MIAMI, Florida, Dec. 10 — The No. 21 Chaminade-Madonna [Hollywood, FL] Lions will wrap up what they hope will be another Florida FHSAA Class 1A state championship season Thursday afternoon.
Standing in their way are the unranked Cardinal Newman [West Palm Beach, FL] Crusaders who aren't exactly pushovers.
Still, Chaminade-Madonna has managed to hang around in the national Top 25 all year in AllSportsPeople Composite Rankings, and they are solid favorites to capture their third straight Florida state championship to go along with 2024's Class 1A title and 2023's Class M title.
Cardinal Newman, on the other hand, is seeking its first state title in football. They have played a big schedule in 2025, losing to the Roman Catholic [Philadelphia, PA] Cahillite in a 49-35 shootout back on August 29. Roman Catholic plays in Philly's Catholic League – Red Conference which is considered by some pundits to be the nation's second-most difficult high school football league behind California's Trinity League.
The Crusaders also beat West Boca Raton [Boca Raton, FL], 26-20, in overtime on October 17, and the Bulls will be playing for Florida's FHSAA Class 6A title later this week. Still, Chaminade-Madonna represents a step up in competition, and the Crusaders will find out just how far they still have to go to become one of Florida's elite prep football programs – or, possibly, find out that they are already there.
Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. EST local at Florida International University's Pitbull Stadium.
WATCH ON THE NFHS NETWORK: No. 21 Chaminade-Madonna [Hollywood, FL] Lions vs. Cardinal Newman [West Palm Beach, FL] Crusaders
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|| SECOND QUARTER ||
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CARDINAL NEWMAN 7, CHAMINADE-MADONNA 0
Jyron Hughley breaks into the open field down the left sideline, and he goes 69 yards for a touchdown for Cardinal Newman. This couldn't be off to a better start for the Crusaders.
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Cardinal Newman gets the stop and forces a field goal. It's no good, and the Crusaders have managed to go more than 12 minutes now without letting this high-powered Lions' team get any points on the board. This is a formula for potential success so far for the underdog Crusaders.
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End of the first quarter: Cardinal Newman 0, Chaminade-Madonna 0
Two long drives ate up the first-quarter clock, and we'll head to the second quarter with Chaminade-Madonna facing a third-and-goal.
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After a short drive by Chaminade-Madonna, Cardinal Newman showed some grit on their first drive, and they shaved nearly seven minutes off the clock. They didn't score, but they flipped the field position. And if you're not going to score, at least long drives that bleed the clock will shorten this game, and help Cardinal Newman keep this game from becoming a track meet.
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They are under way in Miami, Florida!
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Coming soon!
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Chaminade-Madonna vs. Cardinal Newman start time
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 11
- Start time: 12:30 p.m. EST local
The game between Chaminade-Madonna and Cardinal Newman is being played at Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Florida.
How can I watch Chaminade-Madonna vs. Cardinal Newman today?
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 11
- WATCH ON THE NFHS NETWORK: No. 21 Chaminade-Madonna [Hollywood, FL] Lions vs. Cardinal Newman [West Palm Beach, FL] Crusaders
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