PORT ST. LUCIE – Facing a scoreless tie at halftime, most coaches probably would not be happy about the situation.
St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Roger Harriott, on the other hand, strived for this moment.
“I wanted guys to get tested. I think that it’s important to develop character throughout the course of the season,” Harriott said. “This is a tough team. I don’t think they’re a true 1-4 team.”
Throughout the first half, it would be hard to believe that anyone on St. Thomas Aquinas’ sideline was happy, though.
A fumble inside the Treasure Coast 5-yard line ruined the road team’s best scoring opportunity of the first half.
Additionally, a rash of penalties called against St. Thomas Aquinas significantly extended drives for Treasure Coast’s offense.
Then, a switch flipped and St. Thomas Aquinas found its stride in the second half.
On St. Thomas Aquinas’ first drive to start the second half, sophomore quarterback Andrew Indorf – taking the place of regular starter Champ Harris, who was battling an injury – found his groove and started to make big-time plays.
First, Indorf connected with wide receiver Isaiah Hardge on a third down that extended a drive and put the Raiders near midfield. A few plays later, Indorf capped off the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chance Robinson.
“He’s done a good job. Champ Harris did a good job encouraging him, supporting him, and prepping him,” Harriott said of Indorf’s performance. “That was a good debut for Andrew and he’ll have better days ahead of him.”
Indorf, however, wasn’t done making an impact.
Later in the third quarter, Robinson found his way behind the Treasure Coast secondary and Indorf hit him in stride for a 47-yard touchdown, making the score 14-0 in favor of the Raiders.
“I know [Indorf] was looking for me,” Robinson said. “I told him to trust me, have fun. And I beat my guy over the top.”
Indorf would add a rushing touchdown later in the game, capping the sophomore’s night with three total touchdowns – two passing, one rushing – all of which came in the second half.
Normally, a situation like this could present a challenging task for a young quarterback, especially one without much experience. But Indorf was ready for the opportunity and was able to turn it into a strong showing.
“I was very confident,” Indorf said. “They all had my back, all the wide receivers, all the coaches, all the lineman. I’m ready to go at any time.”
Overall, Harriott felt that the Raiders’ response to the adversity faced in the first half was a credit to the St. Thomas Aquinas program.
“It’s a credit to our coaches and obviously, their family, our faith in the Lord, and our devotion to each other,” Harriott said. “When you have that type of character and you can get out there and execute … it says a lot about a team and that’s how you build a championship mentality.”
The win pushes St. Thomas Aquinas to 5-0 on the season.
Next week, St. Thomas Aquinas will be back at home on Sept. 30 for a matchup against Miramar. The following week, St. Thomas Aquinas will make the trip up to Ft. Lauderdale-Dillard.
Treasure Coast falls to 1-4 on the season and will travel south to Chaminade Madonna for a Sept. 30 matchup.
