Football: Expectations Again High for Notre Dame Irish

As usual, expectations are high at Notre Dame High School for this year’s varsity football season and head coach Chappy Moore is embracing the challenge.

"We've always been one of the teams, or the team, to beat in the CVC [Colonial Valley Conference]," Moore said. "We need to do that again this season."

Last season, the Irish went 8-2 and 25 seniors return from that squad this year. With so much experience returning anything but a winning record and playoff push could be considered a disappointment. 

Senior quarterback Sam McDermott is the offensive leader for Notre Dame and will throw the ball a lot this season in the spread offense. 

"We plan to throw the ball anywhere from 30 to 35 times a game this season," Moore said. "Sam McDermott is a senior and makes smart decisions."

McDermott should have all kinds of time this season, as he'll have a very experienced offensive line in front of him — four of the five starters are back from last season. 

The Irish defense will line up in a base 3-5 formation (three defensive linemen and five linebackers) and will look for James King and Zach Tharp on the defensive ends to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. 

Playing a 3-5 defense allows for a heavy dose of linebacker blitzes — which Moore plans to call about 50 percent of the time. But that also adds extra pressure on the defensive backs when playing a pass-heavy opponent. 

Luckily for Notre Dame, seniors Darius Norman and Ryan Germano have experience in the secondary and their coach calls them the "strength of the defense."

Norman, Germano and the rest of the Irish football team will make their debut tonight (Sept. 9) when they host Lawrence High School, a rivalry game which should draw a large crowd.

"Our kids know their kids and their kids know our kids," Moore said. "It's become a real, real nice rivalry over the past couple years."

It's been even nicer for Notre Dame, since the Irish have been on the winning end of the rivalry, having won three straight against Lawrence. 

One highlight on the Irish’s 2011 schedule come on Sept. 24, when the team travels across the country to take on Jordan High School in a game played during the  XFINITY High School Football Challenge at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

2011 Season

• Sept. 9, 7 p.m. vs. Lawrence
• Sept. 17, 1 p.m. at West Windsor-Plainsboro North
• Sept. 24, 1 p.m. at Jordan High School (Utah)
• Sept. 30, 7 p.m. vs. West Windsor-Plainsboro South
• Oct. 6, 4:15 p.m. at Trenton
• Oct. 14, 7 p.m. vs. Rancocas Valley
• Oct. 21, 7 p.m. at Hightstown
• Oct. 28, 7 p.m. vs. Steinert
• Nov. 25, 7 p.m. vs. Nottingham