SANTA ROSA , CA– In one of the most dramatic finishes of the North Bay League season, the Cardinal Newman Cardinals staged a last-minute comeback to defeat Maria Carrillo 20–19 on Thursday night, keeping their undefeated record intact in front of a roaring home crowd.

Newman, ranked No. 9 in the North Coast Section, entered the clash at 11–0 but found themselves on the ropes against a Pumas team (No. 12 NCS) having a spectacular inaugural season.
 

First-Half Shock: Carrillo Controls

Cardinal Newman struck first when Nicole Hayeems found Molly Friedman on a diving 6-yard touchdown catch, giving the Cardinals a 6–0 lead midway through the opening quarter.

But for the first time all season, Newman trailed on the scoreboard. Maria Carrillo quarterback Hanisi Daveta broke loose for a 14-yard scoring run early in the second quarter to put the Pumas ahead 7–6.

Carrillo's offense kept rolling. Daveta connected with Whitney Cia on an 11-yard touchdown strike, then hit Giana Morley for a 4-yard score just before halftime. The Pumas' defense added two first-half interceptions and turned three turnovers into 19 unanswered points.

Halftime: Maria Carrillo 19, Cardinal Newman 6 — the most points Newman's vaunted defense had allowed all season (they had given up just 18 total through their first 10 games).

Newman Fights Back

The Cardinals clawed their way back late in the third quarter. On a crucial 3rd down, Hayeems threaded a pass to Nicole DiMarco for a 9-yard touchdown, trimming the deficit to 19–12 with just 34 seconds left in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter turned into a defensive slugfest. Carrillo looked ready to put the game away when Bae-Cherie Mazeau hauled in a 30-yard gain to move the Pumas deep into Newman territory with two minutes remaining.

On 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Carrillo tried a flag football version of the "tush push," but Newman linebacker Hannah Maida blitzed in from the edge and made a game-saving flag pull in the backfield. The Cardinals took over with just 1:11 left — at their own 1-yard line.

Heroics in the Final Minute

Pinned deep, Newman calmly executed a flawless two-minute drill. Hayeems hit DiMarco on a sideline pass, and DiMarco smartly stepped out of bounds to stop the clock. On the next play, Hayeems scrambled for positive yards and again got out of bounds, preserving precious seconds.

That set the stage. On 3rd down, Hayeems dropped back and launched a deep ball straight down the middle of the field, where Friedman broke free and hauled in the play of the season — a 45-yard touchdown that electrified the Newman sideline.

On the two-point conversion, Hayeems connected with her sister Naomi Hayeems in the back of the end zone, completing the rally and giving Newman a 20–19 lead with just 45 seconds left.

Carrillo's final drive came up short, sealing an incredible win for Cardinal Newman.
 

Final: Cardinal Newman 20, Maria Carrillo 19

The victory moves Cardinal Newman to 12–0, while Carrillo falls to 9–2 but showed why their debut season has been one of the best storylines in the NBL.

"This was about resilience," said Cardinal Newman head coach Tino Retamoza. "Carrillo played a great game, but our kids refused to quit. That final stop and the Hayeems-to-Hayeems connection will be remembered for a long time."
 

For Newman, the perfect season continues — but not without their toughest test yet.