(Photo/Clara Sales - TheTribe561)
By Blake Quilleon:
At Sam Budnyk Field in West Palm Beach, the top-seeded Cardinal Newman Crusaders and the Community School of Naples Seahawks squared off in a Division 1A regional semifinal. Following a commanding 51-0 victory against Evangelical Christian, the Crusaders sought to keep up their momentum against the Seahawks, who had just defeated Neumann 63-14. The Crusaders' defense held firm on a fourth-down stop to start the game, and quarterback Jyron Hughley led a touchdown drive that ended the first quarter with a 35-yard reception from Zamari Sanders.
In order to increase their lead to 14-0 in the second quarter, the Crusaders took advantage of a Seahawks blunder and Jaylen Brown's rushing touchdown. The Crusaders led 21 points at the half as Newman's defense shut down the Seahawks again and Xanai Scott scored another rushing touchdown. Hughley went loose for a 60-yard rushing touchdown after the half, and Brown then scored his second of the game. Janarro Sumpter scored the game's last rushing touchdown to give Newman a 42-0 shutout victory.
The Crusaders increased their season record to 9-1 with this victory, which also sent them to the regional finals. In a match that might lead to the state semifinals, they will take against the First Baptist Academy Lions, a 9-2 squad from Naples. Both teams defeated Benjamin, their shared opponent, by substantial margins. With the Crusaders looking to extend their postseason run, the 7 p.m. game is sure to be fiercely competitive.
