FORT LAUDERDALE – By most accounts, St. Thomas Aquinas can be considered as the state’s No. 1 overall team.
Led by head coach Roger Harriott, the Raiders (13-0) have plenty of firepower on both sides of the ball, including the likes of senior cornerback Colby Dempsey (Dwyer transfer), senior outside linebacker Griffin Lampton (Palm Beach Central transfer), senior athlete Blaine Anderson (Palm Beach Central transfer), and senior tight end Jake Ray (Palm Beach Central transfer).
We have a total of four Palm Beach County players on the St. Thomas Aquinas squad, and all have contributed to the team’s great success in different ways.
Let’s start with Dempsey, who is far and away the most accomplished player of the foursome. The Raiders cornerback has racked up nine interceptions so far this season, including one during the second half of last week’s 7A state semifinal game against Venice, which was a 42-0 victory at home.
Viewed by Football Hotbed and other media outlets as one of the best cornerbacks in the entire state, Dempsey is happy to have a chance at finishing his high school
career with a state title ring.
“It feels great because I always knew I could be a part of something special like this,” said Dempsey, who currently has 16 offers, including the likes of Minnesota, Boston College, UCF, and FAU.
As for Lampton, his presence on the field can always be felt. The linebacker seems to be a solid verbal commit to Vanderbilt, which can serve as a testament to his football IQ on the field and level of smarts in the classroom.
Lampton spent his junior season at Palm Beach Central, where he racked up 61 tackles (19 TFL) and 14 sacks before transferring to St. Thomas Aquinas this past offseason. He’s also looking to end his high school career with a ring.
Meanwhile, Anderson has proven to be a gutsy athlete on the field and decision maker off the field. While it could have been a risk to leave Palm Beach Central and go elsewhere, Anderson bet on himself to produce at an even higher level this season.
The 5-11, 183-pound athlete has five offers right now from FAU, Bryant, Columbia, Cornell, and Dartmouth. Like Lampton, it’s the level of smarts that has and will continue to take Anderson a long way both on and off the field.
In a regular season game this season, Anderson used his high football IQ and speed to recover a fumble and outrun the opposition for a score. This is just one example of how Anderson has proven to be an asset to the legendary St. Thomas Aquinas high school football program.
And with Ray, his presence means a lot to the Raiders offense. A tight end can make key plays by blocking the opposition, catching passes when needed, and providing a level of leadership to the team, which Ray does very well.
At this time, the 6-4, 240-pound tight end has 12 offers, including the likes of Boston College, Bowling Green, and FIU.
More than likely, these four players will be celebrating the 7A state title together and with their team on Saturday night (Dec. 14). St. Thomas Aquinas is an 18-point to take down Edgewater (13-1) this weekend at Daytona Stadium in Daytona Beach.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jeffrey Wimbrow
