FORT LAUDERDALE – The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (12-0) are on a dominant winning spree and now eyeing another state title.
The 13-time state champion now has only Jesuit (9-4) standing in between them and state final game.
After downing a tough Blanche Ely squad last week, the road for St. Thomas Aquinas does not get any easier. This Jesuit squad – tonight’s opponent – won the 6A state title last year with a 15-0 season and is coming off a 31-0 win over Largo.
Defense will be the name of the game tonight as both squads haven’t given up many points all season.
Defensive stat sheet for St. Thomas Aquinas:
⁃ 9.5 points allowed per game
⁃ 694 tackles, 57 tackles for loss
⁃ 12 interceptions
⁃ 8 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries
⁃ 3 fumble recoveries for touchdowns
⁃ 4 interceptions for touchdowns
⁃ 52 sacks for a loss of 304 yards and 80 hurries
The Raiders front seven is led by Keyshawn Johnson, who has 11 sacks on the season.
Nicholas Rodriguez will be a factor in this game as the team’s leading tackler with 74 total.
Defensive stat sheet for Jesuit:
⁃ 12.9 points allowed per game
⁃ 779 tackles, 55 tackles for loss
⁃ 12 interceptions
⁃ 6 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries
⁃ 2 fumble recoveries for touchdown
⁃ 5 interceptions for touchdown
⁃ 27 sacks and 83 hurries
Both offenses have firepower to light up any scoreboard.
Here’s a breakdown of each team’s offensive stat line.
St. Thomas Aquinas:
⁃ 42.3 points scored per game
⁃ 28 rushing touchdowns
⁃ 32 receiving touchdowns
⁃ 70 total touchdowns
⁃ 86 kicking points
⁃ 508 total points
The Raiders have one of the best offensive lines in the country with Ryan Mickow leading the way. I expect them to keep quarterback Champ Harris upright so he can get the ball to his top targets.
Jesuit:
⁃ 31.2 points scored per game
⁃ 26 rushing touchdowns
⁃ 20 receiving touchdowns
⁃ 54 total touchdowns
⁃ 69 kicking points
⁃ 403 total points
The Raiders front seven may have an opportunity to rattle Jesuit’s freshmen quarterback. But they’ll have their hands full with Jesuit running back Joquez Smith, who has racked up 1,368 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
If this game comes down to field goals, things could be very interesting as both kickers are solid for their squads.
St. Thomas is 68-for-68 on the season with extra points, while Jesuit is 45-for-48.
The Raiders longest field goal made all year is 37 yards, while the Tigers are at 45 yards.
St. Thomas Aquinas and Jesuit have a common opponent in Treasure Coast. St. Thomas Aquinas came away with a 21-7 road victory in Week 5, while Jesuit narrowly escaped with a 14-13 home win over the Titans in Week 2.
I expect this game to be somewhat close, as both squads have had deep playoff runs.
The last time these two played each other was in 2021, when Jesuit came out with a 24-21 home victory over St. Thomas Aquinas.
I’m giving St. Thomas Aquinas the tilt here because Jesuit has struggled to win the fourth quarter against prime time opponents. This is something that St. Thomas Aquinas has been able to do all year long.
Furthermore, St. Thomas Aquinas is at home and undefeated with a solid defensive game plan. It has a little more offensive firepower than Jesuit.
Most of all, revenge will be on the Raiders mind.
Score prediction: St. Thomas Aquinas over Jesuit, 31-13
NOTE: The kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale.
