In short: Notre Dame Titans high school football (Riverside, CA), 2026 season: 8-1 in the Cottonwood League. Last game: W 30-7 vs Vasquez on October 23, 2026. Next: vs Riverside Prep, October 30, 2026. Schedule and results, player season stats, stat leaders, unit grades, ScorePirate ranking and the game-by-game log.
The turnover battle could decide Notre Dame's next game, against Riverside Prep, and the recent returns favor Notre Dame. Notre Dame forced 0.4 takeaways per game over its first 5 games (4-1), #356 in CIF-SS in that timeframe. Over the stretch of 4 games that followed (4-0), the Titans have forced 1.3 takeaways per game, a 233% rise, #173 in CIF-SS in that window. The schedule deserves some of the credit: Notre Dame's last 4 opponents have averaged 1.5 per game, a #270 offense in CIF-SS on the season, against 1.3 per game, #219 for the first 5. Measured against those opponents' norms (1.5 per game), Notre Dame forced 12% fewer turnovers than those offenses usually give up. So the improvement is real, but it still trails what those opponents usually give up. Overall, though, those opponents have been lower-level teams: their average SP Strength Index rating would rank just #328 in CIF-SS. Conversely, Riverside Prep's ball security has been one of CIF-SS's better units in recent weeks. The Silver Knights have committed 0.8 giveaways per game over their last 4 games (2-2), #78 in CIF-SS during that time. Those games came against a middle-of-the-pack set of defenses in CIF-SS (1.2 per game on the season, which would rank #242). Against those norms, Riverside Prep turned it over 36% less than those defenses usually force. Overall, those opponents average an SP Strength Index rating that would rank #328 in CIF-SS, a lower level of competition. Something has to give when Notre Dame's surging defense meets one of CIF-SS's better units in Riverside Prep's.
The number to watch when Notre Dame meets Riverside Prep is Notre Dame's scoring. Notre Dame averaged 29.7 points per game over its first 6 games (5-1), #124 in CIF-SS through those games. Over the stretch of 3 games that followed (3-0), the Titans have averaged 42.7 points per game, a 44% rise, #43 in CIF-SS through that stretch. The schedule doesn't explain it: the opponents in both stretches have averaged about 27.7 points per game on the season. Measured against those opponents' norms (27.9 points per game), Notre Dame scored 53% more than those defenses usually allow. Overall, though, those opponents have been lower-level teams: their average SP Strength Index rating would rank just #337 in CIF-SS. Conversely, Riverside Prep's defense has been one of CIF-SS's better units in recent weeks. The Silver Knights have allowed 11.0 points per game over their last 3 games (2-1), #51 in CIF-SS over that stretch. Those games came against some of the weaker offenses in CIF-SS (18.2 points per game on the season, which would rank #311). Against those norms, Riverside Prep held those offenses 40% below what they usually score. Overall, those opponents average an SP Strength Index rating that would rank #341 in CIF-SS, a lower level of competition. Something has to give when Notre Dame's surging offense meets one of CIF-SS's better units in Riverside Prep's.
NOTES
The biggest shift in Notre Dame's season has come in its ground game. Notre Dame averaged 6.0 yards per carry (515 yards on 86 rushes) over its first 5 games (4-1), #148 in CIF-SS within that period. Over the stretch of 4 games that followed (4-0), the Titans have averaged 9.5 yards per carry (871 yards on 92 rushes), a 58% rise, #27 in CIF-SS across those games. The schedule deserves some of the credit: Notre Dame's last 4 opponents have averaged 7.5 yards per carry, a #336 run defense in CIF-SS on the season, against 5.9 yards per carry, #228 for the first 5. Measured against those opponents' norms (7.5 yards per carry), Notre Dame ran for 27% more per carry than those run defenses usually allow. Overall, though, those opponents have been lower-level teams: their average SP Strength Index rating would rank just #328 in CIF-SS. On the season, Notre Dame ranks #50 in CIF-SS in rushing. Riverside Prep's run defense sits in the middle of the pack, #283 in CIF-SS (6.6 yards per carry).
Notre Dame's offense has come a long way since the season's early weeks. The Titans averaged 8.0 yards per play (1,245 yards on 155 snaps) over their first 4 games (4-0), #77 in CIF-SS during those games. In the 5 games since that slow start (4-1), Notre Dame has averaged 8.9 yards per play (1,454 yards on 163 snaps), an 11% rise, #48 in CIF-SS during that period. The schedule doesn't explain it: the opponents in both stretches have averaged about 7.6 yards per play on the season. Measured against those opponents' norms (7.8 yards per play), Notre Dame gained 14% more per snap than those defenses usually allow. The level of competition matters too: in ScorePirate's SP Strength Index, the last 5 opponents average a rating that would rank #277 in CIF-SS, well above the first 4 (#340), which makes the improvement more impressive. On the season, the Titans rank #55 in CIF-SS in yards per play. Riverside Prep's defense sits in the middle of the pack, #175 in CIF-SS (6.3 yards per play).
TIDBITS (4 found)
• Club Notre Dame has won 4 straight, and a win would make it 5 in a row. The last time they won 5 or more in a row was 2014, a run of 14.
• Club Notre Dame is 21-0 all time when holding the opponent under 10 points in the games on file (21 such games).
• Player Seneca Givens has gone 3 straight games running for a touchdown, the longest such streak of his career.
• Player Brady Phalen has gone 5 straight games without catching a touchdown pass. The last time he caught a touchdown pass was September 3, 2026 against Cathedral City (W, 44-16) — 1 TD catch.
MILESTONE WATCH
Notre Dame
Matteo Anelli needs 98 passing yards for 1,000 (averaging 180.4 a game)
Seneca Givens needs 1 rushing touchdown for 10 (averaging 1.3 a game)
Win chances are the site's own game projections where one is on file, otherwise the SP Strength Index gap with a small home edge. The realistic range covers 80% of outcomes (10th to 90th percentile).
Every player with a stat on file, listed only where he has one. Open the arrow beside a name for his game-by-game line. Stats through the Oct 16 game; last updated Oct 29; roster and numbers checked Oct 6.
Click a column heading to sort. MIN hides players below that many attempts.
Section and state results and Players of the Year: CIF-SS Record Book. League finishes judged from league schedules on file (2022-2025 seasons); earlier league titles are not on file.
PPG/OPP PPG use every played game on file. YPG/PLAYS-PER-GAME columns only ever come from games with a full box score on file, which can be a smaller sample than GP -- see the coverage note below when that's the case for this team.
Averages use only games with that number on file (offense 8/9, defense 7/9, sacks/INT 8/9, sacks allowed 7/9, turnovers 8/9 games). SACKS ALW comes from the opponent's box score; TO FORCED is takeaways; TO MAR is takeaways minus giveaways, and its bottom cell is the season total. Dashes mean not on file.
UNIT INDEX
Pass Offense: grade 49.0/100 (-16 yds/gm vs average)
Rush Offense: grade 40.1/100 (-31 yds/gm vs average)
Pass Defense: grade 30.0/100 (+25 yds/gm vs average)
Rush Defense: grade 21.8/100 (+59 yds/gm vs average)
Unit grades: 0-100 league percentile, adjusted for the opponents faced.
COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
PLAYER
POS
CLASS
COMMITTED TO
RATING
#2 DARIUS JOHNSON
CB
Sr.
Michigan
4-star
1 committed player on the current ND roster, per 247Sports. Players from earlier recruiting classes who have already graduated are not listed.
ND's defense has averaged 2.0 takeaways per game over their last 3 games. Their 28-game average is 0.4 takeaways per game. (+367%)
ND's defense has averaged 56.0 rush yards per game over their last 3 games. Their 27-game average is 211.7 rush yards per game. (-74%)
ND's defense has averaged 10.7 points allowed per game over their last 3 games. Their 29-game average is 38.5 points allowed per game. (-72%)
ND's defense has averaged 3.1 YPC over their last 3 games. Their 27-game average is 9.4 YPC. (-67%)
ND's defense has averaged 5.0 YPP over their last 3 games. Their 27-game average is 9.8 YPP. (-49%)
ND's defense has averaged 213.0 total yards per game over their last 3 games. Their 27-game average is 340.6 total yards per game. (-37%)
ND's defense has averaged 6.2 YPA over their last 3 games. Their 26-game average is 9.6 YPA. (-35%)
ND's defense has averaged 101.9 pass yards per game over their last 12 games. Their 26-game average is 133.9 pass yards per game. (-24%)
(moved to the Appendix, Data Export 1, to keep this section shorter -- the full spreadsheet-paste table is there unchanged)
APPENDIX
Full-length explanations and full-size data exports for the shortened notes and relocated tables referenced throughout this report, numbered in the order their pointers appear above.
Explanatory Notes
Note 1 -- SEASON OUTLOOK
Every remaining game is projected from schedule-adjusted ratings; already-played games carry their real result. Records are simulated distributions, not a single guess -- MOST LIKELY FINAL is the single most probable record and its own probability, PROJECTED RECORD is the season's expected win total expressed in record form (an average across every simulated outcome, so it can land on a fraction of a game).
Note 2 -- OPPONENT TRACKER -- why some cards have no record shown
Only meaningful for an opponent who is ALSO a tracked team in the library -- an opponent with no games on file here at all shows the date and site alone.
Note 3 -- MOST IMPORTANT NUMBERS -- how a number is scored
Every split this report computes is scored on how strong the number is and how much it sets this team apart from its opponent and the rest of the field, and the top 5 per team are listed. A condition needs at least 8 occurrences to count.
Full Data Exports
Data Export 1 -- TRENDS — TAB-SEPARATED (10 columns)
Where NOTRE DAME sits among 399 section teams on the two Unit Index composites -- Offense Grade 30.9, Defense Grade 19.6.
SCORING MARGIN / GAME: NOTRE DAME VS THE SECTION
NOTRE DAME ranks #44 of 399 section teams in scoring margin (27.5) -- a strength worth a look.
NOTRE DAME: SP STRENGTH INDEX BY SEASON
The program's index across 5 seasons on file -- -16.6 in 2022 to -9.1 in 2026.
These graphs were chosen by the program from this season's most notable numbers. Build your own -- any stat against any other, for any mix of teams, seasons or players, with a JPEG download -- in the Graph Builder.
