Cardinal Gibbons runs over Leesville Road in key Raleigh high school football showdown

The stakes of Friday’s Cardinal Gibbons-Leesville Road Cap Six 4A Conference football game at Marshall Hamilton Stadium were understood before the game’s opening kickoff.

And it didn’t take long to understand what the final result was going to look like, either.

The visiting Crusaders never were threatened en route to a 38-7 win — the third straight for Cardinal Gibbons (5-2, 2-0) in what has become the leading gridiron rivalry including two Raleigh schools.

The Crusaders took a 28-0 lead into halftime thanks to reserve quarterback Aiden Smalls’ 10-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Stoneking 2:12 before intermission. Kicker Daniel Monti added the extra point — his fourth of five — to set the halftime lead.

Stoneking also ran for a touchdown while Monti added a 24-yard field goal with 11:27 to play.

“We were able to just jump on them early, and kind of carry that momentum for the rest of the game,” Cardinal Gibbons coach Steven Wright said.

“Our front four were outstanding tonight,” Wright continued. “Our linebacking crew fit in gaps. Our DBs made plays when we needed them to make plays.”

A big third-down sack by Crusaders defensive end Donovan Dozier preceded a Pride punt that set up Cardinal Gibbons’ last touchdown. From there, Crusaders’ signal caller Whitt Newbauer did the rest, as he had done all game.

Newbauer connected with Chet Yardley (seven catches, 153 yards, two touchdowns) for six more points to add to a stellar statistics line — 18-for-21, 253 yards, and two touchdowns.

“His efficiency tonight was absolutely remarkable” Wright said of Newbauer. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Newbauer’s teammate Nick Lemon made six catches for 137 yards and one touchdown.

This Cardinal Gibbons-Leesville Road series — played every season since 2017 — never had seen this definitive an outcome in three games at Leesville Road. The Crusaders won by 11 points in 2018, and 13 points in the spring of 2021.

Leesville Road (5-2, 1-1) got on the scoreboard with fewer than five minutes remaining. Pride quarterback John Mark Shaw’s five-yard touchdown pass (on third-and-5) to Gabriel Simpkins was enough to complete a scoring drive.

Leesville Road outrushed Cardinal Gibbons 128-66.

The Pride’s lone win in the series came at Cardinal Gibbons in 2019, a year in which both schools advanced to state finals.

As for the game’s potential stakes? This game’s winner has completed an undefeated Cap Seven season each year since 2017.

This story was originally published October 8, 2022 at 12:16 AM.