The gym buzzed as students hurried into the gym for the first rally of the 2024-2025 school year. Cheer, dance and band performed in the center of the gym and on stage as students rushed to their seats, frantically trying to find their friends.
Soon, it all calmed down as the Teen Beach rally began. With the dance and cheer teams lined up on both sides of the gym, ready to welcome the fall teams. Varsity men’s beach volleyball started the rally by running through their banner as students cheered from the bleachers flashing the “V” for victory sign in time to the familiar drum cadence.
Next were varsity men’s cross country, followed by varsity women’s cross country.
After the cross-country teams did their entrances, varsity women’s golf ran through their banner, followed by varsity women’s tennis, who are 3-0 this season, and varsity women’s volleyball, who boast a record of 5-1-0.
Varsity men’s water polo, who are 7-1-0 in their season, followed. The cast and crew of The Man Who Came to Dinner were next, followed by Debate, who split their banner with a gavel.
But it wasn’t over yet. The front rows of the team seats were conspicuously empty, waiting for the arrival of the final fall sports team. The varsity football team entered the gym, and students cheered as they all ran down the aisle and took their seats.
On cue, the lights dimmed, and Senior ASB started their performance of the Teen Beach movie opening scene to segue into the first game. What would it be?
It was a fruit roll up eating contest where competitors had to race to eat a fruit roll up without using of their hands.
The sophomores showed their spirit and their skill with a quick win, stunning the competition and evoking cheers from the bleachers.
In between the first and second games, both dance and cheer performed, elevating the energy and spirit in the gym.
A game of Finish the Lyrics came next — a game both loved and dreaded by the chosen competitors. Clips from a variety of songs from beach themed movies were played and teams from each class were given the chance to sing the lyrics once the clips ended. The juniors and the freshmen bowed out early leaving the sophomores to face the seniors. In the end, the seniors won the game.
Finally, the third game, an obstacle course relay race was announced. Students had to crawl under pool noodles, step through hula hoops, and toss a horseshoe onto a cone before running back to their partners so they could run the course as well. Two students from each grade were called up, and it was sophomores versus juniors and seniors versus freshmen to start. The sophomores won against the juniors and the seniors won against the freshmen, making the final round a tie breaker between the sophomores and the seniors. In a close race, the seniors refused to lose to the underclassmen and came out with the win. The entire gym shook with their cheers.
After each class did the “Hey Knights!” and everyone in the gym did the Alma Mater, and the Fight Song, the entertaining first rally came to an end. School spirit was high as classes were dismissed from the gym, and most students were thinking about one thing–the beach themed football game later that night.
The 7pm game quickly arrived, and students came with their friends, beach outfits and all, to support our Notre Dame football team at their first home game of the season. Students, excited for the home opener, talked to their friends as the bleachers quickly filled.
Before long, the game started, with Notre Dame possessing the ball for the start of the half.
The Knights gained an early lead as senior wide receiver Elliot Cooper received a throw for a touchdown. The Knights missed the PAT, making the score 6-0.
Less than five minutes later, sophomore running back Troy Trejo ran the ball for a touchdown, extending the lead to 13-0 in the first quarter.
However, Bishop Diego quickly responded with a touchdown three seconds into the second quarter, making the score 13-7, the Knights still holding on to the lead.
Then, during the Knights’ possession ten minutes into the second quarter, Bishop Diego intercepted the ball and converted it into a touchdown, stealing the lead from the Knights. The score was now 13-14.
Shortly after, on a fourth down, Notre Dame attempted to run it, but failed to get the first down, giving Bishop Diego possession of the ball. But the Knights would not falter and worked to create a new opportunity. Senior Hayden Bowne forced Bishop Diego to fumble and senior linebacker Patrick Chumo recovered the ball. The crowd went wild.
Then senior wide receiver Guy “Tre” Fernandez III regained the lead for the Knights by making a catch in the endzone for a touchdown. The Knights opted to go for a two-point conversion, but the successful attempt was called back for holding. The Knights followed up with a PAT instead, and the Knights regained the lead with a score of 20-14.
The lead had been going back and forth between the two teams the whole game, and right before halftime, Bishop Diego scored a touchdown, sending the Knights into the locker room with a one point deficit– the score: Knights 20, Bishop Diego 21.
The students were anxious about the tight game, but performances by the band, dance, and cheer helped relieve some of the students’ stress. The student section completed one last “Hey Knights!” cheer before the second half began.
Bishop Diego began with the ball, and in the tenth minute, they extended their lead over the Knights. Despite the lack of a Notre Dame touchdown in the 3rd quarter, the Knights defense did an amazing job limiting Bishop Diego to a single touchdown, although the Knights did not have possession of the ball for most of the quarter. The score would remain 20-28 until the exciting fourth quarter.
But the clock was ticking, and the Knights needed a touchdown to at least tie the game for overtime, and they needed one fast. Then, in the sixth minute of the 4th quarter, senior quarterback Steele Pizzella delivered, and the Knights successfully executed a two-point conversion. The score was tied 28-28.
Less than 30 seconds later, Bishop Diego quickly responded with another touchdown, but failed to gain the extra point. The Knights saw their chance. They only needed seven points to win the game.
On their kickoff to the Knights, Bishop Diego kicked the ball out of bounds giving the Knights possession on the 35-yard line.
Tension mounted as the Knights moved the ball down the field, first down after first down. With less than 40 seconds on the clock the Knights were in the redzone.
Students eagerly waited to see if the Knights could make a touchdown and the extra point to win the game. And with 33 seconds left on the clock, Steele Pizzella scored another touchdown. With a successful extra point, the Knights took back the lead, but there was still 30 seconds on the clock.
With the score at 35-34, the final 30 seconds had everyone in the stadium on the edge, but Notre Dame’s defense successfully held off Bishop Diego, making 4th and one stop to end the game.
Cheers erupted from Notre Dame’s bleachers as the final whistle blew, and the once elusive lead was finally secured. The Knights won their home opener 35-34.
In a post-game interview, Head Coach Yabu said, “It was a gutsy performance by our guys. I thought that they had opportunities to fold up and quit and there were a couple of real pivotal moments, but it was a full four quarter battle and I’m really proud of the way they persevered.” The students could not agree more!
The Knights are now 1-1, and will take on St. Francis away this Friday, September 6, in our first league game of the season.
