Notre Dame defeats Glenbard South
Notre Dame senior Tim Whalen tossed 3 touchdown passes and spread the ball to eight receivers in the Dons' 42-15 road win over Glenbard South on Friday.
Despite Whalen's big night passing, the most memorable play from the Dons was a lateral pass by Whalen. Backup quarterback Nick Pieruccini took the toss and found Jack Meyer sprinting downfield for a 34-yard touchdown reception.
“(Pieruccini) is an athlete and he can play any position on the field, Whalen said.
Notre Dame led 28-7 after Meyer's touchdown. The Dons took the comfortable three-score lead to halftime after ending the first quarter in a 7-7 stalemate.
Before the Dons' explosion of offense produced three quick touchdowns, the Raiders looked like they were ready to hang with Notre Dame.
With the Raiders trailing 7-0, Glenbard South quarterback Tyler Padera got the home crowd fired up by striking a 68-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Borsodi.
“It was a new play we put in this week. We tried to catch them off guard with it, Padera said.
Although the play created a subtle shift in momentum, the Raiders' defense had no answer for Whalen's aerial attack.
“I got good protection, the receivers were running good routes. Everything just worked out, Whalen said.
Whalen passed for 172 yards and 1 interception in the win.
“We're all riding Whalen's coattails right now, said Notre Dame coach Mike Hennessey.
Hennessey added that Whalen's ability to spread the ball to a host of receivers comes from confidence and good protection.
“We worked on it all summer, Hennessey said. “(Whalen) has a lot of faith to throw to any of our receivers. When you're comfortable back there, you can move the ball around.
Notre Dame led 42-7 for most of the second half after Jack McAndrew returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Despite the score Glenbard South refused to quit.
Sophomore Matt Loos capped off a late drive for the Raiders with a 2-yard touchdown blast for the final touchdown of the game. Glenbard South opted for the conversion, and junior Wes Sanders bolted into the end zone to tack on two more points.
“We could've just thrown in the towel, but we didn't want to give up, Padera said.
The Raiders will look to rebound next week with an away game against Woodstock. The Dons will visit Carmel next Friday, before ending their season with a home game against Nazareth.