WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. – Both of these teams have had a great start to the season but now it’s time for both teams to put their strengths to the test.

Tomorrow night, Newman will host a team whose roots are out west. In the farthest regions of Palm Beach County.

We’re talking about the Pahokee Blue Devils, a team that does fairly well each year and has a prestigious history when it comes to football in Florida.

This game is expected to be a close bout, so let’s take a look at our contenders for tomorrow’s marquee matchup.

Cardinal Newman

Newman is coming off a hot victory against rivals The Benjamin School, in a dominant display of force, Newman has really shown that they are one of the top teams in the county and very well could be placed in the discussion for a run at states very soon.

Newman is currently being led by Jyron Hughley who has had a great start to the season as this has been his first season as the starter at Cardinal Newman after the graduation of Luke Warnock. Jyron has made his presence in the stat sheets known as he currently posts a 5:1 TD to INT Ratio. But he’s also deadly on the ground with his legs as well, just one yard away from the 300 yard mark and he’s already surpassed last season’s total rushing yardage in only three games.

Also representing Newman is versatile running back Jaylin Brown. Brown was a key piece to Newman’s victory over Benjamin last week as he had two touchdowns on the ground, showing that he is a force to be reckoned with.

For Newman, this is their home opener, as they have been away every single week of the season including the kickoff classic where they travelled down south to Miami to face-off against Homestead. This will certainly be a nice change of setting for the Crusaders as they finally get to play in front of the home crowd and their fellow classmates.

Pahokee

Pahokee is also coming off a hot victory over Seminole Ridge in which the Blue Devils only allowed three points to be scored. Pahokee looks to send shockwaves across the county and perhaps the state with a big statement win on the road at Newman.

Pahokee so far has had a great start to the season under new head coach Carlos Lammons and the team looks to keep the forward momentum going, for the Blue Devils, their first test came at the hands of Palm Beach Central, a county favorite this year. While Pahokee didn’t win this matchup they kept the game very close all night and gave the county a little message that the Blue Devils could make some noise this year.

On the defensive side, Pahokee defensive back J’Tavious Jones has been quietly making waves with his performances so far this season. The ESPN Top 63 athlete who has an offer to Western Kentucky, looks to keep his stock rising as he is set to face an intimidating Newman receiver core.

For Pahokee, this is their first game on the road all season as they have had the privilege of starting their first few weeks at home in the muck. With the muck boys making their way out east for this matchup, we will get to see how Pahokee handles the pressure of being on the road and what this team could really bring to the table this year.

Final Thoughts

For Newman this is an opportunity for them to slowly reclaim the grip they had on the county last year as one of if not the best team in the 561, depending on this performance and how Atlantic and West Boca pan out in their respective matchups, a win here could catapult Newman into the #1 spot in the county.

For Pahokee, there are big stakes for this game, after coming up short against Palm Beach Central earlier in the season, Pahokee looks to correct the mistakes they made from that game and elevate themselves in this match. With this win, this will no doubt change how people have been looking at football out in the muck for the past few seasons. If anything a win for Pahokee here can definitely catapult them into a big time spotlight and that momentum could very well push them through all the way till the end of the season.

This is for sure an overlooked matchup and there is no doubt that this can end up potentially being a game of the year candidate if both teams can play to their strengths and exploit weaknesses.