HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: NDWH has some holes to plug

By Mike Pucci, Register Staff
mpucci@nhregister.com / Twitter: @MikePucciNHR

WEST HAVEN — The word ‘rebuilding’ seems to be considered an obscenity within the Notre Dame-West Haven football program.

Rebuilding, though, is a term that could very well describe the Green Knights in 2012.

Just don’t tell that to coach Tom Marcucci or his players.

“I don’t like rebuilding, but we certainly have to replace a lot of guys,” Marcucci said. “We’re being realistic, but we expect to compete. They expect to win and that’s how we’re talking to them.”

Notre Dame lost a plethora of players from a team that went 8-3 and advanced to the Class L state quarterfinals last season. Nine players from last year’s squad are now competing on the college level.

This year, there’s inexperience in key areas, especially on defense, where Notre Dame has seven new starters.

Unlike like season, when several players saw action the year before, this year’s team is relatively green.

“This team here, there’s not a lot of guys that have been on the field,” Marcucci said. “I don’t know how they’re going to respond when the lights go on.”

But the Green Knights are not using that as excuse as they prepare to host No. 1 Xavier in the season opener on Friday at 7 p.m. at Veteran’s Stadium.