LYNDHURST, Ohio -- A fourth-quarter NDC interception and subsequent 51-yard touchdown by running back Marcus Wilson lifted North Greenville (S.C.) to a 21-14 victory at Korb Field on Saturday (Box).

Wilson's TD came just moments after a frantic tussle for momentum in the middle of the fourth quarter, with the Falcons and Crusaders trading fourth-down stands and turnovers. A deflected, wind-tossed interception thrown by Notre Dame quarterback #James Flowers# at the 6:19-mark was followed by Wilson's touchdown scamper at 5:42, and for Notre Dame (2-7) that TD would deflate an otherwise fine performance against a dangerous North Greenville squad that has now won four straight games.

The Blue & White showed some fire early on, when they answered the game's first score -- a 2-yard TD run by NGU running back Tyran Tucker -- with a thrilling 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Jack Foy. The Crusaders (5-3) landed the next blow, taking a 14-7 lead with 35 seconds remaining in the opening half, when quarterback Willy Korn snuck into the end zone from a yard out.

A resilient Falcon squad powered by the running of freshman sensation #Pedro Powell# came back to knot the score at 14-14 midway through the third, and that set up a back-and-forth battle between the two teams for the next 16 minute of game play.

Powell set up that second NDC score -- a 1-yard TD run by James Flowers -- with back-to-back long-gainers totaling 38 yards on what was a six-play, 47-yard drive for Notre Dame. For the game, Powell notched 100 yards rushing for a six contest in a row; he finished with 118 yards on 29 carries.

The freshman rusher from Liberty, Ohio, was the most effective weapon for the Falcons, who on the day gained 119 yards on the ground and 116 in the air. Seventy-three of those aerial yards came courtesy flea-flicker throws by #Matt Preston# (a 37-yarder) and #Derrick Paster# (36 yards). Flowers went 5-for-21 for 43 yards. NDC's offense produced 235 yards of total offense.

That Falcon offense was countered by an outstanding performance by numerous North Greenville ball carriers. Five runners garnered six or more carries in an offense that posted 323 rushing yards, a season-high this year against the NDC defense. Wilson tormented the Falcon defense with an array of punishing and speedy runs. He finished the game with 131 yards on 18 carries. Freshman running back Idris Anderson added 71 yards on 11 carries. For the game, the Crusaders averaged 6.0 yards per carry on 54 running plays.

Korn threw the ball just 13 times; he completed eight of those passes for 108 yards in directing a multi-faceted and talented NGU attack. The Crusaders had 431 yards of total offense and overcame five fumbles, three of which were recovered by Notre Dame.

Defensively, safeties #Bo Grunder# (11 tackles) and #Derrick Smith# (10) had big games for the Falcons, who will now head on the road one final time in their inaugural season -- NDC is slated to travel to Kentucky Wesleyan on Nov. 6.