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FOOTBALL: Pontiac NDP on a tear, hasn’t lost in regular season since 2010
PONTIAC – It’s been over two years since Pontiac Notre Dame Prep has lost a regular season football game.
Head coach Kyle Zimmerman and his Fighting Irish have won 21 straight regular season contests as they prepare to face Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard Saturday down at Ford Field in the CHSL Intersectional Prep Bowl.
Last season, Notre Dame Prep clocked Gabriel Richard 38-7 in the Prep Bowl. Back in Week 4, the Fighting Irish beat Gabriel Richard 28-16.
Going out of conference in Week 8, they defeated Livonia Clarenceville 29-7.
Starting off the 2010 season 0-5, Notre Dame Prep won its final four games of the schedule and then ran the table in the regular season in 2011, going a perfect 9-0.
Ranked No. 6 in the state in Division 4 this year, the Fighting Irish are 8-0 as they pursue their second straight Prep Bowl title. When the state tournament gets on its way later in the month, Notre Dame Prep will be seeking its first district title in eight years.
“We’re in a nice groove,” Zimmerman said. “I think we’ve built a solid foundation these past couple of years in this program and the repetition of doing things the right way is paying off. Success breeds more success.”
Zimmerman is getting contributions across the board on offense and defense.
Expertly running Notre Dame Prep’s offense has been quarterback, Joe Kutil, who has been cool as a cucumber in his first year calling signals on the varsity.
Junior tailback Jeremiah Johnson is a home run threat every time he touches the ball, having already rushed for 1,115 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Sophomore wide receiver Anthony Gunn, a transfer from Ortonville Brandon, has proven himself one of the top underclassmen in the entire Catholic League and can hurt teams underneath or going deep.
On defense, senior linebacker Vinny Famularo is the captain of the unit and calls plays in the huddle. Lineman Andrew Woodrich is a monster in the pass rush and has racked up double-digits in sacks (13) and hurries (16). Brendan Newvine, a junior and transfer from Clarkston, is doing damage flanking Famularo in the linebacking corps and Johnson on offense in the backfield.
Taylor Timko, the school’s best female athlete, committed to Michigan for soccer since she was a sophomore last year, anchors Zimmerman’s special teams attack and in her first year kicking on the gridiron has been steady as they come. She showed off her nerves of steel in Week 1, booting a game-winning 35-yarder in the final seconds on the road against Armada.
“We’ve got a good thing going here,” Zimmerman said.
No doubt, they do.
