Cardinal Newman boys lacrosse won their first district title on April 16, defeating King's Academy 17-4. The victory marks a significant milestone for the program as they advance to regional play.
Key points
Cardinal Newman won their first district championship
WEST PALM BEACH ― Cardinal Newman boys lacrosse left no doubt in winning the first district championship in program history on April 16.
Top-seeded Newman defeated King's Academy, who was also making their first district final appearance, 17-4, in a game that featured the Crusaders leaping to an 8-1 lead by the end of the first quarter of action.
The Crusaders struck first through Chase Lofurno, and the junior would continue to set the tone throughout the evening, pacing his team with six goals.
The championship victory propels Newman into regional play on a streak of four straight wins, allowing the Crusaders to await their opening round matchup with confidence and momentum.
Newman finally healthy as they hit stride
Cardinal Newman's Chase Lofurno runs toward the team's fans with the district title trophy, celebrating a championship victory over King's Academy on April 16, 2026.
Cardinal Newman's Chase Lofurno runs toward the team's fans with the district title trophy, celebrating a championship victory over King's Academy on April 16, 2026.
From Week 1 to now, it's felt like Cardinal Newman has fielded a different team nearly every week ― out of necessity, not by choice.
Injuries have decimated the Crusaders all across the field, forcing the coaching staff to manipulate lineups and formations.
At one point, the team was down six starters, head coach Cam Bazin said, a testament to the next-man-up mindset the team has adopted.
Many of those players have been key members of a talented team, but perhaps no one got the shorter end of the lacrosse stick this year than Gavin Chandler, who dealt with a concussion, back stitches, a sprained wrist, and more.
"We overcame a lot of adversity this year," Chandler said. "I know I went through some crazy stuff. It's not about me, it's about the team. We've got a lot of new guys who came here for exactly this and what's to come for the future, you know. And this just shows what happens when you really buy in."
Q&A
When did Cardinal Newman boys lacrosse win their first district title?
Cardinal Newman boys lacrosse won their first district title on April 16.
What was the score of the Cardinal Newman vs King's Academy district final?
The score was 17-4 in favor of Cardinal Newman.
Who led Cardinal Newman in scoring during the district championship game?
Chase Lofurno led Cardinal Newman with six goals in the championship game.
What does the district championship victory mean for Cardinal Newman boys lacrosse?
The victory marks the program's first district title and propels them into regional play with momentum.
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In facing such a brutal schedule, injuries at times prevented the team from reaching their full potential in the regular season.
"With the schedule overloaded, injuries hit us at the wrong time," head coach Cam Bazin said. "I feel like a couple of those could have swung the opposite way, but it's 'face adversity and how do you overcome that?' You ride the highs, you ride the lows. You don't get too high, you don't get too low. And we're really healthy at the right time."
Chase Lofurno, William Stumm impressive in win
Cardinal Newman's Gavin Chandler (left) and Chase Lofurno (right) celebrate a scoring connection during a district championship victory over King's Academy on April 16, 2026.
Cardinal Newman's Gavin Chandler (left) and Chase Lofurno (right) celebrate a scoring connection during a district championship victory over King's Academy on April 16, 2026.
Chase Lofurno attributes his killer shot to his body control and his arms, but the specifics won't matter to most defenses.
What matters is that his shot is very tough to stop.
The junior attacker tallied a team-high six goals on seven shots Thursday night, terrorizing the King's defense throughout the evening.
"Our offense just works," Lofurno said. "We all click, everybody gets their go, and it's not a lot of 'me ball.'"
That much was true on Thursday night. While Lofurno paced the Crusaders in scoring, seven other players found the back of the net, including three from senior Judson Reback.
On defense, William Stumm is among several big names, helping to anchor a unit that us allowing just over eight goals per game ― a notable number given the variety of top teams the Crusaders have played.
In leading that defense, Stumm says it's important he and his fellow defenders not shy away from covering some of the best attackers in the state.
"I think playing very hard, not being scared," Stumm said of the keys to a good defense. "No matter the matchup, whoever it is ― James Finch (Western), Nick Testa (St. Andrew's) ― doesn't matter. It is, 'you've got to play like you're the best.' You got to play like you're the best and you want to take that ball away every time."
Newman to enter regionals tested by brutal schedule
Cardinal Newman's William Stumm holds off a King's Academy defender as he pushes possession upfield during a district championship victory over King's Academy on April 16, 2026.
Cardinal Newman's William Stumm holds off a King's Academy defender as he pushes possession upfield during a district championship victory over King's Academy on April 16, 2026.
Cardinal Newman is sitting at an even 10-10 at the closure of district play, but that record belies the Crusaders' difficulty of schedule this season.
The fact that the Crusaders stand ranked in the top 20 teams across the state of Florida is enough of an indicator for the quality of competition.
"Obviously, it's not pretty to look at the record," Bazin said. "I think the record, it doesn't tell the full story and everything that we went through prepared us for the run as we continued on."
Just six teams in the state of Florida have a stronger strength of schedule, with St. Andrew's and Benjamin among the very few who have faced a stronger lineup.
In addition to a schedule full of Florida's toughest competition, top-five teams from Ohio and Texas rounded out a rough stretch of games intended to prepare the Crusaders for the moments ahead, with a talented collection of Class 1A teams entering the mix for the regional playoffs.
"The competition we've played against, it's adversity, but to be the best, you got to play the best, right?" Chandler said. "So, that's where it's been this year."
While Newman enters Selection Show Friday on a high note, having scored 17 goals in three straight games, assistant coach Anthony Pecoraro expressed that short-term memory has to set in.
"Honestly, like the players don't want to hear this, but I think like we've got to kind of forget about it, right?" Pecoraro said. "Like, enjoy it right now. Enjoy this tonight, maybe even into tomorrow, but once Saturday and Sunday hits, we're gearing up for whoever we're playing on Tuesday."
"We've got to get ready and prepare for what's up ahead, and I think this team has a really good chance of going deep into the playoffs," he continued. "These guys deserve this."
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
