TRUMBULL -- Perhaps it's a sign of how good this St. Joseph football team can be. Or it may have just been a case of Joe Della Vecchia being Joe Della Vecchia. But until proven otherwise, it would probably be wise for future opponents to count on the former.

 

Quarterback Jordan Vazzano passed for four scores and ran for another while Mufasa Abdul-Basirbalanced the attack with 118 rushing yards and a touchdown as St. Joseph opened the season Saturday with a 47-28 victory over Notre Dame of West Haven in another FCIAC-SCC Challenge contest.

 

It was an impressive performance against a solid team. Impressive, however, was not a word the coach considered using.

 

"I don't think we played well," Della Vecchia said. "We missed a lot of scoring opportunities and didn't play good defense. We ran 21 plays in the first half; that's usually what we do in a quarter."

 

Della Vecchia wasn't pleased with Vazzano's early performance, even if the senior threw a 49-yard touchdown to Mark Hirschbeck on the first play from scrimmage. He then misfired on four consecutive passes, but recovered nicely.

 

"I made some silly mistakes early and it made it harder for us," Vazzano said. "I've got to improve, and as a team we could've played much better."

 

OK, the Cadets fumbled once on the ND 7. A 45-yard TD by Abdul-Basir was called back due to a penalty. Another sure TD went off a receiver's fingertips. The defense allowed 428 total yards -- 237 of them by running back Cameron Tucker, who scored all four ND touchdowns. And there were seven penalties, not to mention going 1-for-6 on third downs.

 

On the other hand, "that's a real good football team," Notre Dame coach Tom Marcucci said. "They have so many weapons. Their quarterback (Vazzano is 6-foot-3, 225 pounds) is bigger than anyone we have on defense."

 

Besides the first touchdown, Vazzano (14 for 23, 201 yards) also threw 36 yards to Lars Pedersen for one score eight seconds before halftime, then tossed a 9-yarder to Pederson and a 17-yarder to Shane Miller in the second half.

 

The first one to Pedersen capped a 62-yard drive in the final minute of the half after Tucker's tying touchdown.

 

"That was the most important part of the game for us," Vazzano said. "It gave us the momentum."

 

Pedersen then returned the second-half kickoff 83 yards for a TD and the Green Knights were on the ropes.

 

"We gave up too many big plays," Marcucci said. "The first play of the game, the last play of the half, the kick return; it was too much to overcome."

 

Abdul-Basir and Pedersen (five receptions for 92 yards, three total TDs), coupled with perhaps the top quarterback in the state, is a dangerous mix. Now, if the defense can come around.

 

"We have some explosive kids on offense and we showed spurts on defense," Della Vecchia said. "Overall we didn't play well, but the sky's the limit."

 

ND-WEST HAVEN.....................7 7 6 8--28

ST. JOSEPH.............................7 14 13 14--47

 

SJ--Mark Hirschbeck, 49 pass Jordan Vazzano (Mike Freeman kick)

ND--Cameron Tucker, 8 run (Chris Stanio kick)

SJ--Mufasa Abdul-Basir, 10 run (Freeman kick)

ND--Tucker , 2 run (Stanio kick)

SJ--Lars Pedersen, 36 pass Vazzano (Freeman kick)

SJ--Pedersen, 83 kickoff return (kick blocked)

ND--Tucker , 71 run (kick blocked)

SJ--Pedersen, 9 pass Vazzano (Freeman kick)

SJ--Shane Miller, 17 pass Vazzano (kick blocked)

ND--Tucker, 2 run (Nico Ragaini pass Blake Rice)

SJ--Vazzano, 13 run (Freeman kick)

 

Records: ND West Haven 0-1, St. Joseph 1-0