Playoffs Game Of The Week, Presented By Starting Lineup
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla – Cardinal Newman came out strong and set the tone right away. The Crusaders received the opening kickoff and put together a steady drive down the field. Quarterback Jyron Hughley stayed calm in the pocket and found Logan Stepp for the first score of the game. The drive was made possible by a deep ball from Hughley to Leslie Mosley, which gave Newman early momentum, and they never let up.
On Benjamin’s next possession, things got even better for Newman. A bad punt snap rolled into the end zone, and Auburn commit Adam Balogoun-Ali jumped on it for another score, pushing the lead to 14-0
Benjamin tried to answer back but couldn’t get anything going. After a short drive, they were forced to punt again. The shanked punt gave Newman good field position and allowed them to keep the pressure on, as Phoenix Donghia powered in for a touchdown, stretching the lead even more.
The game slowed down for a bit, with both teams trading possessions. The only big moment came from the Newman defense, which continues to be one of the strongest parts of the team. They forced a safety, adding two more points and keeping full control of the game.
Late in the half, Hughley delivered one of the best plays of the night. Facing 4th and 14, he took off and broke multiple tackles on a long run. His teammates helped push the pile, and he eventually scored, giving Newman a huge boost going into halftime.
Newman led 30-0 at the half.
The second half began just like the first. The Newman defense came out strong, getting a quick stop. The offense followed with another solid drive, using simple but effective runs to move the ball. Hughley finished it off with a short touchdown run, giving him two rushing touchdowns on the night along with his earlier touchdown pass.
From there, Newman stayed in command and closed out a 37-0 win. It was a complete performance on both sides of the ball for the Crusaders
The Crusaders will now host Community School of Naples next week in the regional semifinals. Newman beat CSN 42-0 in the same round last season, and they’ll look to bring that same energy again.
Casz Clayton caught up with Newman’s Kahlil Gabaud, and Phoenix Donghia after the game. Check out what they had to chat about HERE.
Photo Credit: Kiki Gagnon
