The Notre Dame Fighting Irish put on a show in their season opener, rolling to a 73–0 victory over Grace Baptist Academy on Friday night. It was a complete team performance, with touchdowns coming through the air, on the ground, and even from the defense.

Quarterback Cooper Campbell set the tone with a huge night passing, connecting early and often to keep the Golden Eagles off balance. One of his top targets, Jacorrian Tramble, was unstoppable at wide receiver, piling up yards and finding the end zone in style.

The Irish spread the wealth across the roster:

• JR WR Dre Green scored twice—once on a reception and once on a rushing play.
• Freshman Michael Woodley added two more, one on the ground and one through the air.
• The running back room was dominant, with Senior Caleb Green, Sophomore Alex Pham, and Freshman Kelvin Houston all punching in rushing touchdowns.

Defensively, Notre Dame was just as sharp, forcing turnovers and adding points of their own to seal a statement win.

Head coach Brent Hill praised both the performance and the progress being made:

“I felt like our players got to see all the hard work from the post-season of last year and pre-season pay off for a game. We have been on the other side of that kind of game, and we are starting to learn what it takes to be the team we want to represent Notre Dame. It’s progress but is not finished. We had a complete game of great defense, explosive offense, and controlled the field with special teams.”

Hill was quick to turn the focus forward, knowing bigger challenges lie ahead:

“It was a great first step, but our next opponent is a lot better. We have to focus on us and improve on some details that didn’t get shown because of the momentum in last night’s game. We are all excited and enjoyed the victory, but that has to be flushed out to focus on improving and facing a really good opponent like Rhea County. We have a challenge playing a team bigger than us, so we have to rely on a lot of physical and fast play to overcome the size.”

The coach also emphasized specific areas for growth:

“On offense we have to focus on eliminating bad plays, penalties, and focus on first downs and points. Defense has the challenge of attacking the line of scrimmage to fit the run without getting caught off guard in the secondary with RPOs or play-action. On special teams we need to block better on the punt team, continue to run and fill our lanes on kickoff in case we don’t get a touchback, and be more consistent with PATs and field goals. Big challenge but a fun one too!”

Just as important as the on-field performance is the support behind it. The progress of the program is being fueled by the Notre Dame community—parents, alumni, students, and fans—coming together to rally behind the Irish. That spirit and commitment are laying the foundation for something special this season and beyond.

The Irish now turn their attention to Rhea County in the home opener this Friday—a much bigger opponent that will test Notre Dame’s physicality, speed, and discipline.

👉 We need a huge turnout at home this week to support our players. Pack the stands in green and gold, bring the energy, and help the Irish build on the momentum of a great opening night.