Notre Dame tandem powers team to finals

Andrew Stutz and Patrick Foley have taken the best from each other on the football field.

Stutz copied the way Foley would find holes, shift directions and utilize speed to find the end zone.

Foley copied Stutz's quick burst up the middle and power his way for extra yards.

They've become Notre Dame Prep's dynamic running duo.

Entering Saturday's Class 4A Division II championship game, Stutz leads the Saints (13-0) with 1,341 yards and 21 touchdowns on 192 carries.

Foley, one of the state's top sprinters last track season, has carried 114 times for 828 yards and 15 touchdowns, despite missing nearly three games with an injury.

Stutz came into the season primarily as Foley's backup, while starting at linebacker next to Ryan Reardon and Anthony Greco, giving Notre Dame Prep perhaps the best linebacking core in 4A-II.

In the first five games, Stutz ran for 285 yards and seven touchdowns on 39 carries. In the past eight games, he has gained 956 yards and scored 14 TDs on 153 carries.

His best game came Oct. 18 in California. With Foley unable to play, the 6-foot, 200-pound Stutz ran 33 times for 229 yards and two touchdowns in a 15-13 win over Marin Catholic in the San Francisco Bay Area.

"The biggest confidence booster for me was our game against Marin," Stutz said. "I proved to myself that I could do it, that I could step up for my team."

Stutz still has played well on defense. He has 60 tackles and two fumble recoveries.

But his value on offense has given the Saints a big boost after it figured to feature a more pushing ground attack after losing Big School Player of the Year quarterback Sean Renfree to graduation.

Renfree last year passed for 3,353 yards and 41 touchdowns when Foley (761 yards) and Stutz combined for 1,147 rushing yards.

Coach Scot Bemis knew he was going to be able to run the ball this season with Foley and the emergence of Stutz behind a veteran line.

He has rushed for a touchdown in all 13 games.

Stutz hopes to keep his touchdown streak alive in Saturday's 11 a.m. title game against Tucson Santa Rita at Arizona State's Sun Devil Stadium.

"Every team we play, we've got a target on our chests," said Stutz, who is looking into continuing his football career at an Ivy League school. "Every game is a state game for us.

"We have a lot of will and it's paid off."