Notre Dame Faculty Prep seniors Peter Panagiotopoulos and Erik Couper have linked for 18 landing receptions this season, serving to energy a historic 12 months for the Dons.
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For Panagiotopoulos, one landing stands above the remaining.
"I feel it was the primary landing of the season as a result of it was the primary factors we scored and I knew it was going to be an ideal 12 months," Panagiotopoulos mentioned.
Couper has thrown for greater than 2,700 yards and 37 touchdowns this season, with half of these scoring passes going to Panagiotopoulos. Panagiotopoulos has caught 81 passes for 1,186 yards, setting a brand new single-season receiving file for the Dons.
The longtime mates say their connection extends past soccer.
"I can all the time belief him on or off the sector. If I throw it up, he'll go catch it it doesn’t matter what," Couper mentioned.
Notre Dame coach Mike DeFranza mentioned each gamers have established themselves within the faculty file e-book however credited your entire crew for the success.
"Each Eric and Peter have set faculty data, very spectacular stats that they’ve, however they might be the primary to say it's a byproduct of their teammates," DeFranza mentioned.
Panagiotopoulos echoed that sentiment.
"It's an exquisite group. Clearly, I need to give all of the props to our teaching workers and Coach DeFranza hiring our offensive coordinator and trusting him to make the calls. And me and Eric operating what he calls," Panagiotopoulos mentioned.
Panagiotopoulos was named a first-team all-state choice, the primary Notre Dame participant to earn that honor since 2018. Couper obtained honorable point out recognition.
Regardless of the person accolades, each gamers mentioned their consideration stays on the postseason alternative forward. Notre Dame is ready to host a quarterfinal playoff sport for the primary time in almost a decade.
"Once we bought to high school my freshman 12 months, the soccer crew wasn't doing so nice. We missed the playoffs three consecutive years, so it's been nice to deliver this system again," Couper mentioned.
Panagiotopoulos mentioned the possibility to win at residence could be particularly significant.
"We haven't had a quarterfinal sport at residence since 2016, I consider. To win it in entrance of 400-500 folks, it might imply so much," he mentioned.
The Dons will look to proceed their postseason run after they host top-seeded Harlem within the Class 6A quarterfinals Saturday at 1 p.m. as they search to maintain their historic season alive.