by Vero Beach took control up front from the opening kickoff and didn’t let go, using a physical run game and two big takeaways to beat Cardinal Newman 28-7.
The Fighting Indians scored on their very first drive. A face mask penalty and a 20-yard pass to Latravious Woods got things moving, then quarterback Wonderful “Champ” Monds hit Marcus Melbourne for 35 yards to set up Jayden Lockhart’s 3-yard touchdown run.
Things got worse for Cardinal Newman fast. Janarro Sumpter fumbled on the next possession, and Vero Beach only needed 27 yards to score again, with Lockhart punching in his second touchdown to make it 14-0 before the Crusaders could even settle in.
Cardinal Newman finally answered late in the first quarter. QB Pedro Martinez rolled out and found Logan Stepp for a 16 yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 7, but that was as close as they got.
Vero Beach came right back. Marcus Melbourne caught passes of 24 and 17 yards, and after a holding penalty wiped out a touchdown, Monds found him again for a 25 yard score to make it 21 7.
Cardinal Newman kept battling. Sumpter picked off a pass right before halftime, but the Crusaders couldn’t finish the drive from their own 6, and the half ended there.
The third and fourth quarters were mostly a defensive battle, full of punts and a turnover on downs. Vero Beach put the game away late in the third quarter, driving down the field behind Lockhart before Woods capped it off with a 7 yard reverse touchdown to make it 28-7.
Cardinal Newman got one more shot in the fourth quarter, helped by a facemask penalty, but Vero Beach’s Hudson McLaughlin sealed it with an interception in the red zone. Monds came out after that with the game in hand, and backup Makai White finished things off for Vero Beach.
Vero Beach didn’t have many big plays early and leaned on yards after the catch instead, while their offensive line jumped early on a few blitzes before settling in and playing much better in the second half. Cardinal Newman leaned heavily on the pass all night, mixing in a lot of throws outside the pocket.
Player of the Game: Jayden Lockhart, RB, Vero Beach
Jayden Lockhart set the tone for Vero Beach all night. He carried the ball 15 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and he was all over the field from start to finish. Lockhart scored the game’s first touchdown from 3 yards out, then added an 18-yard score on the next drive to put Vero Beach up 14-0 early. He kept chipping away with big runs of 14, 16 and 18 yards, and his physical style helped open things up for the Fighting Indians’ passing game later on. When Vero Beach needed to grind out the clock and put the game away, Lockhart was the guy doing it.
