Notre Dame Jugglers vs Belmont Bulldogs

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The Notre Dame Jugglers extended their winning streak to three games with a 29-21 victory over the Belmont Bulldogs. That big win now puts Notre Dame in sole possession of first place in the AAA West division. 

The Jugglers leaned on star quarterback Caleb Parrotta in a tight back-and-forth game. The gunslinger delivered again whenever head coach Dennis Kelly called his number. Parrotta started things off by finding Receiver Michael MacLeod for a 28-yard touchdown pass and then, after the Jugglers forced the Bulldogs to concede a safety, Parrotta found Nico Malet-Veale for another passing major to put the Jugglers up 16-0 late in the second quarter.

Belmont threatened to score just before halftime, but some great defensive efforts led to the Jugglers bending but not breaking and maintaining a two-possession lead.

Belmont came out after the break and scored on a 40-yard run by running back Chase Doucette, to narrow ND's lead to 16-6. Belmont then seized the momentum of the game as they forced a rare mistake by Parrotta, intercepting a pass and returning it 50 yards for a touchdown. 

The ensuing 2-point conversion was successful and the score was 16-14 at the end of the third quarter. Within a matter of moments, a 16-point lead had almost all but evaporated. With their backs against the wall for the first time all afternoon, The Jugglers rallied behind their dynamic duo.

The Jugglers drove the ball deep into Bulldogs' territory before Parrotta threw his third touchdown of the day, finding MacLeod, this time from 15 yards out.

 Notre Dame's defence came up with a massive stop on the next drive and put the ball back in their star's hands. This time, Parrotta exploded into the open field and ran away from the  Bulldogs' defenders on his way to a 30-yard rushing score to put his team up by two scores, 29-14.

 Belmont got the ball back and answered, but it was too late. ND got the ball back with the score 29-21 and ran out the rest of the clock to secure a well-deserved victory.

Jugglers head coach Dennis Kelly was pleased with the overall effort of his squad and remarked that Belmont was a very worthy, physical opponent destined to give many teams trouble this season.

Kelly also commended his defence, particularly linebackers Sayj Gill and Anson Cheung, as well as defensive linemen Diante Villegas and Dominik Mouro and cornerback Sahij Gill.

Notre Dame will host the Sardis Falcons next Friday for their "Seniors Night game. This special game celebrates the team's current grade 12s and their families' commitment throughout their time with the Jugglers program.