The 2025 season opener was a night to remember for Notre Dame Green Pond football. The Crusaders not only defeated Garden Spot 21-3 on the road Friday but also saw Head Coach Phil Stambaugh claim his 79th career victory, surpassing Hall of Famer Marty Hlay as the program’s all-time wins leader.

Quarterback Matt Bodnar was the catalyst on offense, accounting for all three Crusader touchdowns. He opened the scoring with a 2-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter before finding Jon Striba on a 34-yard pass to put Notre Dame ahead 14-0. After Garden Spot cut the lead to 14-3 with a second-quarter field goal, Bodnar connected with Alex Clark for a 25-yard touchdown strike in the third quarter to seal the win.

Bodnar finished with 247 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air, plus a rushing score. Striba powered the ground attack with 90 rushing yards on eight carries, while also adding 49 receiving yards and a touchdown. Clark tallied five receptions for 59 yards and a score, and Nyechay Lawless led all receivers with 70 yards on four catches.

The Crusader defense dominated, limiting Garden Spot to just 181 yards of offense. Garrett Grants posted seven tackles, a sack, and three tackles for loss. Faust Capobianco and Austin Casal also got to the quarterback, while Lawless added an interception.

Special teams played a role as well, with Mark Perone converting all three extra points and Clemente Cintron averaging 45 yards per punt, pinning the Spartans deep in their own territory.

The Crusaders (1-0) will look to build on their milestone night when they travel to Salisbury this Friday.