SAFR Football Helmet Covers: Safer Through Science
 
PA Football News Scoreboard powered by Circle W Sports
 
Leading Edge Fundraising
 
2026 PIAA District and State Playoff Brackets
2026 PIAA District and State Playoff Brackets
 
 
 

Recap: Notre Dame Green Pond Advances to District 11 3A Championship Game with 55-21 Win over Jim Thorpe

 
Tagged under: District 11, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs

| November 14, 2026

Tommy Murphy, Jonathan Striba, and Nyechay Lawless all scored multiple TDs, and contributed in Notre Dame Green Pond’s District 11 3A 55-21 Semifinal Win over Jim Thorpe. It was once again a complete team effort on both sides of the ball for the Crusaders, who allowed an opening drive TD to start the game, but took control afterwards and never looked back. Notre Dame will now face Northwestern Lehigh for the District 11 3A Championship Game next Friday at 7 PM at Zephyr Stadium, in Whitehall PA.

Notre Dame won the toss and deferred. Jim Thorpe started with the ball on their own 33. The RB duo of Paxton Novack and Bobby Levins went to work for the Olympians, and marched the ball down the field, culminating in Levins’ 1 yard TD run on 4th and goal, putting Jim Thorpe up 7-0 with 2:50 left in the 1st on a drive consuming 9:10 of the quarter.

 

Jonathan Striba returned the kickoff to the Notre Dame 30. Striba, Aaron Gordon, and Tommy Murphy all used their legs and put together a quick response to the Olympians TD, with Tommy Murphy’s 36 yard TD run tying the score at 7-7 with 44.6 seconds left in the 1st, only a little over 2 minutes later.

 

Angel Rivera returned the kickoff to the Jim Thorpe 33. However a holding penalty on 1st down killed the drive, leading to a 3 and out.

Striba returned the punt to the Notre Dame 36. The 3 headed rushing attack of Striba, Gordon, and Murphy once again went to work, with Murphy hitting Striba for a 13 yard TD pass to extend the Notre Dame lead to 14-7 at the 8:13 mark of the 2nd.

 

Angel Rivera returned the kickoff to the Jim Thorpe 26. They were ready to punt after a 3 and out, but an illegal substitution penalty on Notre Dame gave them 2nd life. However, they quickly had to punt after gaining only 4 more yards.

Notre Dame started with the ball on their own 32. One play later, Tommy Murphy found Clemente Cintron for the 68 yard TD, giving Notre Dame a 21-7 lead with 5:33 left in the 2nd.

Jim Thorpe started with the ball at their own 35 following an out of bounds kickoff. They went 3 and out.

Jonathan Striba returned the punt to the Notre Dame 44. The Crusaders continued to lean on the legs of Striba and Murphy, with another TD pass from Murphy to Striba, this time from 9 yards out, giving Notre Dame a 27-7 lead with 1:48 left in the 2nd, following a blocked PAT.

 

Rivera returned the kickoff to the Jim Thorpe 26, plus got an additional 15 yards from an unsportsmanlike penalty on Notre Dame. Now at the Olympians 41, Jim Thorpe took advantage, with QB Tyler Hoherchak and RB Bobby Levins using their legs, culminating with Hoherchak hitting Spencer Gothard with 42.8 seconds left in the 2nd on a 46 yard TD.

Notre Dame received the 2nd half kickoff and started on their own 35. 2 plays later, Tommy Murphy showed off his legs once again, running for a 65 yard TD, and giving the Crusaders a 34-14 lead with 11:38 left in the 3rd.

 

Jim Thorpe started on their own 27 after a Dominic Kiehl return. They went 3 and out.

Notre Dame started on their own 31 following the punt. They drove all the way to the Jim Thorpe 35, but turned it over on downs on 4th and 20, a few plays after a holding penalty slowed the drive.

Jim Thorpe started on their own 35, but one 1st down later, disaster struck for the Olympians, as Nyechay Lawless returned a 49 yard pick 6, extending the Notre Dame lead to 41-14 with 6:27 left in the 3rd.

 

Jim Thorpe’s Dominic Kiehl returned the kickoff to their own 33, but one 1st down later, turned the ball over on downs.

Notre Dame took over on their own 46, and 2 plays later, Nyechay Lawless continued to haunt the Olympians, this time on the offensive side, catching a 57 yard TD from Tommy Murphy, extending the Notre Dame lead to 48-14 with 4:17 left in the 3rd quarter.

 

Jim Thorpe started on their own 26, following a Rivera return. Bobby Levins helped the Olympians rush down the field, reaching the Notre Dame 2, but the Crusaders defense held firm, forcing a turnover on downs.

Notre Dame started on their own 2, and Striba and Gordon helped bleed a lot of clock on the ground. However, the Crusaders were looking for the dagger, which came in the form of a 50 yard TD pass from Tommy Murphy to CJ Diaz. The score was now 55-14 Notre Dame with 8:34 left in the 4th.

 

Rivera returned the kickoff to their own 26. Using the RB duo of Maksim Letosky and Paxton Novack, Jim Thorpe scored 1 last TD, as Novack’s 3 yard run made the score 55-21 with 3:56 left in the game.

 

Notre Dame ran out the clock on their next possession, ending the game with the score 55-21 in favor of the Crusaders.

“This was so important for our seniors to go out and get a win in their last home game against a good opponent like Jim Thorpe” – Coach Stambaugh

Score by Quarters

Jim Thorpe- 7 7 0 7

Notre Dame- 7 20 21 7

First Quarter

Jim Thorpe (Bobby Levins 1 yard TD run) 2:50 (7-0)

Notre Dame (Tommy Murphy 36 yard TD run) 44.6 (7-7)

Second Quarter

Notre Dame (Jonathan Striba 13 yard TD catch) 8:13 (14-7)

Notre Dame (Clemente Cintron 68 yard TD catch) 5:33 (21-7)

Notre Dame (Jonathan Striba 9 yard TD catch) 1:48 (27-7)

Jim Thorpe (Spencer Gothard 46 yard TD catch) 42.8 (27-14)

Third Quarter

Notre Dame (Tommy Murphy 65 yard TD run) 11:38 (34-14)

Notre Dame (Nyechay Lawless 49 yard pick 6) 6:27 (41-14)

Notre Dame (Nyechay Lawless 57 yard TD catch) 4:17 (48-14)

Fourth Quarter

Notre Dame (CJ Diaz 50 yard TD catch) 8:34 (55-14)

Jim Thorpe (Paxton Novack 3 yard TD run) 3:56 (55-21)

Unofficial Stats

Jim Thorpe:

Tyler Hoherchak 7/19 passing, 122 yards 1 TD, 1 INT

Paxton Novack 6 rushes, 15 yards, 1 TD

Anthony Kiehl 3 rushes, 41 yards. 2 catches, 33 yards

Angel Rivera 2 catches, 41 yards

Maksim Letosky 2 rushes, 41 yards

Spencer Gothard 3 catches, 67 yards, 1 TD

Dominic Calcano 2/3 passing, 33 yards

Notre Dame Green Pond

Tommy Murphy 11/22 passing 269 yards, 5 TDs. 125 rushing yards, 2 TDs.

Aaron Gordon 1 catch, 9 yards. 6 rushes, 61 yards.

Jonathan Striba 6 catches, 78 yards, 2 TDs. 8 rushes, 45 yards.

Luca Luise 1 catch, 9 yards.

Clemente Cintron 1 catch 69 yards, 1 TD

John Hull 7 yards rushing

Nyechay Lawless 1 catch, 57 yards, 1 TD. 1 INT, 49 yards, pick 6

CJ Diaz 1 catch, 50 yards, 1 TD

Postgame interview with Notre Dame QB Tommy Murphy

 

Postgame Interview with Notre Dame’s Nyechay Lawless

 

Postgame Interview with Notre Dame RB, Jonathan Striba

 

Postgame Interview with Notre Dame’s Coach Stambaugh

 

2026 PIAA District and State Playoff Brackets
 
 
 
CWTAP TV
 
Showcase by Circle W Sports
 
CoachComm Cobalt Plus All-In-One
 
LSV Sports - Covering high school sports in the Lehigh and Susquehanna Valleys
 
 
 
x