Reporter: Diego Maldonado

For Cardinal Hayes, heading into the 2026-2027 season, you kind of want to forget the season they had last year. The Cardinals went 2-8 throughout the season, which included a 48-0 loss to St. Joseph Regional, at the time the #1 ranked team in New Jersey. But it’s a new season, and every team starts with a clean slate. All that’s left is to see if the Cardinals have what it takes to push through the season and improve in all areas.

Once you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is back up. Why do I say this? Simple: in the 2023-2024 season, Cardinal Hayes finished 12-2 and were the #1 ranked team in the state of New York, led by quarterback Rich Belin, a two-time All-State selection and the 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year for New York, who went on to sign with Syracuse over offers from Navy and Old Dominion. Belin was a dual threat with a strong run game and a great passing game, totaling 19 touchdowns on the season. After he graduated, the team took a nosedive and finished 2-8 in the 2025-2026 season, which included a winless record in league games.

This season, they have a new quarterback in #4 Johnye Booker, and in the first game against Pope John XXIII, he demonstrated potential for having an amazing season. His run game looked extremely sharp and quick. He delivered a nice 40-yard pass to get the school’s first touchdown of the season, and had a really nice throw in the second quarter where Cardinal Hayes overthrew the snap, putting Booker in a bind, but he was able to fire off a nice quick pass that his receiver, sadly, dropped. Overall, it was a very impressive first game for him to lead the offense and fill up the scoreboard the way this school needs. Is he the leader this team needed last year?

For the second game of the season, Cardinal Hayes picked up a win against Middletown (DE). Once again, Booker showed elite movement and passing accuracy. But #28, Kymoni Valentine, is a monster. He’s listed on the roster as a middle linebacker, but he’s also playing running back for Johnye Booker. Kymoni Valentine is 240 pounds, trucking over the defense. Sadly, he did get hurt late in the fourth quarter of this game.

But after this thriller of a game, Cardinal Hayes, on paper, should feel better than last season, thanks to a now more explosive and exciting offense featuring Booker and Valentine. Let’s see if they can keep this offense up in their third game against Kellenberg Memorial, because if so, the Cardinals may finish at the top of their league division again soon.