MERRILLVILLE | A true "rivalry" in any sport includes mutual disdain, close proximity, and the ability to trade punches and consistently be competitive.
Bishop Noll hasn't quite figured it out when it comes to playing Andrean in football, having lost 17 consecutive games to the 59ers since a 44-31 win in 1996.
In just the previous four meetings between the parochial schools, Noll has been outscored 298-61.
Friday night was more of the same as Matt Desomer passed for 224 yards and three touchdowns and Shamir Johnson rushed for 129 yards and three TDs.
It all added up to a 48-12 win for Times No. 6 Andrean in the season opener for both teams.
It was 35-0 at the half as Noll was outgained in total yardage, 306-24. But the Warriors then showed some scrappiness in the second half, turning a pair of Johnson fumbles into touchdowns.
"I made a couple of mistakes but I can't focus on that," Johnson said. "Like coach says, I've got to focus on being a leader and recover from that."
Said coach Phil Mason: "I don't worry about Shamir. On the one fumble, the line didn't block and he took a major shot. On the other, it was a bobbled pitch."
Ramon Guerrero caught six passes for 128 yards and two TDs for the 59ers. Nick Serrato grabbed three passes for 51 yards and Donovan Chandler had a TD reception.
"We're young," Mason said. "We talked about the things we don't do well in practice. We're having little lapses like we had tonight and we need to overcome that."
Though the 59ers weren't in a giving mood with their Hammond visitors for the most part, the program certainly opened its arms. Each year, Andrean football holds a fundraiser at its red/gold scrimmage cookout and donates the proceeds to a worthy cause.
Friday night, the program raised $1,000 and presented it to the Lake County Sheriff K9 unit at halftime.
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