Sports Report September 11, 2024

Football

The Greenies hosted former divisional and perennial rival, the St. Charles Catholic Comets, on Friday (9/6) at a rain-soaked Lupin Field, and Newman prevailed for the first time since 2020, avenging last year’s shutout. Senior captain quarterback Eli Friend held a master class in using all of his receiving weapons, throwing 15 completions on 22 attempts (68% completions) for a total of 258 throwing yards in the victory. Junior receiver Collier Villere led the receiving corps with five receptions for a total of 71 yards and two touchdown receptions. Junior receivers Charles Wilson, George Loop, and junior running back Jake Randle each had clutch long receptions of 49, 42 and 37 yards, respectively. On the ground, Randle led the team with 46 yards rushing on nine carries for a 5.1 yards per carry average. Friend scrambled on a 9-yard run for the final touchdown sealing the final score of 24 to 10 in favor of the Greenies. Junior Jack Falgoust (“Goose”) made all of his PATs and added a field goal in the first half.

Not to be outdone, the Newman defense made a statement of its own by stifling the Comets’ normally prolific offense and holding them to 10 points. The Green Machine successfully held off the Comets on two fourth down attempts. Senior cornerback Alexander Dulitz had two interceptions to shut down the Comets passing attack and blocked a Comets punt attempt that was recovered by junior Dylan Kolenovsky. Senior James Reiss led the defense with 6.5 tackles/ 5 solos, and senior captain Justin Wells locked down the front with three tackles for loss.

This week, the Greenies move on to their second regular season game of the season, against Riverside Academy, away in Reserve. The Rebels are coming off of a 48-42 loss to Terrebonne last week and will be looking for redemption. Please note this Riverside Academy game has been moved to Saturday (9/14) at 7pm, but subject to change depending on the effects of the inbound weather.

For his extraordinary effort, Dulitz is in the running for NOLA.com’s Prep Football Player of the Week. Vote for him here! Also check out the game highlights and a post-game interview with Friend on VSN (Facebook) here and here, a NOLA.com article “Stout defense was the key to the game in Newman-St. Charles Week 1 matchup” here, and Crescent City Sports’ coverage, “Newman defense rises up in impressive win over St. Charles Catholic” here.

Cheerleading

Despite the steady rain, the Newman cheer team kept spirits high during Friday’s huge Week 1 win against St. Charles Catholic. With their energy undiminished by the weather, the squad danced and led cheers that kept the Greenie Swamp rockin’!

Volleyball

The Greenies girls volleyball team had an incredible week of competition, showcasing its dominance on the court. Last Tuesday (9/3), varsity swept Central LaFourche with a decisive 3-0 victory in the Palestra, demonstrating teamwork and skill. Front row hitters Tatum Young (#7, 15 kills) and Caroline Beahm (#31, 13 kills) had an outstanding game.

On Thursday (9/5), the Greenies triumphed in the first round of the Mustang Classic, defeating both Catholic High and East Ascension High. Jessie Lambert (#1) racked up 10 kills against East Ascension, while Leilani Reid (#35) added seven kills for the win. The entire varsity bench contributed to these victories.

Saturday (9/7) brought another impressive three-set win against ED White. Setter Catherine Lapeyre (#34) delivered excellent sets throughout the match, while back row defenders Kingsland LeBourgeois (#21) and Sarah Gibbs Smallpage made key digs to secure the win. Although the Greenies' Mustang Classic run ended in the semifinals with a loss to Vanderbilt, the team remains focused and determined.

Meanwhile, junior varsity Green and junior varsity White had an awesome sweep last week as well. This week, the Greenies will look to continue their strong play face off at home in Palaestra against Pope John Paul on Thursday (9/10). Go Greenies!

Cross Country

Unfortunately, due to the heavy rain last Friday (9/6), The Battle for New Orleans Meet at the UNO Lakefront was cancelled. This weekend, the cross country team will travel to Baton Rouge to compete in the Episcopal High School Round Table Run. The boys’ varsity runners will kick things off at Highland Road Park on Saturday (9/14) at 8:30am, with the last race starting at 9:40am. Results to be posted here. Good luck Greenies runners!

Swimming

Last Friday, the Newman swim team kicked off the season with an exciting Green & White Intrasquad Meet, showcasing impressive performances from both Upper School and Middle School swimmers. In a tightly contested event, the Green Team emerged victorious, defeating the White Team 206 to 158.

The meet featured an astounding 70% best times from last year, reflecting the hard work and dedication of the team over the offseason and the past few weeks. Additionally, several swimmers already achieved state qualifying times:

• Charlotte Norwood '27: 200 IM, 100 Back, 100 Free

• Vivian Zhou '26: 100 Fly, 100 Back, 100 Free

• Morgan Breaux '26: 100 Breast, 100 Free

• Anjali Dasa '26: 100 Breast

• Elias Hutchings '25: 100 Breast

The varsity team is gearing up for its next meet this Saturday, September 14, at 8am (weather permitting) at the St. James Parish Aquatic Center. Newman will face off against Ben Franklin, Denham, Destrehan, ED White, Lutcher, Riverside, St. James, and Willow in what promises to be a highly competitive event. Go Greenies!

Upcoming Schedule

See the latest Newman sports schedule here. 

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