WEST PALM BEACH, FL – The open division opened up even more. Last night, Carrollwood Day defeated Cardinal Newman in a game that was fairly close, but really a one-sided affair.
Carrollwood Day won the opening toss and deferred, and Cardinal Newman’s offense managed a first down before punting. The Patriots took advantage right away. Myles McDonald found Derrell Hines Jr. for a touchdown to make it 7-0.
After another Newman punt, Hines Jr. hit paydirt again, this time on a screen pass, Hines Jr. showed his YAC ability and Carrollwood Day led 14-0 early in the first.
The Crusaders answered when Janarro Sumpter broke off a long run to cut the deficit to 14-7. Cardinal Newman then recovered a fumble to get the ball back. But on the very next play, a tipped pass was intercepted by no other than Derrell Hines Jr., ending the threat.
Newman’s next drive was slow, and a roughing the passer penalty on third down only added to the frustration. The then recovered a muffed punt and took over inside the CDS 10. However on a scrable drill, Pedro Martinez fumbled the ball and the Patriots took over. Neither team did much late in the half, and Carrollwood Day took a 14-7 lead into the locker room.
Carrollwood Day opened the second half with a turnover on downs, handing Newman the ball. The Crusaders went three-and-out, with slim pickings for their offense throughout the game. Kameron Battle then found the end zone for the Patriots, pushing the lead to 21-7.
Newman fought back with a touchdown pass from Martinez to Logan Stepp, a play that came with a controversial call.
The Crusaders’ defense followed with a huge fourth-down stop, giving them the ball with a chance to tie. But Newman punted, and Kameron Battle put the game away with a long touchdown run.
On Cardinal Newman’s last gasp, Alfonso Brown was able to pick off Pedro Martinez, shutting the door for Newman.
This game makes things get interesting in the Open Division. Carrollwood Day finishes 10-0 and will move up from their previous ranking of 17. For Cardinal Newman, this game will end their hopes at the Open Division, they sit at 6-3 and will host West Broward in a makeup game next week.
These two teams could very much meet again in the 2A Bracket, the Patriots need to continue this momentum throughout their playoff run, and Crusaders need to find inspiration and bounce back.
Cover Image Via FlyDivisionSports
