FAIRFIELD - With standout running back Jacari Harris sidelined by injury, Jeremiah James took over the backfield Friday night. The senior scored four touchdowns - two in each half - to power Notre Dame Prep football past New Milford 49-31 at Sacred Heart University's Campus Field.
"I just had to come out here and be the guy that stepped up," James said. "I'm just proud of my lineman for helping me get to the goal line."
James scored on a 2-yard run to cap Notre Dame's opening drive. The extra point by Santiago Mazo-Lopez made it 7-0.
After New Milford tied the score on an 8-yard pass from Ryan Lyons to Naim Elezi, the Lancers' special teams took back the momentum with a 47-yard punt return by Jaylan Bellamy. Two plays later, James scored on a 9-yard run, making it 14-7.
"[Jeremiah] did an excellent job stepping in for Jacari [Harris], who got hurt last week, so it's an overall team effort," ND Prep head coach John Johnson said.
After holding a 21-13 halftime lead, the Lancers (5-1) pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Green Wave 21-6.
James' third touchdown of the game, from 31 yards out, gave ND Prep a 42-19 advantage. James added his fourth touchdown, from 25 yards, in the fourth quarter.
ND Prep quarterback JJ Studeny ran for a score and threw for another one.
After throwing an interception (grabbed by New Milford's Elijah Taborda) that led to a Green Wave score, a 24-yard touchdown pass from Lyons to Elezi that cut the lead to one, Studeny rebounded on the ensuing drive and threw a deep pass to Jordan Razor for a 24-yard touchdown.
"[I kept my] composure in the second half," Studeny said. "I would say I came back very good and we just got our rhythm back and just kept scoring and scoring and scoring."
On the first drive of the second half, Notre Dame's Nate Achelus intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to give the Lancers a 28-13 lead.
After Lyons found wide receiver Theodore Ruedemann for a 10-yard touchdown, the Lancers responded with a long drive capped off by a 1-yard run by Studeny.
"We're a more dynamic team now [with Studeny]," said Johnson, whose team bounced back after a 20-9 loss to Newtown last Thursday, its first of the season. "We can throw the ball around and give it to our wide receivers."
Ruedemann added two touchdown receptions in the fourth, on catches of 56 and 15 yards, respectively.
Despite the impressive victory, Johnson said there's room for improvement.
"We're going to have to get right back to work tomorrow," Johnson said.
Player of the Game
Jeremiah James, Notre Dame Prep: James scored four touchdowns on runs of 2, 9, 31 and 25 yards to power the Lancers.
Quotable
"I just love these guys. It's a brotherhood. We've been working for this for four years, so [I] just love them. That's it." - Notre Dame Prep's Jeremiah James on the Lancers' offensive line.
Notre Dame Prep 49, New Milford 31
NEW MILFORD 0 13 6 12-31
NOTRE DAME PREP 7 14 21 7-49
ND-Jeremiah James 2 run (Santiago Mazo-Lopez kick)
NM-Naim Elezi 8 pass from Ryan Lyons (Lyons kick)
ND-James 9 run (Mazo-Lopez kick)
NM-Elezi 24 pass from Lyons (kick missed)
ND-Jordan Razor 24 pass from JJ Studeny (Mazo-Lopez kick)
ND-Nate Achelus 35 interception return (Mazo-Lopez kick)
NM-Theodore Ruedemann 10 pass from Lyons (pass failed)
ND-Studeny 1 run (Mazo-Lopez kick)
ND-James 31 run (Mazo-Lopez kick)
NM-Ruedemann 56 pass from Lyons (pass failed)
ND-James 25 run (Mazo-Lopez kick)
NM-Ruedemann 15 pass from Lyons (pass failed)
Records: New Milford 4-2; Notre Dame Prep 5-1.
Sign up for the Connecticut Briefing from CT Insider. Get the biggest headlines of the day from our network of journalists around the state.
This article originally published at ND Prep football pulls away from New Milford as Jeremiah James scores 4 TDs.