The Cardinal Newman Crusaders will be playing in front of their home fans against the Community School of Naples Seahawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Cardinal Newman is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Their defense stepped up to hand Benjamin a 37-0 shutout. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Crusaders just coasted through the last quarter.
Jyron Hughley produced another solid effort rushing for 71 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only seven carries, while also throwing for 144 yards and one TD. Another player making a difference was Phoenix Donghia, who rushed for 73 yards and one score on only nine carries.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Community School of Naples). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Northside Christian 63-13. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Seahawks with their most commanding win of the season.
Cardinal Newman better keep an eye on Jayvian Tanelus. He was instrumental in Community School of Naples' win, rushing for 194 yards and five TDs on only 11 carries. Tanelus' longest rush was for an incredible 90 yards. Jeramiah Guidie also helped out with an impressive 100 receiving yards.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Community School of Naples proved: they limited Northside Christian to a paltry 0.5 yards per carry. While five picked up at least two total tackles, Ryder Brown stood above the rest. He made two total tackles and defended one pass in addition to snagging four interceptions which he returned one-yard for a touchdown. Community School of Naples didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 15.5.
Community School of Naples didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Brown picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Cardinal Newman has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 11.2 points on average over those games. As for Community School of Naples, their record now sits at 8-2.
Everything came up roses for Cardinal Newman against Community School of Naples in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the team secured a 42-0 victory. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Seahawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
