The Notre Dame Jugglers got off on the wrong foot this season, but they’ve danced through to the AAA varsity football quarterfinals and play the No. 3 St. Thomas More Knights (5-1) at 8 p.m. Saturday at Thunderbird Stadium.

Against Kelowna (4-2) in the first knockout round Nov. 10, the Jugglers won 21-16 by playing hard for a full four quarters and they’ll look to do more of the same against the Knights.

“STM has good team speed and a no-quit blitzing defence,” said Jugglers coach Richard Scott.

This season, it’s been Notre Dame that hasn’t let up despite a three-game losing streak, 1-5 record and hard-luck losses along the way, including a 34-7 defeat to STM Sept. 21.

Against the Knights on Saturday, Scott said the Jugglers will look to hold on to the ball and minimize fumbles. Paulo Dube could again be a factor for Notre Dame.

“He was a big reason for a successful ground game [and the win over Kelowna],” said Scott. “We believe that we have the confidence to play at their tempo for the full game, which we did not do when we first met them in Week 4. If we cut out turnovers and effectively control the clock, we have a good chance.”