Notre Dame Earns Tie With Late Touchdown

Notre Dame High scored with 2 minutes 7 seconds remaining to pull out a 7-7 Mission League tie against visiting St. Paul on Friday night.

St. Paul (1-3-2, 1-0-1 in league play) had a chance to win, but Rick Camarena missed a 32-yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining. Camarena’s attempt was just wide left, sending the kicker to the ground, clasping his head.

With 8:16 remaining, Notre Dame quarterback Steve Colella engineered a touchdown drive. Colella completed a 16-yard pass to Kirk Miller (eight catches, 101 yards) on third and 14 to keep the drive alive. Three St. Paul penalties accounted for 30 yards. After a four-yard sack on second and goal, Colella connected with Robbie LeBel on a nine-yard touchdown pass.

Notre Dame Coach Kevin Rooney went for the point rather than gamble on a two-point conversion. Tim Kosor converted the kick to tie the score, 7-7, with 2:07 remaining. “This early in the season, we feel like the tie doesn’t hurt us,” Rooney said. “It’s never the popular decision (to go for the tie instead of the win), but we did.”

Colella finished 18 of 30 for 203 yards.

The Knights turned the ball over on four of their six first-half possessions, but St. Paul capitalized on just one.

After Notre Dame (3-2-1, 2-0-1) took the opening kickoff, the Knights’ Justin Mitchell, who finished with just one yard in seven carries in place of injured running back Setefano Malieitulua, fumbled on his second carry.

St. Paul’s Jon Yepes fell on it to give the Swordsmen possession at Notre Dame’s nine-yard line.

The Swordsmen used all four downs to get the ball into the end zone. Ryan Sweet’s two-yard dive and Camarena’s extra point gave St. Paul a 7-0 lead less that 3:30 into the game.

St. Paul’s Carlos Ramos rushed for a game-high 95 yards in 16 carries, and quarterback Albert Borunda finished 15 of 22 for 165 yards and had one interception.

St. Paul, which allowed just 17 yards rushing, was called for 13 penalties for 140 yards, which took the Swordsmen out of several scoring opportunities and kept Notre Dame drives alive.

After Notre Dame regained possession with 28 seconds remaining, Rooney instructed Colella to kneel on first down and run out the clock.