FORT LAUDERDALE – St. Thomas Aquinas (11-0) is fresh off its 19th consecutive Thanksgiving practice.
It was announced via Twitter coming into this matchup, and I’m almost sure that’s all the motivation a team like St. Thomas Aquinas needs tonight against a tough Ely squad (10-0).
The Raiders coasted past a stacked Atlantic (Delray Beach) squad last week with an impressive 63-14 win in the 3M – Region 3 semifinals.
They have already made it clear that it’s a mission, with the concept of brotherhood as the driving force behind it.
The raiders have been clicking on both sides of the ball, which makes them a lot to prepare for – no matter how good opponents may look on paper.
In the last two weeks, St. Thomas Aquinas has outscored opponents 122-28. To further put things into perspective, the defense hasn’t given up more than 14 points in a game since Week 1 against St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.).
It’s always hard to pick key players for the Raiders, but here they are:
•Quarterback Hezekiah “Champ” Harris: scored six touchdowns against Atlantic last week
•Wide receivers Chance Robinson and James Madison III: Both can blow past any secondary in the nation
•Offensive lineman Ryan Mickow: brings energy and push that the Raiders need upfront
•Raiders front seven featuring the likes of Justin Bodford, Zakaih Saez, Keyshawn Johnson, Nicholas Rodriguez and Jason Hammond: All have quick first steps to sniff out quarterbacks and running backs with no problem
•Devin Pein: Raiders sack leader; Maxpreps defensive player of the game last week against Atlantic with two sacks and five tackles
BLANCHE ELY
The first thing that jumps off the page for Ely is its undefeated record after going 1-9 just a year ago.
Ely’s defense hasn’t given up more than 21 points in a game this season.
The Tigers first two playoff victories came against Dwyer in a 28-0 win (3M – Region 3 quarterfinal) and Dillard (3M – Region 3 semifinal) with a 19-14 nail biter.
Senior quarterback Nah’coy Daniels has pinpoint accuracy with a completion rate of close to 80 percent, 1,500+ passing yards, 29 total touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
The top targets for Daniels and players to watch will be Marcus Williams, Marcel Williams, and Richard Hollis. All three of them have combined for 22 receiving touchdowns.
On the ground, Ely is led by Ke’Shawn Jones, Cedric Ward, and Edward Mcintosh III. They have combined to rush for close to 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns.
SKINNY
This game will be intriguing for two reasons:
1. St. Thomas Aquinas and Ely both have three common opponents in Dillard, Fort Lauderdale, and Boyd Anderson.
2. Both Squads are undefeated coming into matchup.
The kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale.
