Defense shines in Newman’s 48-0 defeat of St. Thomas Aquinas

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NEW ORLEANS – The Newman Greenies had little trouble Friday night taking down the St. Thomas Aquinas Falcons at Lupin Field, 48-0.

The Greenies dominated in all three phases of the game from the opening kick-off, allowing St. Thomas Aquinas to gain just 18 first-half yards, returning a punt for a touchdown and building a 34-0 halftime lead to produce a rolling clock in the second half.

“We want to pay attention to detail. We want to win in all three phases,” said Newman head coach Nelson Stewart after the game. “We want to play fast. We want to play physical. I think our kids are technically sound. We work really hard on practice film. We work really hard in our pregame preparation. Ultimately, we want our kids to play hard. I thought they did that tonight.”

Newman’s aerial attack was as deadly as ever Friday night. Sophomore quarterback Arch Manning completed 12 of 17 passes for 215 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Ky Donaldson caught four passes for 100 yards and three touchdowns, while junior receiver AJ Johnson caught five passes for 92 yards and a touchdown.

“I was so happy for Ky Donaldson,” Stewart said. “Ky had a great week in practice. He caught everything, and he is a big-time playmaker. His blocking has been great. He plays selfless. Arch has a lot of trust in him. Their chemistry is great. He’s part of that group that worked so much together during the pandemic. You see all of that paying off now.”

Newman dominated the first half on both sides of the football. The Greenies held a commanding 34-0 lead at halftime and cemented their victory with a 80-yard Manning to Donaldson touchdown on the first play of the second half.

The game opened with a defensive stop and blocked punt from Newman. The Greenies then took advantage of good field position by scoring quickly on its offensive first drive. Arch Manning completed three consecutive passes to drive 22 yards, ending the possession with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Ky Donaldson.

After trading possessions, Newman asserted its dominance on the ground. Junior running back Joseph Pleasant broke multiple tackles en route to a 19-yard touchdown run to cap off a four-play drive and give the Greenies a 13-0 lead in the dying moments of the first quarter. Pleasant rushed for 45 yards on three carries in the absence of senior tailback Sterling Scott.

After forcing a three-and-out on defense, the Newman offense once again drove quickly for a touchdown. In just six plays, the Greenies moved 61 yards and ended the drive with another Manning to Donaldson connection in the end zone. After yet another defensive three-and-out, Newman made its advantage known on special teams with a 60-yard punt return touchdown from Pike Philibert.

Arch Manning then ended the first-half scoring with a 44-yard over-the-shoulder pass to find AJ Johnson on a post route. The score set Newman’s halftime lead at 34-0 and assured the clock would not stop in the second half.

Following the halftime break and a quick 80-yard Newman touchdown throw, the Greenies gave experience to younger players who finished a defensive shutout and scored a touchdown of their own — a 32-yard rush from junior tailback Terrence Williams with 10:22 left to play in the fourth quarter.

Next Friday, Newman will travel to Reserve to play Riverside Academy, which is a rivalry game for the Greenies.

“Riverside will be a huge game next week,” Stewart said. “We’re going to move on in a hurry. It’s a big game for us, and it’s certainly an opponent which is going to have a big game atmosphere. We’re going to need to play our best.”

St. Thomas Aquinas will continue its non-conference slate at home against Frederick Douglass on Thursday night.