Two dominant backs in Phoenix Donghia and Javian Mallory are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Cardinal Newman Crusaders will look to defend their home field on Friday against the West Boca Raton Bulls at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Cardinal Newman blew past Melbourne Central Catholic, posting a 43-6 victory. The win continues a trend for the Crusaders in their matchups with the Hustlers: they've now won four in a row.
Jyron Hughley had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 117 yards and one score on only six carries, while also throwing for 69 yards and one TD. His longest rush was for an impressive 64 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Cardinal Newman was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 337 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in August of 2024.
Meanwhile, West Boca Raton's rock-solid defense showed up for the team's third consecutive shutout on Friday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 31-0 victory over Royal Palm Beach. Given the Bulls' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked seventh, while the Wildcats are ranked 167th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
West Boca Raton's win came from a few key players Cardinal Newman will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Quinton Miller Jr., who rushed for 160 yards and one touchdown while picking up 10.0 yards per carry. Trey Moran was another key player, rushing for 91 yards and one TD on only five carries.
West Boca Raton didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Amari Ford and Delorean Airall Jr..
Cardinal Newman's win bumped their record up to 5-2. As for West Boca Raton, their victory bumped their record up to 6-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Cardinal Newman has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 230.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like West Boca Raton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 244.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Cardinal Newman strolled past West Boca Raton in their previous matchup back in November of 2018 by a score of 31-15. Will the Crusaders repeat their success, or do the Bulls have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
