Fighting Irish clinch Prep Bowl berth with 14-0 shutout of Divine Child
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
DEARBORN — Friday’s playing conditions were far from perfect, with a steady rain and temperatures and wind chill in the upper 30s. The end result for Pontiac Notre Dame Prep might as well been a utopian paradise in a distant tropical land.
The Fighting Irish captured their 10th straight win dating back to last season, avenging a loss to Dearborn Divine Child from last year with a 14-0 road victory over the Falcons.
The win not only clinched the CHSL AA Division title for the Irish, but was their sixth straight win of this season to qualify for the state postseason for the eighth time in school history. The victory also punched Notre Dame Prep’s ticket to the CHSL Prep Bowl for the fourth time in six seasons.
Notre Dame Prep was the Prep Bowl champ in both 2006 and 2007 but lost in the CHSL title game in 2009.
“It’s big in so many ways,” offered Notre Dame Prep coach Kyle Zimmerman, whose team is off to their best start since the 1984 season, when the Irish went 9-0 in the regular season. “We get to go to the Prep Bowl, and that’s one of our goals. We’re in the playoffs and we win the division (title).”
Notre Dame Prep, which will play Macomb Lutheran North in its final AA Division game next week, scored a touchdown in both the first and second quarters and kept the Falcons offense at bay. The Irish held Divine Child to under 150 yards of total offense.
Smelling blood from the start, the Irish were in complete control. Senior Patrick Bartoli returned the opening kick 92 yards for the score to put Notre Dame Prep in the lead for good.
Senior quarterback Dan Durkin added a 12-yard run in the second quarter to seal the deal for the Irish (6-0, 3-0). Ruari McGreevy made both extra points for NDP, which is in the postseason for the first time since 2009 and fourth time in six seasons.
“Our defense was outstanding,” said Zimmerman. “They really didn’t let (Divine Child) do much with the football. We scored the two early touchdowns and were in control.”
Divine Child slipped to 2-3 overall and 2-2 in league play.
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Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Prep Wraps
That’s great. They have put in a lot of work. Congrats kids!