PICTURED AT LEFT: North Ridgeville's Shane Friend

Notre Dame (Ohio) notched the program’s first win on Saturday, a 14-10 victory over Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).

Khalid Harrison and Pedro Powell had rushing TDs to lead the Falcons and their defense held up, only allowing 10 points.

Notre Dame and Lindsey Wilson are the NAIA’s two newest entrants among 93 programs.

"It feels good to get one under our belt’" Notre Dame head coach Adam Howard said. "Getting to this point has been a lot of work for two years, really. And work on the part of a lot of people at our College, both on and off the field. To get a win and get the momentum building is huge for our program."

Down, 3-0, Notre Dame started what would become the first scoring drive in program history late in the first quarter after a diving interception by free safety John Hyde. Dak Britt engineered a 12-play drive that was capped off with a 10-yard TD run by Harrison. Britt completed two passes on the drive and had a 16-yard run as well. Harrison had five carries for 41 yards, as the Falcons grabbed their first lead of the season after being shutout, 23-0, in their opener against Mercyhurst (Pa.) last week.

Westlake’s Kam Abed, Elyria Catholic’s Jared Schuster and Vermilion’s Logan Wright are starting offensive lineman, while North Ridgeville’s Shane Friend plays linebacker. Friend has made eight tackles in two games.

swalker@MorningJournal.com

National signing day couldn’t come fast enough for Elyria Catholic standout Josh Russ.

Last year, Russ verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati after a stellar junior season; where he was selected first team All-Ohio. Russ caught 35 passes for 691 yards and six touchdowns.

Russ, like many other athletes, officially signed his letter of intent on Wednesday, Feb. 3 to play football at UC.

“It’s kind of unreal to be honest,” Russ said. “I never thought I’d get to this level, but a lot of people have helped me to get where I’m at. They helped me with school and helped prepared me to be a better football player.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my family and former coaches and Elyria Catholic.”

This past season, Russ was selected again as first team All-Ohio. Offensively, he had 33 catches for 561 yards and six touchdowns. Russ also played defensive end and had 40 tackles (14 for loss), three sacks, six pass break-ups and two forced fumbles.

Russ said he chose UC because they were the first team who believed in him, but things got a little complicated when Brian Kelly, the coach who recruited him, signed a five-year deal to coach at the University of Notre Dame on Dec. 10.

Russ said he was lost at that point and didn’t know what was going to happen.

“To be honest I was really nervous in the beginning when it all happened,” Russ said. “I’ve never been through this, or knew anybody that was, so I was really nervous. I didn’t know what was going to happen, if I was going to lose my scholarship, or what.”

With his future uncertain, the Bearcats new head coach Butch Jones and his coaching staff contacted Russ a couple days later to assure him that he would he would not lose his scholarship.

“They have something great to build on what coach Kelly left behind,” Russ said. “I think they’ll do good with it and I’m happy with the new coaching staff.”

Russ will join a Bearcat’s program that has catapulted themselves into one of the top programs in the nation.

The Bearcats have won back-to-back Big East championships and have participated in two consecutive Bowl Championship Series games. In 2008, the Bearcats were 11-3 and earned a birth in the FedEx Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech. Last season, they won 12 straight games and earned a berth in the All State Sugar Bowl, before losing to Florida.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Russ said the team wants him to play outside linebacker, but he will more than likely red-shirt his freshman year.

Elyria Catholic coach Ben Malbasa said he was honored to have coached Russ for three years.

“I’ve been very fortunate to coach someone as committed as he is,” Malbasa said. “He was always committed when he first stepped on to the field, but he continued to work at becoming a better all-around football player.”

Malbasa added that he knew Russ had the potential to be an elite player early in his career.

“I remember his second game of his sophomore season against Southview,” Malbasa said. “After that game I went back and watched the film and he made some plays where he caught guys from behind that impressed me. At that point I realized we had a special player.”

One thing that stood out for Malbasa about Russ was the fact he never got overwhelmed with the whole recruiting process. Malbasa said he was very impressed the way Russ made a decision very early and stuck with it.

“I didn’t really have to give him any advice,” Malbasa said. “I was there for him if needed some, but he’s a very privileged kid. He has a great family structure around him and his parents are very involved with him, which helped him a lot.”

Russ was not the only Panther to sign on Wednesday, as teammate Jared Schuster signed a letter of intent to play at Notre Dame College in South Euclid.

Schuster was first team All-Ohio as a junior, and second team All-Ohio this past season. He was also Lorain County offensive lineman of the year.

“I want to thank everyone for getting me here, because without them I wouldn’t be where I’m at,” Schuster said. “The experience is unreal, but it feels good.”

Courtesy of Anthony Rios

Notre Dame College of Ohio made its long-awaited football debut on Sunday night, and did not disappoint.

The Falcons scored seven touchdowns in a 49-0 rout of the junior varsity of Hiram College at Korb Field, in their first-ever football game.

Notre Dame racked up 301 yards of offense, while its defense held Hiram to 80 yards.
Leading the offense was quarterback Derrick Paster, who went 7-for-9 with 138 yards passing, which included a TD pass and two rushing TDs. He threw a 45-yard TD pass to Marlon Gillis and then ran for a 7-yard score in the first quarter to give the Falcons a quick 14-0 lead.

Andrew Davis then blocked and returned a blocked punt 37 yards for another score, which was followed by a Carter Haynes’ 72-yard fumble return – giving Notre Dame a 28-0 lead after the first quarter.

Paster threw for another TD, a 49-yard bomb to Cory DeChiara, and then ran another one in, a 27-yarder as Notre Dame went into halftime up, 42-0.

In the second half, Steven Bell caught a 33-yard TD pass from Maryland Gillis for Notre Dame’s only other score in the second half.

North Ridgeville’s Shane Friend led the Falcons with nine tackles, including one for a loss.

swalker@MorningJournal.com