Cardinal Newman and Roman Catholic traded punches early but the visitors from Pennsylvania ultimately had too much firepower for the Crusaders.
WEST PALM BEACH — Cardinal Newman football is mortal after all.
The Crusaders, who entered the season with Florida state championship aspirations, were overwhelmed by Pennsylvania's Roman Catholic in the second half of a 49-35 loss on Aug. 29.
Roman Catholic quarterback Semaj Beals accounted for six total touchdowns, picking apart the Crusaders' secondary as the Cahillites (1-1) rotated between run-pass options and spread looks throughout the night.
Cardinal Newman trailed 49-21 in the third quarter and, despite cutting the deficit to two possessions early in the fourth quarter, were unable to pull off a comeback.
The Crusaders (1-1) scored an early touchdown on a long run by Jyron Hughley. The Crusaders' special teams unit also made their mark: Janarro Sumpter returned a kickoff for a score while Leslie Mosley and Zamarii Sanders also helped the offense with long returns.
Cardinal Newman's defense, however, had few answers for Roman Catholic's complex offense apart from forcing a pair of turnovers.
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It was an unexpected result for a Crusaders program that entered the season with state championship aspirations.
That's a conversation Cardinal Newman's staff won't have much time for, as they'll be spending time regrouping the team for Benjamin next week as they look to get back in the win column.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
Alex Peterman covers high school sports for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cardinal Newman football overwhelmed by Pennsylvania's Roman Catholic
Category: General Sports
