By MARY GREEN
Sports Writer
O'Neill looks to keep its momentum on a roll when it matches up with Dillon on Sunday.
The Angry Mob (1-1-0) come into the game fresh off their first win of the season, a 12-0 victory over Stanford. O'Neill junior captain and linebacker Donghoon Lee said his team is eager for a winning season this year and hopes to come one step closer to that goal with a win over the Big Red (1-1-0).
"The whole time I've been here, O'Neill hasn't made the playoffs, and a lot of guys are hungry," he said. "They came from a lot of successful high school programs, and they're tired of losing. There's a lot of pent-up frustration right now."
Lee said he will count on seniors quarterback Justin Rumps and utility player Eric Reed to have solid performances Sunday for the Angry Mob to get the win.
On the other side of the ball, the Big Red aim to bounce back after a 22-6 loss to Keough last week.
Dillon senior captain and lineman Nate Steele said he thinks a solid week of practice and some tinkering with positions will help his squad Sunday.
"We've made two position changes, one on the offensive line and one in the defensive secondary, that I think are going to be very positive for us," he said.
While Steele said he anticipates a stout O'Neill defense, he believes the Big Red can win if they keep the ball away from the Angry Mob.
"As long as we win the turnover battle, I think we'll have a really good shot at coming out with the victory," he said.
Dillon and O'Neill will meet Sunday at 1 p.m. at Riehle Fields.
Contact Mary Green at mgreen8@nd.edu
Keenan vs. Keough
By CHRISTINA KOCHANSKI
Sports Writer
With one game behind each of them, Keenan and Keough both hope to secure their second victories when they face off Sunday.
The Knights (1-0-0) rode an undefeated season to win the championship last year, but their record was marred by a tie against the Kangaroos (1-0-0).
Keenan senior captain and receiver Jeremy Riche said he believes the Knights' experience will give them the advantage in the upcoming game.
"We brought back a majority of starters from last year and the chemistry is really high," Riche said. "That's one of our biggest strengths."
On the other hand, Keough senior captain and quarterback Seamus Donegan said he thinks the young talent on his team is one of the Kangaroos' biggest assets.
"The freshmen are a huge part of our team," Donegan said. "They are absolutely essential."
Both captains said they believe that offense and defense will be equally important in the game.
"We're a well-balanced team and ... we don't lean one way, offensively or defensively," Donegan said.
Donegan will lead his team's offense as quarterback while sophomore Patrick Corry will throw for Keenan.
Riche said he believes the Knight offense, with only one game played, is still adjusting.
"I think we should work on the flow of the offense and getting into the rhythm a little bit earlier and carrying that throughout the game," Riche said.
Keenan and Keough will play each other Sunday at 1 p.m. at Riehle Fields.
Contact Christina Kochanski at ckochans@nd.edu
Duncan vs. Morrissey
By ALEXANDRA LANE
Sports Writer
Duncan and Morrissey will both look for their first wins of the season when they square off Sunday.
The Highlanders (0-1-0) opened their season Sunday with a 19-0 loss to Alumni. Duncan junior captain and center Alan Keck said the team did not play as well as he knows it can.
"We made a lot of mistakes," Keck said.
The Manor (0-1-0) also opened their season with a loss, falling to Siegfried on Sept. 22.
"Siegfried is one of the best, if not the best team," Morrissey junior captain and lineman Patrick Valencia said. "We only lost 7-0. We played really well, much better than everyone expected."
Looking forward to the game on Sunday, Keck said he has hopes the Highlanders will fare better in this game, looking to the running backs specifically to provide more protection.
"We just need to be more disciplined and produce what we know we can," Keck said.
Valencia said Morrissey and its junior quarterback, Ryan Lindquist, are ready for the game.
"We're going to look to establish a strong offense and use that to set the tone for the entire game," Valencia said. "[Lindquist] is a good game manager and he makes smart decisions."
The Highlanders and the Manor meet Sunday at 2:15 p.m. at Riehle Fields.
Contact Alexandra Lane at alane2@nd.edu
Alumni vs. Siegfried
By RENEE GRIFFIN
Sports Writer
Undefeated Alumni and Siegfried will battle Sunday in a closely-matched game that could have playoff implications.
Siegfried senior lineman and captain John Moore said he expects it to be a tough game for both teams.
"Alumni and Siegfried are two teams that really respect each other," Moore said. "It's usually a hard-fought battle between two teams who really care about their sport and their dorms. We hope to see them again in the playoffs."
Defense will no doubt be a major factor in the game, as both teams have yet to surrender a point to any of their opponents.
"I'm sure it will come down to whichever defense falters first," Alumni senior captain Jeffrey Kraemer said. "I think one big play could determine who wins."
That's not to say the teams' offenses will not have an impact as well. Moore said he believes Siegfried junior quarterback Nate Burggraf can overcome the strong defense of Alumni (2-0-0), while Kraemer said he has confidence in the Dawgs' sophomore quarterback Trevor Hurley and their running backs.
Senior defensive lineman Cody Ruiz, sophomore safety Grady Schmidt and freshman safety Derek Gauthier will lead the defense for the Ramblers (2-0-0), Moore said.
"We've got a lot of individual talented guys who are working together in a pretty great scheme and executing to perfection," Moore said. "It should be a challenging game that will really test both teams."
The Dawgs and Ramblers will kick off at 2:15 p.m. at Riehle Fields.
Contact Renee Griffin at rgriffi6@nd.edu
Zahm vs. Sorin
By CORNELIUS McGRATH
Sports Writer
Both Sorin and Zahm aim to claim their first wins of the season in their matchup Sunday.
After tying its first game 0-0 against Fisher on Sunday, Otters sophomore co-captain and defensive back Jake Yurek said he feels Sorin (0-0-1) will surprise its opposition this weekend.
"Although our game against Fisher was plagued by plenty of sloppy mistakes, I do believe having a bye week [the] first game of the season played a huge part in our poor performance, because usually, the greatest improvement in any side comes between week one and two, so we hope we can perform better this week," Yurek said.
Yurek said he feels the result will be decided by how the Otters' offense plays,
"We definitely need to throw the ball and I think that with the changes we have made to our formations, we should be able to execute more passes successfully," he said.
Similarly, Zahm's senior captain and offensive lineman Joseph Rice said he feels his squad is fully focused on Sunday's game.
"Morale within the team is very good," he said. "The guys have been training very hard for the last two weeks and can't wait to get out onto the field again."
Rice said he believes the Zahmbies (0-1-0) gave up their six-point lead to St. Edward's in the opening week because of lineup balance problems, not fatigue.
"The team is in very good shape so I think that we need to work on our overall balance between the offense and defense," Rice said. "If we can get the ball to our sophomore wide receiver Travis Allen on the outside, then I think we will be a force to be reckoned with."
The Otters and the Zahmbies will face off at Riehle Fields on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Contact Cornelius McGrath at cmcgrat2@nd.edu
Fisher-St. Edward's
By ZACH KLONSINSKI
Sports Writer
Sunday's upcoming game is a pivotal one in the race for the playoffs for both Fisher and St. Edward's.
The Green Wave (0-0-2) will look for an offensive spark other than junior kicker Peter Sullivan after their first two games resulted in 3-3 and 0-0 ties.
However, their quest will not get any easier this weekend, as many players on the team will be in Dallas for the Notre Dame-Arizona State game. This includes senior quarterback Joseph Paggi, so Fisher has spent time in practice working to find a replacement.
"We're trying to figure out who we're going to have play quarterback right now," junior captain and linebacker Matthew Nagy said. "We might just try to run the ball more this week, especially since we won't have a quarterback with a lot of experience."
For all their offensive struggles though, the Green Wave defense has only given up three points all year.
"In the first two games, our defense has looked really good," Nagy said.
He also said Fisher's keys to victory would be the defense continuing to play well and the offense limiting turnovers.
The Gentlemen (1-1-0) come off a "heartbreaking" loss to Carroll last week, senior safety Andrew Blonigan said.
However, Blonigan found some positives in the loss, especially junior receiver John Wetzel.
"He had a bunch of huge catches for us down the stretch," Blonigan said. "[He] almost turned the game around."
Like Fisher, St. Edward's will bring out a little different look on offense.
"We're tearing up the playbook and trying to trot out something new to showcase our power and grit and might," Blonigan said.
With both teams still serious contenders for playoff spots, the game has the makings of an intense battle Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at Riehle Fields.
Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu
