Pioneers sink Vikings in 5-2A opener

OPELOUSAS – Notre Dame ran for 314 yards and posted 502 yards of total offense in rolling past Opelousas Catholic in the opening game of District 5-2A play for both teams Friday night. The Pios scored on the first play of the game and three of their first four possessions in a 44-12 road win.
“It was a hard fought game, which is good, and I knew it would be,” Coach Lewis Cook said after the game. “We’re still trying to grow as a team and it’s good to have to come and lay it out on the field a little bit. Every challenge we are able to answer helps our team.”
Notre Dame scored on the first play of the game. After Garrett Cormier put the offense in good field position with a 35-yard kickoff return, Collin Kirsch split out in trips receiver set, took a quick pass from Bryant Thevis, weaved through tacklers and outran defenders for a 63-yard catch and run score just 23 seconds into the game.
“I felt we needed to start doing that to develop our short passing game,” added Cook. “We tried to get the option going and mixed in some passes. That makes teams have to prepare a little differently for us and can help us down the road.”
OC drove to the Pios 31 and came up short on fourth and four when Matt Rosinski and Nick Hanks stopped Vikings RB Nick Mouret for no gain. Notre Dame then drove 69 yards in 14 plays for a 14-0 lead.
Collin Kirsch had runs of 17 and 20 yards and Bryant Thevis connected with Zack Miller for a 19-yard pass. Justin Guidry ran it in from a yard out and John William Lamm added the PAT.
The Vikings rolled a punt dead at the Pios eight-yard line on the final play of the first quarter. Runs by Kirsch and Sam Hoffpauir moved the ball out to the Pios 44.
On third and 13, Thevis found tight end Hunter LeJeune across the middle and the senior rambled 55 yards to the Vikings one. Steven Zaunbrecher ran it in from there to cap the 11 play, 92-yard drive for a 21-0 lead.
“When he caught that pass, he was outrunning their secondary,” smiled Cook. “He has become a nice weapon for us in the passing game.”
On the ensuing kickoff, Patrick Burleigh recovered a fumble at the OC 25-yard line. Two failed option plays left John William Lamm to boot a 30-yard field goal for a 24-0 lead.
The Pios fumbled away a punt with less than two minutes to halftime and QB Sam Jarrell led the Vikings to a first and goal at the ND three. With seven seconds on the clock, Jarrell scrambled and had green grass to the end zone, but the Pios Jacob Link tackled Jarrell short of the goal line with no time left.
“They have you so spread out, it takes everything you have just to make sure you are lined up,” Cook gestured. “They didn’t get in the end zone and it was a heck of a play for Jacob Link to tackle them on the last play of the half with the clock running out.”
It looked even bigger when Jarrell, who was held to 10 completions in 36 pass attempts, hit receiver Devin Thierry for an 80-yard touchdown on the second play of the third quarter to cut the PIos lead to 24-6.
“Their offense is different than the spreads we have seen,” explained Coach Cook. “They keep you on your heels with so many formations and all the movement before the snap. They got the long pass and all of a sudden they are hanging around. Our offense responded and kept coming back.”
Kirsch continued to shred the Vikings defense with runs of 19 and 12 yards. The junior finished the night with 128 yards on 17 carries and added three receptions for 84 yards. The Pios drove 88 yards in 10 plays with Kirsch finishing it off on a seven-yard TD run to make the ND lead 30-6.
“You just get a trust in some guys and it is nice to have him back on this side of the ball,” smiled Cook who started the season with plans to play Kirsch in the defensive secondary. “We are a much better offense with him back there. Steven Zaunbrecher is a good compliment and Mason Romero is another guy we can work in there. Then there are two fullbacks in Justin Guidry and Sam Hoffpauir that can take some of the load.”
Opelousas Catholic refused to go away and QB Jarrell pieced together a 77-yard drive aided by 43 yards in Pios penalties. Jarrell scrambled in from seven yards and ND led 30-12 after three quarters.
“We knew they would play hard and keep coming at us,” added Cook. “They are coached that way and they had a scheme against us to try and take advantage of what they do. You find out a lot about your team in that situation.”
Notre Dame started the fourth quarter with fullback Justin Guidry appearing stopped after powering into a pile of tacklers at the OC 42-yard line. Guidry bounced right, cut through the secondary and ran 38-yards to the Vikings four. Guidry took it in on the next play for a 37-12 ND lead.
Pios Thomas Stevens and Jacob Link combined for a third down sack to force a punt on the next OC series. Senior Mason Romero took over in the Pios backfield with help from junior Waylon Bourgeois.
Romero ran nine times for 38 yards and Bourgeois carried three times for 17 yards. Romero covered the final 11 yards for the score in a 55 yard, 11 play, ground and pound drive. The Pios led 44-12 on the Lam extra point.
The Vikings made a final threat against the clean jersey team only to be turned back at the Pios 12. Matt Abshire intercepted a Jarrell pass to freeze the scoreboard final.
The Pios defense logged four sacks, one each from Nick Hanks, Jacob Link, Thomas Stevens and Kyle Lyons, four tackles for a loss and two interceptions, one each from Abshire and Garrett Cormier. Patrick Burleigh led with six tackles, a pass break up and two QB hurries. The Pios defense recorded 18 QB hurries led by 4 each from Matt Rosinski, Link and Tyler Shelvin.
“Overall our defense did a solid job,” concluded Cook. “They kept the game in front of them, broke on the ball and made plays when they had to. We have to just keep growing.”
Notre Dame begins a five game home stand next week hosting Loreauville.