Prep talk: Sherman Oaks Notre Dame plays freshman QB in playoff opener
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame football coach Evan Yabu pulled off a rare feat — he changed what had been working during the regular season with a new strategy for the playoffs.
All season, Tahj Skinner, the team’s best athlete and starting safety, had been playing quarterback. Notre Dame qualified for the Southern Section Division 2 playoffs and faced Corona del Mar on Friday.
That’s when Yabu made a big change. He put in freshman West Dunton, a junior varsity player, to be the starting quarterback to free up Skinner to play receiver and also focus more on defense. Dunton kept his poise to deliver a 20-19 victory. Skinner caught 10 passes.
Yabu said Dunton had been preparing well on junior varsity and it gave the Knights the opportunity to use Skinner’s other skills.
Next up for the Knights is a Friday showdown against top-seeded Chaparral at home.
Call it bold what Yabu did but it worked, and Skinner can always return to quarterback if needed for his running skills.
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