WEST PALM BEACH – In what was considered as a toss-up between eighth-ranked Cardinal Newman and Clewiston on Friday night (Oct. 15), a few key moments stood out in this one.
Down 14-3 at halftime, Cardinal Newman was steadily getting itself into rally mode.
The Crusaders ground game was quite effective when it mattered the most, as evidenced by a 3-yard rushing score by sophomore running back Tovani Mizell with 9:03 left in the third quarter.
An extra point by Crusaders kicker Andrew MacMillan cut the Tigers lead to 14-10.
And later in the third frame, MacMillan cut into the Tigers lead even more by way of his successful 27-yard field goal at the 2:38 mark. This score made it 14-13, with the Crusaders being down by just one point.
The game’s most impactful play happened toward the end of the third quarter.
Cardinal Newman freshman quarterback Davi Belfort took advantage of a punt miscue by Clewiston, which put his team in great position to score again. He called his own number and punched the ball in for a 3-yard touchdown run.
Belfort’s rushing score made it 19-14 in favor of Cardinal Newman (5-2).
The fourth was all about the Cardinal Newman defense, as it prevented Clewiston (4-1) from reaching the end zone.
As a result, Cardinal Newman won its fourth game in a row after a 1-2 start to its season.
“We had some injuries on the d-line and the o-line, so we had to make some adjustments,” Cardinal Newman head coach Jack Daniels said. “We played a really good football team…We held them to two big plays in the first half. We kicked off the second half and I told them if we get a stop here and then get a score, then we’re right back in this ball game. It changed the momentum. We got another stop and a bad snap off a punt. We were lucky to hang on.”
Daniels spoke on his team’s four-game winning streak.
“We’re coming together as a team,” Daniels said. “We’ve changed. We’ve practiced hard and we’re just getting better in all areas.”
NOTE: Cardinal Newman’s 14-3 halftime deficit to Clewiston was made possible by the following big plays:
•9:42 in second quarter: 78-yard touchdown run by Clewiston senior running back Johnny Crawford III and extra point for a7-3 score
•Late second quarter: 35-yard touchdown pass from Clewiston senior quarter Zo’Marion Harper to athlete Chauncey Cobb and extra point for a 14-3 score
Cardinal Newman has three games within the next two weeks to close out its regular season. The very next one is Monday, Oct. 18 (6 p.m. kickoff) at Fort Pierce Central (3-4), a game that will be made up due to lightning postponing this tilt in Week 4.
Cardinal Newman’s final two regular season games are at home against Melbourne Central Catholic (1-5) on Friday, Oct. 22 and against Gulliver Prep (Miami) (5-1) on Friday, Oct. 29. Both home games are set for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
OTHER FRIDAY NIGHT FINAL SCORES: PALM BEACH COUNTY
No. 4 Pahokee 54, Lake Worth 0
No. 5 Seminole Ridge 17, Sebastian River 14
No. 6 Boca Raton 31, Monarch 14
No. 9 Atlantic (Delray) 37, Piper 0
Wellington 21, Jupiter 11
American Heritage (Delray) 30, St. John Paul II 6
St. Andrew’s 55, Inlet Grove 8
Spanish River 22, Miami Lakes 0
Calvary Christian 42, King’s Academy 27
Archbishop Carroll 45, Berean Christian 6
South Fork 42, Suncoast 0
WEEK 8 POSTPONED GAME: West Boca Raton (1-4) at Stoneman Douglas (2-3) – Makeup game date and time TBD (to be determined)
WEEK 8 BYE: Palm Beach Christian Prep (2-4)
PHOTO CREDITS: Keith Forde and Jonathan Forde
