Johnson spurs Notre Dame past Fredericktown in opener

CAPE GIRARDEAU — Kolton Johnson dropped in floaters, whipped passes through traffic and bullied his way to the basket all night.

If he and his Notre Dame teammates keep operating at peak proficiency, the Bulldogs could pose major problems for opponents this winter.

Johnson dropped 22 points and Notre Dame breezed past Fredericktown for a 66-28 triumph Tuesday night at Notre Dame Regional High School.

“Our defense led to our offense,” Johnson said. “My teammates finding me and getting me open got me hot early. So, I was clicking from there.”

Johnson, who set the program record for career 3-pointers as a junior last season, drained four in his season debut against the Blackcats. Senior Brett Dohogne flexed his muscle too, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Sophomore Hudson Dennis chipped in with eight points and six rebounds, while senior Trenton Schumacker posted a game-high nine rebounds.

The Bulldogs led throughout, jumping out to a 15-5 run in the first five minutes behind a pair of 3s from Johnson, who had 16 points in the opening half. It was 37-16 at halftime on way to Notre Dame’s first opening-night victory since Dec. 3, 2020.

If Notre Dame hadn’t already sealed the game, its 10-0 run midway through the fourth quarter did just that.

With the lopsided victory, the Bulldogs are now 9-0 all-time against Fredericktown. It was the fewest points Notre Dame has allowed since Dec. 27, 2022, when the Bulldogs defeated Scott County Central 64-27.

And while it's just the first game of the season, Notre Dame’s experienced group — one that features 10 seniors and returns its starting five from a year ago — played as advertised.

“Most of these guys I've been playing with since like fourth or fifth grade,” Johnson said. “So, I mean, we've always had a connection. We've been young, so we haven't been as experienced in the past. But this year we're looking forward to it more.”

The Bulldogs’ offense was humming all night, overwhelming Fredericktown with slick offense and suffocating defense in all four quarters — a performance that head coach Jeremy Brinkmeyer called “complete.” While the Bulldogs only shot 33% from 3-point range, they made up for it by shooting 70% from the foul line and dominating in the paint. Defensively, the unit forced 11 steals and four blocks.

“We told the guys that our main focus for tonight was being locked in, especially on the bench,” Brinkmeyer said. “And I definitely thought we did a great job of being on the bench and locked in and calling out screens and whatever needed to be. And that leads to offensive efficiency. That leads to being good on the defensive end. That's something we're really trying to stress and work on, and hopefully we'll continue to get better at it.”

Season outlook

It was an assuring start for a program that is looking to get over the hump in 2024-25. Notre Dame features one of the more experienced rosters in the Bootheel and it starts with its leader and rock in Johnson. He is one of the centerpieces of a senior class that has twice finished as district runners-up, but Brinkmeyer is optimistic his group will make a leap this winter because of the tight-knit chemistry and connectivity.

“They get along well and they're always together,” Brinkmeyer said. “We try to focus on that a lot as a team. A lot of these guys have been playing since elementary school. It was really cool tonight before prayer. Coach (Cory) Johnson, our assistant coach who actually coached most of our team since second grade, looked at everyone and said, ‘this is our last run. It's our last first game. Let's enjoy it.’ That was a cool moment.”

While returning every starter feels like a head start, the only question mark for the Bulldogs is whether they can maintain this level of play against stiffer competition. Much of that will be answered next week when Notre Dame competes in the SEMO Conference Tournament, but for now the team is simply taking it day by day.

“Just everybody putting in the work and putting in the effort is the key,” Johnson said. “Don't care who gets the credit, and just focus on ourselves and focus on the team.”

Brinkmeyer seconds that notion.

“I love this group,” he said. “We haven't had a bad practice yet. Just a lot of good energy, a lot of great effort and they pick each other up. And we always say, ‘a good team is led by a coach and great teams are led by players.’ And right now we're led by players.”

Notre Dame returns to the court on Friday, Dec. 6, when the Bulldogs take on Charleston at 7:30 p.m. in its first road test of the season.