On a special homecoming night, the Notre Dame Crusaders put on a show, shutting out Palmerton 52-0 in a dominant performance.

The scoring began in the first quarter when sophomore Jon Striba broke free for a 19-yard touchdown run, with senior Mark Talpas adding the extra point to put the Crusaders up 7-0. Shortly after, junior Matt Bodnar found sophomore Nyechay Lawless for a 7-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 14-0 by the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, Notre Dame continued to pour it on. Sophomore Aaron Gordon powered in from 1 yard out for a score, followed by a 37-yard touchdown reception by senior Carmine Diaz on a perfectly placed pass from Bodnar. Just before halftime, Bodnar delivered a deep 41-yard strike to senior Nino Morici Jr. for another touchdown, pushing the lead to 35-0. Talpas capped off the first-half scoring with a 32-yard field goal, sending the Crusaders into the locker room up 38-0.

The dominance continued in the third quarter as Bodnar connected with Striba on a 70-yard touchdown pass, adding to an already stellar night for the quarterback. Aaron Gordon then added his second rushing touchdown of the game, breaking loose for a 20-yard score to increase the lead to 52-0. Notre Dame’s defense held firm in the fourth quarter, keeping Palmerton off the scoreboard to secure the shutout victory.

Bodnar was outstanding, throwing for 425 yards and four touchdowns, completing 29 of his 38 passes. Striba was one of his main targets, finishing with 114 receiving yards and a touchdown, while also contributing a rushing score. Diaz added 101 receiving yards and a touchdown, and Gordon rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, Nino Morici led the way with six tackles, while senior Christian Rivituso added 13 total tackles (5 solo, 8 assisted). 

Kicker Mark Talpas was perfect on the night, hitting all seven of his extra point attempts and adding a 32-yard field goal for a total of 10 points.