The West Boca Bulls took care of business against a key opponent in Cardinal Newman.
Taking command on both sides of the ball, the Bulls defeated the Crusaders by a score of 24-7, snapping Cardinal Newman’s five-year winning streak over Palm Beach County. West Boca had another impressive defensive performance, forcing multiple turnovers and playing at a high level in the trenches. The offense was powered by Trey Moran, who notched two total touchdowns and consistently drove the Bulls down the field.
West Boca moves to 3-0 on the season, while Cardinal Newman drops to a record of 3-1.
The Trey Moran Show Rolls On
Trey Moran has been great in previous seasons, and not much has changed for the West Boca signal caller in 2026.
The Cardinal Newman defensive line and secondary presented some threats in this game; the Crusaders notched multiple sacks, tackles for loss, and pass breakups. But despite some bumps in the road, Moran had the West Boca offense humming in their 24-7 victory.
Moran was, as always, extremely effective as a runner. He not only showed tough downhill running in key moments, but was shifty and elusive in space. On a run near the end of the first half, Moran made multiple defenders miss and put his team in a position to add points before the half. And later in the game, the West Boca quarterback got to the outside and lowered his shoulder to get into the end zone, one of the more impressive plays of the night.
As a passer, though, Trey Moran was even better.
The quarterback was lethal as a thrower, especially in the intermediate and deep areas of the field. On an early 4th down, Moran hit a perfect touch pass in traffic to tight end Erik Da Costa. A drive later, Moran hit another perfect deep down the field, this time to running back Jacorrion McCrary. He hit a perfect throw to Nomo Davis on a flea flicker, and on a key play in the red zone, Moran threw a touchdown to Anderson Gracilien. The quarterback not only hit the touchdown on the move, but in the face of pressure.
Moran’s night could have been even better for West Boca; the star quarterback had a second deep touchdown pass, this time to Billy Clancy III, wiped off the board with a holding penalty.
Regardless of that fact, though, Moran thrived in every area of the game for the Bulls once again. When I asked the West Boca quarterback about the progression of his game, Moran said that “no moment is ever too big” for him and that when the moment arrives, he “just makes plays.”
Even as the pieces have changed around him, West Boca’s offensive engine is still Trey Moran. If he continues to thrive in 2026, the Bulls will be one of the hardest overall opponents to face over the remainder of the season.
West Boca Dominates on Defense
West Boca, no matter the opponent, has thrived off the strength of their defensive unit. Against Cardinal Newman on Thursday night, that was the case once again.
It all starts in the trenches for the Bulls. Jamar Thompson notched a sack in this game, but faced plenty of double teams and chipping from the Crusaders’ offense. Instead of seeing struggles as a result of their opponent’s game plan, the Bulls found success through other players.
Makrion Owens, as he has frequently done in 2026, stood out in a major way for the Bulls. The 2028 prospect not only notched a sack but was in the backfield on a consistent basis. He stopped multiple run plays in their tracks and chased down plays from behind. Owens even notched a pass breakup at the line of scrimmage, showcasing impressive overall athleticism.
Jamir Johnson continued his great play for West Boca, notching a tackle for loss. Delorean Airall Jr. and Carlton Jackson made key tackles, with Jackson forcing and recovering a fumble. DaCoby Wooten had multiple tackles and a pass breakup, while lockdown coverage from Larry Morgan led to an interception late in the first half. Linebacker Max Reid forced a fumble and consistently clogged lanes, making multiple tackles in the process.
As the high school season approaches the midway point, the West Boca defense looks to be firing on all cylinders. Every level of the unit is playing together, and different players are starring every game. It is a group that not only knows what they want to do as a group, but knows they will be able to execute their goals on an individual level.
Take Makarion Owens, for example. When I asked him about his pass-rushing approach, the defensive end gave a very informed answer that tied in both aspects of the unit.
“I feel like a lion. I am ready to hunt; I am trying to get to that quarterback. In my mind, it is me and my brothers against you. And I like me and my brothers over you. So, that is how I look at it.”
West Boca has a tough test in St. John’s next week, along with battles against The First Academy and Atlantic later in the year. If the Bulls’ defense keeps rolling like this, though, it will be hard for any team to come close to finding success against them.
Cardinal Newman Shows Great Flashes
Despite the score, it was not all negative for Cardinal Newman in this matchup.
Offensively, Janarro Sumpter was the main attraction. Taking a handoff early in the second half of the game, the running back broke a tackle and was off to the races, scoring the touchdown from over 50 yards out. Outside of the touchdown, he showed plenty of burst and strength as a runner. Sumpter contributed on defense, too; the two-way player for the Crusaders made multiple tackles over the course of the game.
Defensively, Kamden Giles made a very key tackle in space in the red zone, showing off his skill as a defensive back. Justin Barerra had a key tackle on the same drive and, over the course of the game, made other key tackles for the Crusaders. The ATH contributed a first down as a wideout early in the game as well; Barerra is a key player, and a fun one at that, to watch over the rest of the year. Cooper Clark, operating at linebacker, created pressure as a pass rusher and was consistently around the football on run plays for the Crusaders.
The best overall group for Cardinal Newman was the defensive line, as they made West Boca earn every single inch on Thursday night. Chris Laborde and Riley Wallace made tackles consistently, whether in the backfield or slightly up the field. Sean Fleming was in the backfield for sacks on multiple occasions. Ty Kirkpatrick clogged lanes against the run consistently. Kyrus Haston and Tyrece Campbell-Rollins also contributed to the defensive effort; both players made tackles, while Haston had a late-game PBU at the line of scrimmage.
Cardinal Newman has some major tests coming up on their schedule, headlined by a showdown with Chaminade on October 9. The Crusaders have plenty of talent to thrive against any team, but after their showing against West Boca, they will need more overall consistency to reach their goals.
Other Notes
- Terriel “Wally” Harmon ran with nice power against Cardinal Newman, notching a touchdown in the process. He also hit a hurdle on a 3rd-down run, but was flagged on the play as a result.
- Jacorrion McCrary looks like one of the best overall players on West Boca’s roster. He is making big plays in the passing game, ripping off big runs, and running tough when the Bulls need him to. The running back has been instrumental in West Boca’s hot start in 2026, and he deserves much more attention going forward.
- Keep an eye on DeKobi Airall for West Boca. He ripped off a 4th-quarter run for a big gain on Thursday night, showing some impressive burst as a player. If not this year, he could be a contributor for the Bulls in 2027.
- Pedro Martinez was held in check, but he showed some impressive juice as a runner when called upon against West Boca. In better conditions, I would expect the passing game to be much better for him and the Cardinal Newman offense.
What’s Next?
West Boca welcomes St. John’s College, based out of Washington, D.C., for a Friday night showdown on September 18. Cardinal Newman welcomes Jensen Beach for a home game next Friday night at 6:30 P.M.
