Notre Dame Sherman Oaks football 'focused' for biggest test against JSerra

Evan Yabu on Brandon Bryant: "He's an exceptional person. But he's a lunatic on the field. I love it."

Notre Dame Sherman Oaks first-year football coach Evan Yabu knows this week's game at JSerra will be nothing like the first three.

"The focus is different," Yabu said. "We acknowledge the margin for error is much smaller."

The Knights are 3-0 after wins over Peninsula, Birmingham and Crespi, outscoring the three by a combined 125-0. But the heat will be turned up significantly this week when Notre Dame travels to play the Lions (2-1) of the Trinity League Friday night at 7 p.m.

Yabu's youthful energy has permeated through the team, and it started with senior linebacker Brandon Bryant. Notre Dame was 5-7 last season.

"The first thing I did after I got hired was call Brandon," Yabu said. "We've grown close over the last eight months, and he helps echo my message to the team."

Yabu is convinced Bryant has an alter ego.

"He's an exceptional person," Yabu said of Bryant. "But he's a lunatic on the field. I love it."

Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks' Brandon Bryant (#33) is a senior leader at linebacker for the Knights :: Greg Fiore/Notre Dame Athletics

Bryant leads the team in tackles with 24, including four for loss. Junior quarterback Steele Pizzella, a transfer from Simi Valley, has thrown for 847 yards and 10 touchdowns with no interceptions. His top target is Erik Puodziunas, a baseball player committed to Michigan, who's hauled in five touchdown receptions already.

"Erik is the closest thing to a professional at the high school level as I've seen," Yabu said. "He shows up early and leaves late. He's one of those."

Yabu anticipates sophomore wideout Luc Weaver, senior corner Xavier Perry, junior saftey Ehimen Oyamendan and senior linebacker Jimmy Monte to play big Friday night.

Evan Yabu is in his first year at Notre Dame after turning the Thousand Oaks High program around :: Greg Fiore/Notre Dame Athletics

JSerra is also under new leadership in first-year coach Victor Santa Cruz, who was the head coach at Azusa Pacific for 14 seasons before becoming the defensive coordinator at Hawaii in 2020.

"I think (Pizzella) is the best guy we've seen all year," Cruz told the LA Times this week.

The No. 8 Lions only loss this season was to unbeaten Sierra Canyon, 9-7, in Week 0. The Trailblazers are ranked No. 5 in the latest SBLive Top 25 rankings.

• TOP 25 SBLIVE SOUTHERN SECTION RANKINGS

Yabu said Bryant has been playing on the scout team this week to help the offense prepare for JSerra. Bryant has taken on the role of replicating the defensive efforts of JSerra linebacker Madden Faraimo, who's a junior with offers to Alabama and Miami, among many others.

Life has hit Yabu fast the last three years. He took over a Thousand Oaks program that was on a 25-game losing streak and had the Lancers undefeated in the regular season in 2022. He got married last year, has a newborn daughter, and has the Knights 3-0.

"It's all happening so fast," Yabu said laughing. "We're almost halfway through football season already."