Hannah Pedeferri is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Notre Dame Prep for AZPreps365.com

The Horizon football team set the tone early in its victory over Notre Dame Friday night.

On the first play of the game, Horizon wide receiver Vincent Valentino scored a 98-yard touchdown. The Huskies were off and running toward a 41-24 victory over the Saints.

On its first drive of the game, Notre Dame answered by moving the ball only 17 yards.

The Huskies got the ball back, then pushed through the Saints’ defense, scoring another touchdown with 5:55 left in the first quarter, making it 14-0.

On its second drive, Notre Dame running back Jameson Bush ran deep into Huskies territory, and with 48.7 seconds left in the first quarter, Saints quarterback, Noah Trigueros, found wide receiver Cooper Perry in the end zone making it 14-7.

At the start of the second quarter, Notre Dame kept its momentum going. 

Five seconds into the quarter,  wide receiver Dawson Dorward scored on a three-pass trick play, tying the game.

Less than seven minutes later, the Saints kicked a field goal on fourth down, taking a 17-14 lead. 

As the second quarter was winding down, Horizon running back Anthony Segura scored a 9-yard touchdown, and the Huskies regained the lead.

Before half-time, both teams attempted field goals. However, only one of them was successful. Horizon blocked the Saints’ kick and the score was 24-17 at the half. 

“We had two possessions in the first half that we could have scored on,” Notre Dame quarterback Noah Trigueros said. “It was frustrating. I think we should’ve been up 28-24 at half." 

Notre Dame tried to find every opportunity it could to build some offense, but the Huskies’ defense would not give the Saints a chance.

Horizon's offense wasn’t messing around either. It took only two plays for the Huskies to make it back in the end zone in the second half. Quarterback Jase Ashley had his second running touchdown and with 9:33 left in the third quarter, the Huskies led 31-17.

On Notre Dame’s second drive of the third quarter, Trigueros threw two incompletions. But Notre Dame eventually scored and cut Horizon’s lead to one touchdown, 31-24.

Horizon answered with only 1.2 seconds remaining in the third, when Huskies running back Bodie Zamorano pushed through the Saints’ defense to score,  making it 38-24. 

The fourth quarter did not look too good for the Saints. Trigueros, trying everything to get the ball into the end zone, was sacked for a loss of 8 yards. With eight minutes left in the game, Trigueros threw an interception giving the ball right back to the Huskies. 

On Horizon's last drive of the game, the Huskies added to their lead with a field goal.

Notre Dame had one more opportunity. Trigueros, trying to make a play happen, escaped several defenders to pass, but Notre Dame fell to Horizon 41-24. 

“I think we could’ve played better,” Notre Dame linebacker Dane Rutti said. “It starts with the little stuff.”

Notre Dame Prep (3-3) will host Higley (5-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13.

“We learn from our mistakes. We go in, look at  film, stick together as a family,” head coach George Prelock said after the game. “We hold each other accountable, and push each other. We understand that each week is gonna be a different task.”