a diving catch on a quick slant to cap a 15 play, 99 yard drive that ate up 6:51 on the clock. Dustin Reiners added the extra point for a 14-0 lead.
The Pios had North Vermilion stopped after three plays of the next series only to lose containment on the punt and allow a 24 yard run for a first down at the ND 36. On third and goal at the Pios eight, Pats QB Ty Desormeaux hit Taylor Abshire flaring out of the backfield for a touchdown, cutting the Pios lead to 14-7 midway through the second quarter.
“I think the mistakes were just not being in tune as mentally as we should have been,” explained Cook. “The offside on the first drive was a dead giveaway. It’s fourth and two or three and you know it is coming. If you aren’t zoned in and tell yourself they are going to try and get us offside, then you hear the noise and just react. We didn’t keep the edge on the fake punt and that was a little disappointing to let them get that score.”
Notre Dame righted the ship with a 69 yard drive to end the half. Lance Bertrand got the series started with a 12 yard run and Stoma completed passes of 17 yards to David Gonzalez and 9 yards to Boedy Borill. From the Pats 19, Borill ran a deep out and Stoma hit him at the goal line pylon to give Notre dame a 21-7 halftime lead.
“I thought it was a good first half,” added Cook. “We scored in two plays and drove 99 yards for another. We did a good job against their pass. We’ll give up those three or four yard passes when the defense is coming up with sacks and tackles in the backfield to stop drives.”
North Vermilion started the second half with a 40 yard pass completion from Desormeaux to Dade Dietrich. On third and four at the Pios 34, defensive tackle Logan LaGrange intercepted a pass to end the threat.
“We had a blitz coming and it was a good call for what they were coming with,” smiled Cook. Logan read the play and just sat there to take it away. I kind of wish he would have had a chance to run with it.”
The teams exchanged punts and on third and 17, Brad Stoma connected with Adam Berken for a 17 yard completion and just enough for a first down. Damon Comeaux took a handoff around the left side and avoided tacklers weaving for a 43 yard TD run to make it 28-7.
The Pios defense allowed just 93 first half yards and their second half performance was even more dominating as the Pats were choked off offensively. Notre Dame recorded 10 sacks, 15 tackles for a loss, two interceptions and recorded 10 quarterback hurries. North Vermilion had 4 net yards in the second half and just 97 for the game.
“We kept the pressure on them defensively and never really let them get started after that one long pass to start the half,” said Cook. “We made some big sacks at key times that kind of took the wind out of them.”
Nate Link led the front four with eight tackles and three sacks. Conner Kirsch made 7 stops with a sack and Trey Vautrot and Logan LaGrange each recorded six tackles. Vautrot had 3 sacks and five tackles in the Pats backfield and LaGrange had two sacks.
The Pios kept NV backed up inside their twenty to force another punt and take over at midfield. Joe Faulk and Lance Bertrand came on to lead a 41 yard drive to close out the third quarter. Faulk powered through the middle for 11 yards and caught a six yard pass in the flat from Stoma to take it down to the Pats 17.
On fourth and two, Bertrand slammed into the Pats defense, shaked off two tacklers and broke through for a 17 yard TD run to make it 35-7.
“It was good to see Lance back in there and we kind of took it easy with him, but the way he ran that touchdown in, he’s looking alright,” Cook added. “Our offensive line got on them pretty good and blocked well. Offensively, Brad threw the ball really well and all the kids caught it. Adam Berken made a big catch on that third down play, Boedy Borill had a big night and Damon Comeaux continues to impress. Everybody kind of got into the act.”
Brad Stoma completed 13 of 16 passes for 189 yards and two scores. Boedy Borill caught 4 passes for 43 yards including two for touchdowns. Damon Comeaux rushed for 108 yards on ten carries with two going for scores and the Pios racked up 291 yards on the ground for 480 yards of total offense.
North Vermilion got a break to start the fourth quarter when Pios punt returner Hayden Bourgeois muffed a kick to give the Pats possession at the Pios 45. After a couple of pass completions, Austin Thibodeaux sacked Pats QB Desormeaux for a 15 yard loss and on the next play, Bourgeois made up for the earlier miscue by intercepting a pass in the Pios end zone.
“On the punt return, he was running all the way across the field and trying to make a play,” noted Cook. “If it is going to happen, you are glad it happens in a game like this because now you can use it to help you get better.”
Notre Dame then drove for one final score, marching 80 yards in 12 plays. Sam Hoffpauir covered the final yard for the final score of 42-7 with under two minutes to play as the Pios improved to 4-0 in district and 7-2 overall.
The stage is now set for a week ten meeting with Kaplan. The league unbeatens will play for the title Friday at Gardiner Stadium.
“The district championship doesn’t have the meaning it used to have where you had to win one to get in or get a better seeding,” summed up Cook. “The game is a finish to the regular season, it’s at home, it’s the last regular season game for our seniors who have put so much time into it over four years. It’s nice to have a game you have to really get ready for against a team you know will challenge you and anytime there is a championship on the line you want to go for it. So, they will get our attention next week very quickly.”