The Cardinal Newman football program is heading to the state championship for the first time in school history. Senior quarterback Jyron Hughley accounted for five touchdowns, senior wide receiver Leslie Mosley had two scores, and the host Crusaders held off Carrollwood Day 48-33 in a 1A state semifinal on Friday night.
Cardinal Newman (11-3) advanced to the 1A state title contest and will play four-time defending state champion Chaminade-Madonna on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. at Florida International University in Miami.
“We’re blessed with great players and great coaches,” Cardinal Newman coach Jack Daniels said. “It’s a very exciting night for us. You want the prize. That’s what you play the game for. We’re one of two teams left in that. I know we have a great opponent in Chaminade we’re playing. We’re there and we have a chance. They’re one of the most talented teams in the country, so we have our work cut out. We have to have our best week.”
Hughley, a West Virginia signee, had three passing touchdowns and two touchdown runs in the victory.
[Jyron] is an incredible player,” Daniels said. “He really put our team on his back offensively.”
Hughley recorded a 38-yard scoring pass to junior running back Janarro Sumpter in the first quarter, 86-yard touchdown pass to Mosley in the second and 43-yard scoring pass to Mosley in the third. He also had a 67-yard touchdown run in the third and 53-yard scamper for a score in the fourth to help seal the win.
“I feel great and I am happy Coach Jack [Daniels] trusted me to run the offense this year,” Hughley said. “We’re not done. We came up short last year. This year, we’re coming for it all. This is a blessing, and I am happy to be a part of this team. It means a lot. I am coming with a chip on my shoulder.”
Senior running back Phoenix Donghia had a 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Senior standout linebacker Adam Balogoun-Ali stepped up with a game-changing 89-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Carrollwood Day junior Brooklyn Maxey had a 90-yard return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff, but Cardinal Newman responded with 34 unanswered points.
The Crusaders had a 14-7 advantage at the end of the first and pulled away in the second for a 28-7 lead at halftime. The Crusaders had a 41-19 lead entering the fourth. Carrollwood Day trailed 41-33 before Hughley’s 53-yard touchdown run with 1:18 left.
After trailing 7-0, the Crusaders responded on their opening possession on offense. Hughley found Sumpter in the flat for a 38-yard catch-and-run for a score to tie the game in the first.
Senior William Hart then stepped up with an interception at the Patriots 39. On the ensuing possession, Donghia powered his way into the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown to make it 14-7.
The Patriots marched downfield on their next series on offense. Maxey had a touchdown catch called back after a penalty. The Patriots lined up at the Crusaders 15. Balogoun-Ali, an Auburn signee, leaped up for an interception as he raced down the left sideline before cutting into the middle of the field and weaving past defenders for an 89-yard pick-six.
“The biggest thing is to bend and not break,” Balogoun-Ali said. “When they were driving and they got in the red zone, that was our mentality the whole time. We just kept doing our job and let them make the mistake, and the play came to me. This win means everything. We just kept getting better and better. I just feel we really earned this moment. I am excited to play for it all.”
Daniels credited the Crusaders defense as they created three turnovers in the first half.
“That was big because they were driving the ball,” Daniels said. “We had a difficult time getting them off the field like everybody has all year. They’re big and they’re physical. That was a potential 14-point swing there. We had breaks go our way in the first half.”
The Patriots had another scoring chance on their next drive before a lost fumble at the Crusaders 23. After a penalty, the Crusaders offense stepped up with a big play. Hughley’s pass was deflected in the air, but Mosley snatched it and then raced past defenders for an 86-yard touchdown to push the lead to 28-7.
“It’s a great feeling,” Mosley said. “I told the coaches to just put the ball in my hands. It’s a blessing and the first time in Cardinal Newman history we made it this far. We came up short last year, but I told the team that I would not let them down this year.”
The Crusaders scored on the opening drive on the second play of the third quarter. Hughley had a 67-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 34-7.
Sophomore running back Antonio Thomas had a 2-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 34-13.
Hughley connected with Mosley for a 43-yard touchdown to push the lead to 41-13.
The Patriots answered back with 20 unanswered points, including a Max Richardson 2-yard score with 3:45 left and Thomas 8-yard touchdown with less than two minutes left.
Hughley raced up the middle for a 53-yard touchdown with 1:18 left to end the drama, making the score 48-33.
6A
West Boca Raton 14, Armwood 13
West Broward 24, Buchholz 17
5A
St. Thomas Aquinas 45, Riverdale 13
4A
American Heritage 31, Choctawhatchee 14
2A
Bolles 42, Cardinal Gibbons 20
1A
Cardinal Newman 48, Carrollwood Day 33
Chaminade-Madonna 35, Trinity Christian 0
State championship games
At FIU, Miami
6A
West Boca Raton vs. West Broward, Friday, 12:30 p.m.
5A
St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Lakeland, Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
4A
American Heritage vs. Orlando Jones, Saturday, Dec. 13, 12:30 p.m.
1A
Chaminade-Madonna vs. Cardinal Newman, Thursday, 12:30 p.m.