FORT LAUDERDALE – In a battle of nationally ranked programs, it simply came down to big plays this past Saturday (Aug. 28) between St. Thomas Aquinas (No. 6; MaxPreps national rankings) and St. Frances Academy (Md.) (No. 8; MaxPreps national rankings).
Down 20-17 toward the end of the first half, St. Thomas Aquinas senior quarterback Zion Turner led a spirited drive that ended with a terrifically placed 38-yard touchdown pass to Jaylan Sanchez.
With an extra point, the Raiders went into halftime by having a 24-20 lead.
The home team kept its lead intact throughout the second half, as Turner himself finished off a six-play, 59-yard drive by running it in for a touchdown run of eight yards. Another extra point gave St. Thomas Aquinas a 31-20 lead early in the third quarter.
The final score of this nationally televised game on ESPN was 38-23 in favor of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Turner led the way with 22-of-32 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns. He added 42 rushing yards and another score on the ground in his team’s season opener.
“This week we focused on the passing game,” Turner said. “We got the chemistry right…We came in and put in work.”
St. Thomas Aquinas senior tight end and LSU verbal commit Mason Taylor, the son of NFL Hall of Famer and defensive coordinator Jason Taylor, had an amazing game as well. He finished with 11 catches for 133 yards in his team’s 15-point margin of victory on Saturday.
“Me and Mason have been working hard since we were freshmen,” Turner said. “It’s all about having a brotherhood and the relationships that we build with each other.”
Taylor spoke to media members about his big-time performance from this past weekend.
“It’s a great start to our season,” Taylor said. “We just come out here and play. We don’t dial up, dial down for any team. We’re St. Thomas.”
Also helping out in the St. Thomas Aquinas victory was junior defensive end Zakaih Saez, who transferred to the defending Class 7A state champion from Class 3A King’s Academy this past offseason. He finished the game with three tackles and an interception, which occurred in the third quarter.
“I had outside containment,” Saez said. “Our linebacker had a blitz and put a lot of pressure on the quarterback, which made the quarterback try to get the ball out of his hands and into the running back. But I was just in the right place at the right time.”
Saez was gracious about his opportunity to shine in a showcase of this magnitude.
“I’m so happy he [Coach Roger Harriott] gave me the opportunity,” Saez said. “I showed him what I’m about.”
Speaking of Harriott, the St. Thomas Aquinas head coach provided his recap on how his team’s game against St. Frances Academy turned out.
“It’s a tremendous win,” Harriott said. “Hats off to St. Frances…They have a remarkable team. That game could have gone either way. However, we pride ourselves on being efficient and capitalizing off mistakes. We have an extremely mature team and we’re looking forward to continuing our success down the line.”
Next game for St. Thomas Aquinas (1-0): Away at Plantation (1-0) – Friday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m. kickoff
Next game for St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) (0-1): Home vs. St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) (0-1) – Friday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m. kickoff
PHOTO CREDITS: Tra’Nell Hollis
