Cardinal Newman football upsets Chaminade-Madonna in state championship
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MIAMI — Cardinal Newman football has done the unthinkable at Pitbull Stadium.
The Crusaders dethroned four-time reigning state champion Chaminade-Madonna 17-14 in the FHSAA Class 1A state championship game on Thursday, Dec. 11 at Florida International University.
It’s the first state championship in Cardinal Newman football history.
“I’m so excited for the school and the kids. It’s awesome,” Cardinal Newman head coach Jack Daniels said in postgame interviews. “… I told those guys at halftime that we had to come out and finish the last 24 minutes. And we did.
“We have the legend Sam Budnyk and all the great players that have played there and now these kids. I’m so happy for these kids.”
Chaminade-Madonna had won the state title in its classification the last four seasons and nine times overall, tied for third-most in FHSAA history.
The Crusaders avenged recent postseason pain against Chaminade-Madonna, which eliminated Cardinal Newman from the playoffs from 2021-23 by a combined margin of 137-16.
“We knew we were going to make it to states,” Cardinal Newman quarterback Jyron Hughley said. “We knew we had the dogs and the team [to do this]. We had to come out and prove it to everybody.
“We flipped the script. The underdogs are on top.”
How it happened
Cardinal Newman (12-3) stymied Chaminade-Madonna (11-3), one of the state’s most prolific offenses, with multiple turnovers, sacks and blocked field goals.
In the second quarter, Hughley broke loose for a 69-yard touchdown run off the left side for the game’s opening score.
After the game was tied 7-7 at halftime, Hughley connected with Ethan Holland for a 40-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter for the Crusaders’ go-ahead touchdown.
Nathaniel Parks hit a 36-yard field goal, his second made field goal of the year, in the fourth quarter to give Cardinal Newman a two-possession advantage.
Cardinal Newman was in position to potentially run out the clock after forcing a turnover on downs with 5:34 left in the fourth quarter.
Hughley fumbled in the Chaminade-Madonna red zone, however, and the Lions took over possession at the 10-yard line with just over 2 minutes to play. The Lions drove down the field and scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown with 49 seconds remaining.
Cardinal Newman sophomore wide receiver Knox Fletcher rose up and absorbed a huge hit to recover Chaminade-Madonna’s last gasp onside kick.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cardinal Newman football upsets Chaminade-Madonna in state championship
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