The Notre Dame Academy Tritons are moving on in the playoffs after a thrilling 56-42 win over the Slinger Owls on Halloween night, thanks in large part to another monster performance from junior running back Kingston Allen.
Allen got the Tritons rolling early, scoring on the fourth play of the game with a 60 yard run.
Slinger answered with two touchdowns to take the lead late in the first quarter, but Allen tied it back up just before the buzzer with a 10-yard touchdown run, setting the tone for what would become an offensive battle.
Both teams traded scores throughout the first half, with Joey Massey catching a touchdown pass for Notre Dame and the Owls blocking a Notre Dame field goal attempt to keep things even.
By halftime, the game was tied 21–21, and the energy in the stands and on the field was electric.
The Owls struck quickly after the break, scoring a touchdown and capitalizing on a recovered onside kick to go up 35–21, but Allen refused to let the Tritons fall behind for long.
He broke free for a 70-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, then added another to tie the game at 35.
From there, Notre Dame’s defense started to find its footing, forcing a turnover that led to yet another Allen score to give the Tritons their first lead since the opening minutes.
Allen wasn’t done.
He added three more touchdowns in the second half– including a 48-yard breakaway run late in the fourth quarter– sealing the win and sending Notre Dame into the next round of the playoffs.
Head coach Mike Rader praised his team’s toughness and Allen’s relentless effort.
“The game was a high-scoring game, and we took a few more blows than we have had to all season long,” Rader said. “We just keep doing what we are doing and we can be in every single game that we play. I mean, the kid (Kingston Allen) just keeps getting stronger. I don’t know how many carries he had, but it was probably too many. You know, we got stuck there in the middle of the game a little bit, he had to fight through some stuff, we counted on him and he came through when it mattered.”
Rader said the team’s game plan was simple but effective: “Be physical up front, get the ball to Kingston as many times as we can, and know that if we keep doing what we’re doing, we can wear some teams out and we were able to do that today.”
Allen said the win was all about staying focused and playing for each other. “It just gives us another opportunity to next week do it again,” he said. “We faced some hardships this year, getting moved up to D2, but we just keep rolling every drive.”
Led by Allen, the Tritons continue on the road to state.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here