West Boca Raton hands Cardinal Newman first local loss since 2021

After five years of dominance, Cardinal Newman's unbeaten record against local competition came to an end on Thursday night. West Boca Raton, the reigning state champions, secured a 24-7 victory over the Crusaders. The Bulls dominated with a strong defensive performance and capitalized on three crucial turnovers during the game.

C.J. Jackson and Jemari Foreman each recovered a fumble, while Larry Morgan III intercepted a pass. These turnovers allowed West Boca to build a 10-0 halftime lead in wet, muddy conditions following heavy rain before kickoff.

Cardinal Newman struggled to gain significant yardage on offense in the first half, accumulating only 50 yards. The Crusaders showed a glimmer of hope in the third quarter when Janarro Sumpter scored a 71-yard touchdown run, narrowing the gap to 17-7. However, West Boca quickly regained control, with quarterback Trey Moran scoring a rushing touchdown and completing a pass to Anderson Gracilien for another score.

This resurgence propelled the Bulls to a final score of 24-7 and solidified their position as the top-ranked team in Palm Beach County. Cardinal Newman's last loss to a Palm Beach County opponent occurred on September 10, 2021, when Benjamin defeated the Crusaders 17-7.