Hello, ILS,
Here’s your Sunday sports report and sports schedule:
Football: La Salle Dominates in Regional Quarterfinal, Advances with 42–7 Victory
Immaculata-La Salle opened the postseason in commanding fashion, rolling to a 42–7 win over Somerset Academy in the Regional Quarterfinal on Friday night. The Royals set the tone early, building a 21–0 lead in the first quarter and never looking back.
ILS struck first when Adrian Cox powered in a 9-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. Moments later, the defense delivered a huge play—returning a fumble for a touchdown and converting the two-point attempt to push the lead to 14–0. Before the quarter ended, QB Nate Merrell Jr. connected with Tyrone Williams on a 49-yard strike to extend the advantage to 21–0.
Somerset Academy managed its lone score in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 21–7 heading into halftime.
The Royals came out of the break with the same intensity. Cox found the end zone again on a 4-yard run, followed by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Merrell Jr. to Wendell Copeland as the lead ballooned to 35–7. Cox capped off his stellar night with a third rushing touchdown—another 4-yard score—to seal the 42–7 victory.
- Passing: #10 Nate Merrell Jr. – 6/13, 137 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT (long 51)
- Rushing: #2 Adrian Cox – 10 carries, 71 yards, 3 TD, long 30; Nate Merrell Jr. – 3 carries, -33 yards
- Receiving: #4 Tyrone Williams – 2 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD, long 51; #5 Wendell Copeland – 3 receptions, 36 yards, 1 TD; #8 Jayden Noel – 1 reception, 32 yards; #13 Kamari Vasquez – 1 reception, 1 yard
- Defense: Jayden Noel had 9 tackles, Christopher Spikes with 7 tackles and Ian Destinobles with 6 tackles. Trayton Jones had an interception returned for a touchdown but was called back due to a penalty.
Cross Country: The Royal Lions Cross Country team competed in their final race of the season this past Friday morning at the Regional Championship Meet at Boca Raton.
Senior Andrea Echeverria finished off her career at ILS with a strong performance – posting a PR with a 5k time of 21:16. With that performance she cements herself as the third fastest runner in the program’s history.
The boys team finished 13th overall and were led by senior Daniel Brito (18:10). Daniel wraps up his career as the fifth fastest runner in the program’s history. Senior Roman Morse finished his career as well with a strong performance (21:44)
This season was filled with several personal bests, trials, and triumphs collectively. Both teams will look forward to most of the roster returning next year. The future is bright for this program.
I want to thank all runners and parents for everything we’ve experienced this past season. Wishing you all the best – Coach Shaheen.
Girls Soccer: The ILS girls soccer team delivered an impressive performance in a 4–1 victory over St. John Paul II. Cristina Echevarri led the way with a standout hat trick, finding the back of the net three times. Senna Trafton added another goal to secure the Royals’ strong offensive showing.
Sofia Cruces played a key role in the attack as well, contributing two assists and helping control the pace throughout the match.
With the win, ILS improves to 2–1 on the season and continues to build momentum early in the year.
Boys Soccer: The boys’ soccer team bounced back in a big way this week, earning their first win of the season with a commanding 6–0 victory over St. John Paul II. After a tough result last week, the Royals responded with energy, discipline, and an impressive all-around performance.
From the opening whistle, they controlled the pace of play moving the ball well, creating chances, and applying constant pressure in the attacking third. The team’s organized defensive effort kept St. John Paul II off the board, securing the shutout.
The win marks an important early-season step for the Royals as they look to build momentum and continue improving with each match. They improve to 1-1-1 on the season.
Cheerleading: Both cheerleading teams also had a strong showing this week.
JV and Varsity Cheer kicked off their competitive season with their first Head-to-Head of the year, hosted at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy. Both teams performed impressive routines and earned valuable feedback from the judges.
They continued their momentum with solid performances at the Soflo Competition at West Broward high school, showcasing growth, energy, and teamwork early in the season.
Boys & Girls Basketball: Our boys and girls basketball teams opened their pre-seasons with competitive performances and plenty to build on.
The boys team earned a solid win over Archbishop Carroll, showcasing strong execution and energy on both ends of the court. They followed it up with a hard-fought battle against a talented Miami Palmetto squad, ultimately coming up short but displaying resilience and promising flashes that will carry them forward.
The girls team also kicked off the year with an impressive victory, defeating Westminster behind disciplined team defense and balanced scoring. They then faced a tough Carrollton group, competing throughout but falling just short. The effort and toughness they showed early in the season highlight the potential this group has as they continue to grow.
Both programs leave preseason with a 1–1 record and a strong foundation for the season ahead. Exciting things are on the horizon for our basketball teams as they continue to build chemistry and momentum. Go Royals!
Sports schedule:
Monday, November 17, 2025: Boys and Girls Varsity basketball kicks off their season at home vs David
Posnack Jewish Day School 3:30PM Girls & 5:00PM Boys.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025: Boys Soccer home opener vs St. Thomas Aquinas 6PM
Girls JV & Varsity soccer travel to American Heritage Planation for a 5:30/7PM game.
Girls Basketball travels to Carrollton for a 5PM game.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025: Boys Basketball travels to Dade Christan for a JV & Varsity match up.
Boys JV Soccer travels to Doral for a 3:30PM match.
Cheerleading travels to St. Brendan for a head-to-head match.
Thursday, November 20, 2025: Girls Soccer travels to Divine Savior for a 4pm match.
Girls’ basketball travels to Palmer Trinity 7:30PM
Friday, November 21, 2025: Football regional Semifinal game vs Ransom Everglades 7PM
Boys Basketball hosts Southwest for a 6/7:30PM game in the Lion’s den.
