The last time Cardinal Newman lost a football game to somebody from its own county, the final was 17-7, the opponent was Benjamin, and the date was September 10, 2021.
Tonight is September 10, 2026.
The Crusaders are 3-0 and going to West Boca Raton, which is 2-0, and which is one of two programs in Palm Beach County still willing to schedule them. The Palm Beach Post counted it this week: 1,826 days, 20 straight county wins, no losses.
Both of these teams won state championships in December. Newman took Class 1A at 12-3, beating Chaminade-Madonna 17-14. West Boca took Class 6A at 13-2, beating West Broward 31-0, and it was back to back, the first repeat by a Palm Beach County program since 2010.
Jack Daniels would rather have the games
Newman's coach was asked about the streak and gave an answer that is half boast and half complaint.
"We may not have that streak if some of the county teams would play us. It doesn't seem like anybody wants to play us except West Boca and Pahokee. We'd love to play those other teams that are 8-0, but you play who you can and our schedule has been tough."
He is in his sixth season at Newman, where he won the school's first state title last year. Before that he spent more than two decades at Dwyer and went 234-52 with championships in 2009 and 2013.
Newman won last year's meeting 26-20 in overtime.
Janarro Sumpter is doing everything for Newman
The senior plays running back and middle linebacker and he has been the best player on the field in two of three games.
Through three he has 316 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns, and two interceptions, both returned for scores. Last season, as a backup, he ran for 439 yards at 6.9 a carry.
Daniels, to the Post: "He's just a great football player. He's the heart and soul of our team."
Sumpter on his own approach, to New Era Prep this week: "Watching film is a big part of our defense. I feel like versatility is one of the biggest parts of the game."
And on the celebrations: "I like to dance like anywhere on the field. If there's a beat I'm moving."
The passing game arrived over the summer as a pair. Pedro Martinez and Justin Barrera, both juniors, transferred in from Atlantic, where Martinez threw for 2,335 yards and 33 touchdowns as a sophomore and Barrera caught 35 balls for 405 yards. Here Martinez has 617 yards and 10 touchdowns against one interception at 72.9 percent, and Barrera is at 59.7 receiving yards a game with three scores. Logan Stepp has four touchdown catches.
Newman's best recruits are both juniors on defense. Ty Kirkpatrick, a 6-2 edge with 18 offers, had 20 tackles for loss and six sacks last season. Kahlil Gabaud, a 6-2 safety with 17 offers and a composite that ranks him 259th nationally and 22nd at his position, had 51 tackles and six interceptions.
West Boca's argument is seven points and a Georgia Tech commit
The Bulls have played two games that count and allowed seven points total: 24-7 at American Heritage of Plantation, 37-0 at Spanish River with five forced turnovers.
Jamar Thompson is the reason. A four-star defensive tackle, 6-3 and 305 pounds, ranked 210th nationally and 25th among defensive linemen, with 40 offers, committed to Georgia Tech in June. Last season: 42 tackles, 16 for loss, five sacks.
Around him, Larry Morgan III is a senior corner going to South Florida, Delorean Airall Jr. is a senior safety going to UNLV, and Javion Herrington is an edge with 20 offers who had 10 tackles for loss last year. Maxwell Reid, the senior linebacker, already has two interceptions this season.
Five different West Boca players have picked off a pass in two games.
Trey Moran is the senior quarterback and punter with four touchdown passes, and in the opener he went 13 of 20 with two scores through the air and one on the ground, including a 58-yard strike to Lorontae Davis, a senior committed to Eastern Michigan. The backfield spreads it around: Quinton Miller Jr. averages 77.5 rushing yards, junior Terriel Harmon 62.0, and Jacorrion McCrary transferred in from Spanish River.
Dylan Potts is in his fifth season and has now won two state titles. After the American Heritage win he described what his team is:
"At the end of the day, we know what this defense is going to do. We're ok with these 24-7 games."
Reid put the season in a sentence: "We set a standard, we have to remain consistent. Stacking performances, and before we know it, it'll be the Super 8 final."
The anniversary
We have West Boca 41st and Newman 100th. Fifty-nine places apart on a national board, and about a fifteen-minute drive apart in Palm Beach County, which is the only distance that matters tonight. West Boca dropped to Class 5A in reclassification, so the two are no longer even in the same bracket.
Almost nobody who played in that 17-7 loss to Benjamin is still in high school. The streak belongs to a school rather than to a team, and it has outlived every player who started it.
Newman did not pick the date. It just kept winning until the calendar came back around to the last time it didn't.
Reporting drawn from the Palm Beach Post, New Era Prep, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, CBS12, WPTV, 247Sports, MaxPreps and FloridaHSFootball.
