Clearwater Central Catholic upsets No. 25 nationally ranked Berkeley Prep

The Marauders racked up 248 rushing yards en route to the upset victory

FHSAA 1M Championship Chaminade-Madonna vs Clearwater Central Catholic December 8, 2022 / Matt Christopher

Motivation to prove everyone wrong is something Clearwater Central Catholic head coach Chris Harvey has thrived on over the years.

Heading into Friday night's tilt between the Marauders and Berkeley Prep Buccaneers, Harvey and his team heard everything about the No. 25 nationally ranked opponent. Thing is, the Marauders defeated the Buccaneers last season and have the proven blueprint in getting it done.

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CCC was able to grind it out via a strong ground game, led by running back Sean Cuono, en route to a 28-14 defeat of Berkeley Prep. Cuono finished the evening with 96 yards rushing on just eight carries and scoredthree touchdowns.

Thinking about who's usually the catalyst in making things happen for the Marauders, it's usually no further than Illinois commit Jershaun Newton. The Marauders' signal caller, however, played more of the role of managing the game and did a masterful job in doing so. Newton finished with 95 all-purpose yards.

The Marauders' defense was up to the task of slowing down the rushing attack tandem of Dallas Golden and Joseph Troupe. Golden, a Notre Dame commit, was limited to 27 yards on 12 touches. Troupe, a Temple commit, did well and finished the night with 109 yards on 11 carries.

CCC (1-0) got on the board first when Cuono scored on a 39-yard scamper to put the Marauders ahead 7-0.

He gone. One carry and 3 ⭐️ RB @seancuono finds the End Zone from 39-yards out. With 2:06 remaining in the 1st Quarter, @CCCMaraudersFB leads @BPS_Football 7-0. @Andy_Villamarzo @SBLiveFL pic.twitter.com/ITp1pPbgrN

— Alejandro Tamayo (@AlexTamayo22) August 23, 2024

Cuono struck again in the second quarter, punching in his second touchdown of the night on a 8-yard run. Up 14-0, the Marauders looked to take full control of the contest.

Dominick Ciao's group would respond just under a minute before halftime when quarterback Cooper Hayes (15-of-27, 185 yards) found Rico Garcia in the back of the endzone on a 8-yard strike to cut the gap to 14-7 at intermission.

Troupe showed folks why he was the hero of the Class 2M state championship last season, busting off a 82-yard touchdown run and tying the game up at 14-all.

The game's go-ahead touchdown was scored by Keo Jenkins late in the third quarter, a 1-yard plunge. Up 21-14, CCC wouldn't allow the Buccaneers to see the endzone the rest of the night.

CCC retakes the lead thanks to this 1-yard TD run by @keojenkins_11. With 2:34 remaining in the 3rd Quarter, @CCCMaraudersFB leads @BPS_Football 21-14. @Andy_Villamarzo @SBLiveSports @SBLiveFL pic.twitter.com/Q3PQK6MWZi

— Alejandro Tamayo (@AlexTamayo22) August 24, 2024

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Berkeley Prep ended the night actually out-gaining CCC in yardage, 308-286. The major difference was in the rushing totals, as the Marauders finished with the 248-123 advantage on the ground.

The Buccaneers will have a chance to bounce back at home when they face Sarasota Booker and CCC welcomes Sebring into town in Week 2.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl