Bucs defense too much for Crusaders

WEST PALM BEACH — Benjamin sophomore quarterback Tyler Aronson passed for two touchdowns and the Bucs defense created six turnovers as they remained unbeaten with a 17-7 victory against host Cardinal Newman on Friday night.

Benjamin (3-0) rallied from a 7-0 deficit after the first quarter and they scored all 17 unanswered points off of turnovers committed by Cardinal Newman.

In a highly anticipated matchup featuring highly touted underclassmen at quarterback on both sides, Aronson made his presence felt with two scoring passes in the second quarter.

“We had a couple of nice catches and Tyler put it in a spot where only our guys could get it,” Benjamin head coach Eric Kresser said. “I think every week he gets better. We have coaches helping him and we are getting more on the same wavelength and it’s becoming easier each week.”

Cardinal Newman freshman quarterback Davi Belfort was under heavy pressure from the Benjamin defense throughout the game and he threw an interception and lost four fumbles in the loss.

“We have a lot of unsung kids and we are a lot better up front then people think and they are going to make some noise this year,” Kresser said. “We fully expected to be here. We do not buy into the rankings and ratings. We have to keep going and keep getting better.”

Cardinal Newman (1-2) went threeand-out on the opening possession of the contest, but they were set-up with a short field at the Benjamin 36-yard line after recovering a fumble on a punt. The Crusaders extended the drive after sophomore running back Tovani Mizell powered his way for a fourth-down conversion. Mizell capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run.

The Bucs defense responded as senior Mason Thomason stepped up with an interception late in the first quarter. They capitalized on the ensuing drive after moving downfield and registering a fourth-down conversion deep in Crusaders territory. Aronson connected on a 11-yard scoring pass to junior wide receiver Darrell Sweeting in the right corner of the end zone to tie the score in the second quarter.

The Crusaders were unable to answer back after a turnover on downs on an incompletion at the Bucs’ 44-yard line. Sophomore running back Chauncey Bowens had a 30-yard run down the right sideline deep into Crusaders territory, but the Bucs failed to take advantage and came up empty on a 22-yard missed field goal attempt.

The Bucs defense made another big play after Belfort lost a fumble while scrambling out of the pocket at his own 8. After a tackle for a loss, Aronson fired a 10-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Sean Rooney as the Bucs jumped ahead 14-7 in the final minute prior to halftime.

“I am so proud of the guys and they gave me so many opportunities and the ball with good field position,” Aronson said. “Everything starts with the offensive line. We have come together as a group. I am so proud of them.”

In the third quarter, the Bucs defense forced a fumble with a return to the Crusaders 22-yard line. Junior kicker Luke Casper connected on a 21-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-7. In the fourth quarter, Belfort hit sophomore wide receiver Kevin Levy on a catch-and-run to the Bucs’ 10-yard line. The Crusaders mishandled the snap on the next play for a 13-yard loss and the drive later stalled after Belfort was sacked and lost a fumble at the Bucs 38-yard line.

Alex Kushel is a correspondent for the South Florida Sun Sentinel.