PORTSMOUTH — Notre Dame’s Luke Cassidy scored five touchdowns while senior running back Jordan Davis rumbled for 236 yards with four TDs — as the No. 6 seed Titans rolled over Beallsville 65-16 in the first round of the Division VII Region 27 playoffs at Spartan Municipal Stadium on Friday night.

On the game’s fourth play from scrimmage, Cassidy — a sophomore — picked off Blue Devil quarterback Garrett Perkins, and returned the ball 44 yards for a pick-6 with 10:24 left in the first quarter.

Cassidy had two interceptions returned for touchdowns on the night, with the second one coming with 6:38 to play in the third period.

“You think about having nights like this, but you can’t do it without the guys next to you,” Cassidy said. “I just had to get into the end zone. A great way to start the game.”

On the next drive, Cassidy sprinted 54 yards for a touchdown and then recovered the onside kick for the Titans — setting up a Jordan Davis 13-yard score and the 22-0 lead with 6:43 left in the first quarter.

“I thought (Cassidy) played better and let it go tonight,” Notre Dame head coach Buster Davis said. “I call the kid ‘Superman’ because he has the ability to impact the game.”

Notre Dame (8-3) churned out 447 yards of total offense, and limited the Blue Devils to 133 yards.

“We spread the wealth good tonight,” Cassidy added. “In the second quarter we were a little sloppy and that wasn’t the best football we can play. We know we have more in the tank. But this was a big win for us.”

Quarterback Ethan Kingrey connected on 12 of 17 passes for 111 yards and one TD in the win.

“We try to execute as best as we can,” Coach Davis said. “We looked really good in the first quarter and had a little slump in the second quarter. I thought Jordan (Davis) was really solid running the ball. I thought the offensive line blocked better today, but we still have some things we have to work on.”

Cassidy hauled in 42 yards receiving with a TD, while Bryce McGraw caught five passes for 32 yards.

Brody Coleman, Elijah Estep, Brayden Shepherd and McGraw led the defensive charge for Notre Dame — all with three solo tackles apiece.

“If you are going to make a run (in the playoffs) then you have to limit mistakes,” Buster Davis said about the team’s eight penalties on the night. “Or we have to limit the lulls in the game. That’s what we try to do, and the kids always seem to respond. I thought our defense swarmed all night and was in the right places where they needed to be.”

For the Titans, this was the fourth game this season —and the second consecutive — in which they scored at least 50 points.

Last week in the regular-season finale, they won a 50-42 Southern Ohio Conference Division I shootout at East.

Notre Dame will travel to third-seed Caldwell in the next round of the playoffs —the Region 27 quarterfinals on Friday night.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Noble County Fairgrounds.

* * *

Beallsville 8 0 0 8 — 16

Notre Dame 22 22 14 7— 65

ND—Luke Cassidy, 44-yard interception return (run failed), 10:24, 1st (6-0 ND)

ND — Luke Cassidy, 54-yard run (Ethan Kingrey run), 7:26, 1st (14-0 ND)

ND — Jordan Davis, 13-yard run (Luke Cassidy pass from Ethan Kingrey), 6:43, 1st (22-0 ND)

B — Marky Louden, 3-yard run (Garrett Perkins run), 2:19, 1st (22-7 ND)

B — Jordan Davis, 1-yard run (pass failed), 9:06, 2nd (28-7 ND)

ND — Luke Cassidy, 5-yard run (Bryce McGraw pass from Ethan Kingrey), :41, 2nd (36-8 ND)

ND — Luke Cassidy, 11-yard pass from Ethan Kingrey (Bryce McGraw pass from Ethan Kingrey), :12, 2nd (44-8 ND)

ND — Jordan Davis, 3-yard run (Coleman Shaffer kick), 9:12, 3rd (51-8 ND)

ND — Luke Cassidy, 42-yard interception return (Coleman Shaffer kick), 6:38, 3rd (58-8 ND)

B — Marky Louden, 64-yard run (Garrett Perkins run), 9:38, 4th (58-16 ND)

ND — Jordan Davis, 38-yard run (Coleman Shaffer kick), 8:41, 4th (65-16 ND)

Team Statistics

B ND

First downs 5 22

Scrimmage plays 30 55

Rushes-yards 21-120 37-340

Passing yards 16 111

Total yards 136 451

Cmp-Att-Int. 3-9-3 12-18-2

Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0

Penalties-yards 2-10 8-83

Punts-Ave. 3-30.6 0-0

Time of Possession 14:39 33:21

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Individual Leaders

RUSHING —Beallsville: Marky Louden 11-116 2TD, James Palmer 4-11, Hunter Cole 1-3, Garrett Perkins 5-(-10); Notre Dame: Jordan Davis 27-236 4TD, Myles Phillips 6-26, Luke Cassidy 2-59 2TD, Ethan Kingrey 2-19

PASSING —Beallsville: Garrett Perkins 3-9-3-16; Notre Dame: Ethan Kingrey 12-17-2-111 TD, Luke Cassidy 0-1-0-0

RECEIVING— Beallsville: Reed Smith 1-15, Thorn Stoffel 1-3, Marky Louden 1-(-2); Notre Dame: Bryce McGraw 5-32, Luke Cassidy 2-42 TD, Eugene Collins 2-17, Myles Phillips 1-9, Jordan Davis 1-6, Chris Piccolo 1-5