A lot has changed since Cardinal Newman last lost to a Palm Beach County football team.
The College Football Playoff was still a four-team event. Name, image and likeness rights had yet to transform college athletics. Artificial intelligence was nowhere near mainstream. And Cardinal Newman football had never won a state championship.
Five years later, the Crusaders face perhaps their toughest test yet.
Cardinal Newman (3-0) travels to West Boca Raton (2-0) on Thursday night for what is one of Palm Beach County's biggest regular season games of the decade. The two-time defending state champion Bulls will get a crack at the county's fellow defending state champion on their home field with a shot to avenge last year's dramatic overtime finish.
It is
fair to say that Cardinal Newman, the "Crusader Kings" of Palm Beach County football over the last five years, may enter Thursday night as a slight underdog.
West Boca Raton is riding the momentum of back-to-back state championship appearances and enters with legitimate aspirations of capturing Florida's inaugural Open Division title. The Bulls announced themselves as a statewide contender in Week 1 with a commanding 24-7 victory at American Heritage-Plantation, one of the state's most accomplished programs.
Cardinal Newman, meanwhile, is still forging its post-championship identity after last year's historic state title run. The Crusaders have already overcome their share of challenges, opening the season 3-0 despite replacing several key contributors and suffering a season-ending injury to standout defensive back Khalil Gabaud. Their biggest statement came in a dramatic 48-47 victory road victory over west-coast powerhouse Cardinal Mooney.
Whether this year's edition can uphold the program's local dominance against perhaps the most talented opponent remaining on its schedule remains to be seen.
Get discount to stream games on NFHS Network
Inside the Cardinal Newman streak
The matchup comes on the fifth anniversary of the Crusaders' last loss to a local opponent, a 17-7 defeat to Benjamin on Sept. 10, 2021.
By the numbers, Newman's streak is comprehensive: 1,826 undefeated days, 20 straight wins over every realistic county rival and one historic FHSAA state championship.
Of course, even head coach Jack Daniels acknowledges that the streak exists at least in part because local matchups are harder to come by lately for the Crusaders.
"We may not have that streak if some of the county teams would play us," Daniels said after last year's 26-20 overtime win over West Boca Raton. "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."
In 2023, The Palm Beach Post obtained emails showing some schools encouraged one another not to schedule Cardinal Newman, citing concerns about the private school's alleged recruiting advantages. Local games have become increasingly rare since then. After facing 14 Palm Beach County opponents during the 2021-23 regular seasons, the Crusaders will play just eight local foes from 2024-26 combined.
Nonetheless, the Crusaders' streak stands up to some of the best in recent county history.
Comparable streaks include Glades Central's 26-game unbeaten run against Palm Beach County teams from Nov. 9, 2007 to Aug. 31, 2012, a span of 1,757 days. That one ended against a Daniels-led Dwyer team.
Should the Crusaders survive Thursday night's showdown, two local programs would still have opportunities to end the streak this season.
Atlantic hosts Cardinal Newman on Oct. 1, while Saint Andrew's welcomes the Crusaders on Oct. 23 in a critical district matchup.
For now, however, all eyes are on West Boca Raton and a game that could either reinforce Cardinal Newman's place atop the county football landscape or finally bring an end to a streak that has lasted five years... and counting.
2025
- Sept. 5: vs. Benjamin* (W, 47-0)
- Sept. 12: at Pahokee (W, 26-10)
- Oct.17: vs. West Boca Raton (W, 26-20 OT)
2024
- Sept. 6: at Benjamin* (W, 34-20)
- Sept. 13: vs. Pahokee (W, 43-8)
2023
- Sept. 22: vs. Atlantic (W, 13-7 OT)
- Oct. 13: at St. John Paul II (W, 70-6)
- Oct. 20: vs. Benjamin* (W, 17-14)
- Nov. 3: at Palm Beach Central (W, 28-7)
- Nov. 17: vs. Benjamin** (W, 28-3)
2022
- Aug. 25: at Pahokee (W, 40-12)
- Sept. 2: at American Heritage-Delray (W, 42-0)
- Sept. 9: at Benjamin* (W, 36-14)
- Oct. 7: at Glades Central (W, 45-0)
- Oct. 14: vs. St. John Paul II* (W, 69-0)
- Oct. 20: vs. SLAM West Palm Beach (W, 14-6)
- Nov. 18: vs. Benjamin** (W, 14-6)
2021
- Aug. 27: vs. King's Academy (W, 55-0)
- Sept. 10: vs. Benjamin (L, 17-7)
- Sept. 30: vs. Suncoast (W, 63-0)
- Oct. 8: at St. John Paul II* (W, 35-6)
- Nov. 12: vs. Saint Andrew’s** (W, 41-6)
*Mandatory district game
**Regional playoff game
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cardinal Newman football's 1,826-day streak on the line vs. West Boca
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
