Football: C.J. Sanders provides a spark for Notre Dame

Highlights were few and far between for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame during the first quarter of Friday night’s Mission League opener here at Gardena Serra. Based on recent history, however, and with C.J. Sanders looming as a threat, the Knights are seemingly never out of a game.

The senior and University of Notre Dame commit provided a spark in the second quarter, in fact. He fielded a punt and after a couple of clever moves, scored on a 50-yard return.

Thanks in large part to his efforts, the Knights rallied from a two-touchdown deficit and trailed 21-16 at the break.

Serra is loaded on the defensive side of the ball with seniors John Houston, Stanley “Scrappy” Norman and Rasheem Green. Odds are, the unit will be a bit more focused on stopping Sanders after intermission and force someone else to beat them.

Now, let’s see if it happens.

Sean Ceglinsky has covered sports in the Southland for the better part of the past 15-plus years. Follow him on Twitter: @SeanCeglinsky