It’s the night of September 6, the ND home opener, and the stadium lights shine bright over the football field. The stands are still packed, the score stands at 28-34, and the Knights trail the Cardinals with just 1:05 left.

Notre Dame is positioned on the 5-yard line. The ball is snapped, and the quarterback, Steele Pizzella ‘25, scans the field but finds none of his wide receivers open. Spotting an open hole, he runs the ball in for a last-minute touchdown. The score is 35-34. The Knights are victorious!

This was the score of the Notre Dame Knights home opener.

The Knights’ record is now 4-3, coming off a win against the Bishop Amat Lancers, and loss to the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers. They are now ranked 78 in the state of California. But these rankings will change over the season as more games are played.

Head Coach Yabu and Head Offensive Coordinator Rowe have recruited players to help strengthen the Knights’ defense and replace the defensive linemen who graduated.

New players on the varsity roster include Lucky John Springer ‘26, a defensive lineman coming from Oaks Christians; Isaiah Sensebaugh ‘26, a cornerback transferring from Palisades; Jordan Peck ‘26, transferring from Wasco High, and Guy “Tre” Fernandez ‘25, a wide receiver transferring from Chaminade.

Head Coach Yabu said, “We acquired 11 transfers. Half came mid semester. The other half came during the summer. I hope that they can contribute to the culture, and hope that they can help the team improve the way we play football.”

As the season progresses, despite some injuries, Coach Yabu remains confident about the direction the team is going. Every Friday brings a new set of challenges and a new set of opportunities.

“I’m so focused on right now that it’s hard to think about ten games that are coming up and I am just taking one game at a time,” said Coach Yabu. As a team, “we are getting better, and we are getting closer and closer to our potential.”

Team captain, Ehimen Oyamendan ‘25 said “I think we’re doing pretty well considering all the injuries. I think we have yet to play to our potential, but once we do, you’re going to see a whole different team.”

Oyamendan believes in this team and believes that they can be playing even better than they are already playing.

The Knights will continue to play their game with determination and passion in the hopes of winning a CIF Championship this year. No matter what, this team is determined to win it all.