By Bill Potrecz - November 4, 2021
Tal Ibrahim was a man on a mission Thursday.
The 18-year-old, Grade 12B student set the tone early, rushing for two touchdowns on their first two possessions as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish wiped out the Denis Morris Reds 55-0 in a Niagara Catholic Athletic Association playoff semifinal senior football game played at Saint Paul.
The Irish advance to the NCAA final versus the Patriots Friday, Nov. 12 at Saint Paul. The Patriots topped the Blessed Trinity Thunder 42-3 in the other semifinal Thursday.
“We just went out and executed, right away,” Ibrahim said. “There was a lot of trash talk before and we just wanted to come out and win.”
The Irish defeated the Reds 35-0 earlier in the season.
“We played them before but we came out and started kind of slow, and this game we wanted to make sure we came out on the attack right away,” said Ibrahim, who last played high school football at Saint Paul before the pandemic.
Ibrahim said playing with a lead took all the pressure off the Irish.
“Honestly, it’s the best way to play football,” he said.
Continue Reading
By Bernie Puchalski - October 22, 2021
Pre-pandemic, Ethan Collee played a small role as a backup lineman with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish senior football team.
In 2021, he has found himself in a much bigger role with the defending Niagara Catholic Athletic Association champions. On Friday, the 18-year-old Welland resident had a sack and a fumble recovery to help the Irish improve to 3-0 with a 42-0 victory over the visiting Saint Francis Phoenix (0-3).
“He comes all the time, he has been working hard and he got bigger over the COVID stretch,” Notre Dame head coach Tim Bisci said. “He went from not really playing much to playing at D end and he plays some offensive line for us. He is one of those big versatile guys and today he just kept coming. He is a guy we have to count on.”
The 6-foot-1 255-pounder arrived at training camp a changed player.
“I came in with the mindset that I have to be better,” he said. “I wanted to play because this is my last year and I am trying to put the effort in every time I show up for practice.”
His motivation came from the last time Notre Dame played.
Continue Reading
Julia Tremeer was back in a familiar position at Wednesday’s NCAA cross country meet at Firemen’s Park.
The Grade 9 student at Notre Dame had won two or three Niagara Catholic District School Board cross country titles at the elementary school level and Wednesday she was first across the line in the novice girls division.
“I was hoping to do well but I didn’t know I could go that fast and do that well,” the Niagara Olympic Club member said.
About the only hiccup in the run was a little puking episode when the race was over.
“I don’t know what that was all about,” the 14-year-old Fenwick resident said, with a laugh. “I have never done that before and it was really weird.”
Tremeer is looking forward to what the rest of the high school season has in store for her.
“I am hoping to do well at SOSSA and maybe even move on to OFSAA,” she said.
Her Niagara Olympic Club training will help in that regard.
“I have a lot of great friends there that push me to do my best and the training and coaches are awesome.”
Tremeer also plays soccer and was a member of a Pelham travel team that made it all the way to the Ontario Cup semifinals.
Her sporting loyalties are divided.
“I love both of them,” she said.
Novice girls individual: Julia Tremeer, Notre Dame (17:31.3); 2. Bridget Peazel, Lakeshore; 3. Briar Collins, Notre Dame; 4. Syenn Pylpiw, Saint Francis; 5. Sarah Smith, Lakeshore.
By Bernie Puchalski - October 14, 2021
Tal Ibrahim scored a TD Thursday to help Notre Dame beat Denis Morris 35-0 in senior football action.
If football games were determined by time of possession and successful plays, the Denis Morris Reds senior football team would have emerged from its Thursday game against the visiting Notre Dame Fighting Irish with a victory.
But games are obviously determined by scoring and the defending Niagara Catholic Athletic Association champion Irish used five big plays to improve to 2-0 with a 35-0 victory over the Reds (1-2).
“We are making far too many mistakes, we are so undisciplined, we are playing flash and dash and trying to be all swagger and stuff and it’s just not working,” Notre Dame head coach Tim Bisci said. “We don’t look good, we don’t look crisp as a team and we are winning with our athleticism.
“We are just out-athleting teams and that’s a problem.”
One of those athletes is running back Tal Ibrahim, who scored on a 40-yard run, caught a two-point convert and was a hard runner to corral all afternoon.
“He is a helluva running back,” Bisci said. “We missed blocks and he took a beating today. He gets back up, he is as tough as nails, he runs hard and he is fast and elusive. There is a lot of upside there.”
The 18-year-old Ibrahim last played high school football at Saint Paul but moved to Welland to live with his sister. During the COVID pandemic, he trained with David Pow and worked out on the field with Notre Dame quarterback Marshall McCray.
Continue Reading
By Bill Potrecz - October 14, 2021
Ella O’Connor wasn’t going to let a broken leg stop her from playing her favourite sport.
The 17-year-old, Grade 12 student broke a pair of bones in her leg in August of 2019 playing soccer, but you would never know it based on her performance Thursday.
O’Connor netted a team-high eight points while also running the offence to lead the St. Francis Phoenix past the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 33-27 in a Niagara Catholic Athletic Association senior girls basketball game at ND.
“I broke my fibia and tibia and I have a rod in my leg,” O’Connor said. “I was out for maybe four months.”
O’Connor admitted it took a lot longer than that to get back to 100 per cent.
“It did bother me at first,” she said.
O’Connor, who also plays JUEL for the Pelham Panthers, missed playing at the high school level when the COVID pandemic wiped out all high school sports in 2020.
“Just everything,” she said when asked she missed the most. “I love high school basketball. It’s my favourite sport probably.”
The Phoenix made sure O’Connor had the ball in her hands with the game on the line as the Fighting Irish mounted a late comeback attempt.
“She’s just like a very sweet girl, on and off the court,” St. Francis head coach Karly Ruetz said. “Sometimes I wish she’d be a little bit more aggressive on the floor, but she’s great. She’s an awesome player, for sure, and we’re very lucky to have her.”
Continue Reading
Grad Corner
Notre Dame Outfitters
Cafeteria
Load Student Card
Donate 
