Noah Grubbs (Notre Dame QB commit) leads comeback vs Osceola with improved mobility

Lake Mary has trailed by multiple scores in the second half of both of their games this season.

But the Rams will enter Week 3 undefeated.

Lake Mary downed longtime rival Osceola, 17-12, on Aug. 29 behind a turnaround effort from the defense while quarterback Noah Grubbs (Notre Dame commit) proved once again why he is one of the top signal-callers in the state.

"We did it it week one, we're just not trying to make it as hard on ourselves," Grubbs said. "Obviously (falling behind) wasn't on purpose, but within the next couple of weeks we've got to come out the first couple of drives on fire."

The Kowboys jumped out to an early 12-0 lead after their defensive line dominated the opening frame. Osceola produced two sacks in the Rams' opening drive and forced several Lake Mary three-and-outs.

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Lake Mary's offensive struggles continued into the second quarter as Grubbs was constantly under pressure. The Kowboys made a big stand in their own red zone at the close of the half that forced a short Ram field goal.

A 71-yard kick return from Josh Robinson to start the second half gave Lake Mary some life. The offensive line improved protection as well, and the extra time in the pocket was all Grubbs needed to get Lake Mary going.

"It's not always perfect, but me and my O-Line — we're going to work," Grubbs said. "We're going to get after it on Monday when we get back and it's going to get better, for sure. ... In the next few weeks, we're going to get it to where I can sit back there as long as I want. I really trust in those guys and love them."

Grubbs finished the night 11-of-15 passing for approximately 110 yards. A 17-yard teardrop pass to Terrance Dixon gave the Rams a 17-12 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Osceola began to march down the field. But then Patrick Ryan flushed Amaree Rutland out of the pocket before laying a big hit that popped the ball free. The Rams recovered but went three-and-out on the following drive.

The takeaway was the exclamation point to a defensive turnaround that started with a 12-point opening quarter and ended with a shutout through the next three frames.

The Ram defense stood tall again after the offense punted it away with four minutes to play and forced the Kowboys to bleed three precious minutes to go just 30 yards. Some big pass breakups from Lake Mary's secondary sealed the deal.

Notre Dame QB commit Noah Grubbs continues improvement

Grubbs, the No. 3 QB in the USA TODAY Florida Top 100, was flushed out of the pocket with regularity, but still found ways to turn broken plays into positive yards.

A large part of that is his improved mobility. Grubbs already has a strong arm and great understanding of the position, and now his off-platform ability is another asset in his game.

The Irish coaching staff has noticed as well.

"(Notre Dame's staff) just loves how I'm getting more elusive, I'm getting throughout the pocket," Grubbs said. "Being able to escape and make plays on my feet, I feel like that's another trait for me that I like and I'm able to do this year."

The long-time Notre Dame commit says he won't be at the Hard Rock Stadium for the highly anticipated game between Miami and his Fighting Irish on Sunday, but will be locked into the broadcast.

Other recruiting notes

Amier Clarke, Osceola DL: Clarke, a Georgia Tech commit, feasted in the first half and finished with a sack and at least one tackle for loss.

Jeremiah Wiggins-Baker, Osceola DL: Wiggins-Baker was in the backfield regularly in the loss, and finished with two QB hurries, a TFL, and half a sack.

Richie Crouse, Lake Mary DL: Crouse was key for the Rams' comeback and made big plays behind the line of scrimmage in the second half. He finished with a pair of TFL.

Alijah Jenkins, Osceola ATH: Jenkins was crucial for the Kowboys' offensive success. He finished with around 100 yards of total offense on 11 carries and two catches.

Troy Turner, Lake Mary LB: Turner turned it on in the second half and helped stall the Kowboys' offense, which ran it up the middle often. Turner kept big runs his way to a minimum and brought down two TFL.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: How Noah Grubbs (Notre Dame QB commit) stayed on move in Lake Mary win