Notre Dame Has False Start but Downs Alemany : High school football: Knights, out of sync much of the game, fall behind, 3-0, after early turnover before getting offense in gear for 28-11 victory.

Notre Dame High’s 28-11 victory over Alemany in a nonleague opener Friday night at Notre Dame begs two questions:

What will happen when Notre Dame really plays well? And what will happen when Alemany plays a team better than Notre Dame?

The Knights turned the ball over twice and were flagged for 10 penalties, but still controlled the game.

“It was our first game and you can expect a few problems,” Notre Dame quarterback Jabbar Craigwell said.

The performance by Alemany does not bode well for a team that has Crescenta Valley, Bishop Amat and Loyola--all in Cal-Hi Sports magazine’s preseason top 20--remaining on its schedule.

Notre Dame senior fullback Lei Malieitulua led all rushers with 61 yards and two touchdowns in nine carries.

John Garcia, who gained more than 1,000 yards for the junior varsity last season, gained 37 in six carries and scored a touchdown in his varsity debut.

Notre Dame, which had 13 starters returning and is the favorite in the Mission League, started slowly.

A fumble by Jon Velasquez on the Knights’ first play from scrimmage set up a 35-yard field goal by Alemany’s Jason Long.

But Craigwell, who completed two of four passes for 54 yards and ran for 19, said he wasn’t worried.

“We have a senior team,” he said. “They know what to do and how to come back.”

On its first possession after the fumble, Notre Dame scored on a two-yard run by Malieitulua, taking a 7-3 lead with 6 minutes 26 seconds to play in the first quarter.

Notre Dame’s next scoring drive, capped by Garcia’s 10-yard run, was led by sophomore quarterback Ryan Bowne, who played so two-way starter Craigwell could take a rest.

Notre Dame pushed the lead to 28-3 after touchdowns by Velasquez and Malieitulua in the third quarter.

Alemany was led offensively by running back David Eastham, who gained 55 yards in 14 carries, and by quarterback Rudy Pantoja, who completed 12 of 25 passes for 92 yards and ran for the Indians’ only touchdown.

Pantoja, a junior with no varsity experience, played better than his numbers indicated. During one stretch, he completed six of eight passes, providing yards when Alemany’s running game could not.

Alemany ran for only 25 yards in the first half.