West Palm Beach, FL- This past March, the foundation of Palm Beach County High School Football was turned on it’s head after 2028 phenom Quarterback Pedro Martinez announced his intentions to transfer from Atlantic (Delray Beach) to the 2025 FHSAA 1A State Champion Cardinal Newman Crusaders.
The 5 foot 10 Martinez was electric in his first full season under center for the Eagles, notching 2,335 Passing Yards and 33 Passing TD’s on 64% completion, while supplementing an additional 571 yards and 8 scores on the ground. Pedro’s electric sophomore campaign helped command one of the highest flying offenses in South Florida, as the Eagles soared to a 10-2 record, earning a bid to the FHSAA 5A Playoffs and sitting comfortably inside the top 3 on the NewEraPrep power rankings practically every week. Individually, Pedro Martinez cemented himself as one of the top returning passers in Palm Beach while also being a finalist for the 2025 Lou Groza 561 Player of the Year Award, alongside 2026 RB RJ Wilkerson from Jupiter Christian and 2027 LB Levi Champion from The King’s Academy, who would ultimately bring home the accolade.
No matter what age you are- change can be an uncomfortable pill to swallow. Now put yourself in the shoes of your 15-16 year old self, making the decision to leave what you know and what’s comfortable to prioritize your future. Would leaving your friends and support system to start over somewhere new in 10th grade be an easy choice for you?
For Pedro Martinez, he’s embraced this new chapter in stride.
“I love it! It’s been a great decision, and I’ll be honest- it was definitely a hard one. But since I made it, I love everything about it…It’s good to see multiple systems, I’ve seen a different system every year, which is just going to expand my mind for the game and help me when I get to college.”
I asked Pedro to reflect on the first day walking through the halls at Cardinal Newman and what it was like for him.
“It was pretty crazy I’m not going to lie…I got there my first day and literally everyone knew me… They were just like ‘Oh you’re Pedro’ and then I made some really good friends after that…One of the best friends I’ve made is Will Daniels {Son of Crusaders’ HC Jack Daniels}, he’s my guy and he’s my best friend at the school.”
Last season, Cardinal Newman was thrust into the national spotlight after a 12-3 campaign and upset victories over West Boca Raton (2x 6A State Champ) and perennial powerhouse Chaminade Madonna in the 1A title game helped the Crusaders hoist their first State Championship in program history. Their biggest catalyst for Crusading dominance came off the arm and legs of now West Virginia QB Jyron Hughley, who made a similar journey to Newman after spending the first few years of his career at Glades Day.
I asked Martinez about the legacy of Jyron Hughley on the program, how he plans to follow suit and if the Snowman relayed any advice to the young star:
“They’re definitely big shoes to fill, you know. Snow was one of the best quarterbacks in Palm Beach County history. Yeah, there’s a lot of pressure…My goal is to get better than what they did, be better than they were last year, just build on what they did, build on the state championship, and try to get two more!”
“The biggest piece advice he gave me was ‘Make sure you tuck in your shirt'”.
With 2026-27 on the horizon, Cardinal Newman is ready to strike. The Crusaders certainly won’t have the red carpet rolled out for an easy repeat, as Newman has scheduled 5 games against teams that played in the 2025 State Championship for their respective divisions, with trips on the road to face 2A champion Cardinal Money and 6A’s West Boca. Many may think there’s an immense weight on the right shoulder of Pedro Martinez, but he’s been on these stages before and is ready to once again rise to the occasion.
“It’s going to be a fun season, and I can’t wait for week 0 against Vero. I’ve been playing national competition since I was 12 years old. Moments like this just make me rise to the occasion. “
The spotlight in West Palm Beach has never been brighter, but it’s one Pedro Martinez has never shied away from. Now, with a state champion’s standard to uphold and championships of his own to chase, the next chapter of his story is ready to begin.
Cover Photo Credits: Daniel Calvelli, NewEraPrep
