Servite has been away from home for two games now, but on Friday they'll finally make their return. They will host the Notre Dame (SO) Knights at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Servite's defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 14-0 win over Chaminade. Given the Friars' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked tenth, while the Eagles are ranked 48th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Quaid Carr was a one-man wrecking crew for Servite as he rushed for 172 yards. Gavin Gutierrez was another key rusher, rushing for 60 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries.
Gutierrez wasn't the only one working in the rushing yards department: Servite was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 224 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Chaminade only rushed for 94.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame (SO) narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past St. Francis 36-34. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Knights.
Steele Pizzella had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries, and also threw for 208 yards and three touchdowns. That's the most total yards he has posted since back in August of 2023. Tre Fernandez was Pizzella's top target, picking up 106 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Notre Dame (SO)'s defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Max Martin-Beckmann. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 7 total tackles per game. Ehimen Oyamendan was another major factor on D, picking up a sack, making 11 total tackles (1.0 for loss), and defending a pass.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Notre Dame (SO), adding 12 points to the final score. All came courtesy of William Weisberg: he went 3-for-3 kicking field goals for nine points, and 3-for-3 again kicking extra points for an additional three.
Servite's win bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Notre Dame (SO), their victory ended a four-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-1.
We should be in store for an exciting game as both have no problem gaining yardage. Servite has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 370.3 total yards per game. However, it's not like Notre Dame (SO) struggles in that department as they've been averaging 363. With a pair of commanding offenses duking it out, the defenses are going to have their work cut out for them.
Servite came out on top in a nail-biter against Notre Dame (SO) when the teams last played back in September of 2019, sneaking past 16-13. Does Servite have another victory up their sleeve, or will Notre Dame (SO) turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
