DAYTONA BEACH – Four Palm Beach County players ended their high school football careers with a state title.
In what was a 28-23 win for St. Thomas Aquinas over Edgewater at Daytona Stadium on Saturday night (Dec. 14), senior athlete Blaine Anderson (Palm Beach Central transfer) made a key play that helped his team out in a big way.
With a timely assist by fellow senior and cornerback Colby Dempsey (Dwyer transfer), Anderson’s pick came at the 5:10 mark of the third quarter. And at that point, St. Thomas Aquinas (14-0) was at its own 45-yard line, facing a 14-7 deficit to Edgewater (13-2).
So it could be said that Anderson and Dempsey played key roles in the Raiders comeback win over the Eagles.
“My boy Colby told me before the play to watch the slant route coming inside, so I stayed patient and sat there and I got an early jump on the ball,” Anderson said. “It felt great to help my team swing the momentum back in our favor.”
Anderson also had a pass breakup and four tackles in his high school football finale.
As for Dempsey, his presence alone provided an edge for St. Thomas Aquinas. He went into the state title game with nine interceptions for the season.
Dempsey briefly reflected on how it feels to be a state champion.
“It feels crazy and surreal,” Dempsey said. “The feeling still hasn’t hit me yet.”
St. Thomas Aquinas senior tight end Jake Ray (Palm Beach Central) transfer caught two passes in the five-point win over Edgewater.
“It feels great,” Ray said. “Just an unbelievable feeling after working all year and coming out victorious because every day we preached that this was what we were going to do.”
We have another player from Palm Beach County on the Raiders squad. He’s Anthony Hankerson, the sophomore running back who hails from Boynton Beach.
Hankerson led the St. Thomas Aquinas rushing attack with 190 yards on the ground and a touchdown. His most impactful play was a 63-yard touchdown run with 3:41 left in the second quarter, cutting Edgwater’s lead to 14-7.
“That guy’s a dog,” St. Thomas Aquinas senior linebacker and Florida commit Derek Wingo told Adam Lichtenstein of the Sun-Sentinel. “In the weight room, everything, he works hard. He’s going to be a great player.”
And how do we forget about Griffin Lampton?
The senior outside linebacker, Vanderbilt commit, and Palm Beach Central transfer played a role in limiting Edgewater’s offense in the
second half. The Eagles only scored nine points the rest of the way, while the Raiders scored 21 more to get their 11th state championship.
St. Thomas Aquinas is tied with Jacksonville Bolles for the most high school football state titles in FHSAA history.
“We had an opportunity to demonstrate faith and character, and our guys did that,” St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Roger Harriott said. “Hats off to Edgewater. They’re an exceptional team. I know exactly how they feel. On the other side, I’m sure they’ll be back. But we gave the 2018 team our word that we would be back here to finish the job. It’s a rewarding victory.”
Anderson spoke on how Harriott and his coaching staff have gone out of their way to make the Palm Beach County players feel welcome on this team.
“Coach Harriott is a great coach,” Anderson said. “From day one, he welcomed us in with open arms, and so did the rest of the team. He instilled in us that it’s more important to be a great person with great character and to live a life pleasing to God. The football aspect will take care of itself, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Anderson had more to say.
“Coach [Jason] Taylor, Coach [Ameer] Riley, and the rest of the defensive coaches are the best coaches anyone could ask for,” Anderson said. “We’ve learned so much from them by pushing us to the limit everyday in practice. It is what made us the best defense in the country.”
It could be argued that St. Thomas Aquinas finished the season as the best team in the country, even though the state’s No. 2-ranked team is also the nation’s No. 5-ranked team, per MaxPreps. But regardless, for Anderson and all of our Palm Beach County players on this St. Thomas Aquinas team, it’s a moment they can cherish for the rest of their lives.
“Man it doesn’t even feel real,” Anderson said. “It still hasn’t hit me yet. But this was truly a team effort. Every single person on the team helped contribute to this state championship.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Jeffrey Wimbrow
