vs
| 10/18/24 - Home | 43-10 W |
| 10/22/21 - Home | 55-7 W |
| 09/27/19 - Away | 21-13 W |
Cardinal Newman is a perfect 3-0 against Melbourne Central Catholic since September of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Crusaders will venture away from home to challenge the Hustlers at 7:00 p.m. Cardinal Newman will be strutting in after a win while Melbourne Central Catholic will be coming in after a defeat.
On Thursday, Cardinal Newman got the win against Goleman by a conclusive 28-7. Considering the Crusaders have won three games by more than 20 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Cardinal Newman relied on the efforts of Jyron Hughley, who rushed for 90 yards and one score on only nine carries, and Phoenix Donghia, who rushed for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 13 carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Cardinal Newman was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 234 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 176 rushing yards in 12 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Central Catholic was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were a single point away from ending the streak, but they lost a 21-20 heartbreaker at the hands of Titusville.
Cardinal Newman will need to focus on slowing down Noah Flores, one of several Melbourne Central Catholic players who made an impact when they last played. He rushed for 35 yards and one TD, and also picked up 43 receiving yards. Melbourne Central Catholic also got help from Grady Bonenberger, who showed off his sure hands for 82 receiving yards.
Cardinal Newman is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 4-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 12.0 points on average over those games. As for Melbourne Central Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Cardinal Newman has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 213 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Melbourne Central Catholic, though, as they've been averaging only 89.8 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Cardinal Newman against Melbourne Central Catholic when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 43-10 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
