MIAMI — St. Thomas Aquinas delivered another dominant performance to capture their state-record seventh consecutive state title as the Raiders cruised past Lakeland 29-0 in the 5A state championship on Thursday night at Pitbull Stadium on the campus of FIU.
The St. Thomas Aquinas football program won its 17th state championship in school history. They defeated Lakeland in the state title contest for the second straight season and recorded a shutout as well last year in a 34-0 win.
St. Thomas Aquinas senior quarterback Mason Mallory finished 21 of 32 for 264 passing yards and had eight carries for 103 yards to the lead the Raiders offense. Mallory, who won a state championship with West Boca Raton last season, enjoyed a standout senior year with the Raiders.
“This whole season was special,” Mallory said. “I was very blessed to lead a group of guys like this and have a coaching staff that believed in me. This playoff run showed how resilient we were. It’s a great feeling.”
St. Thomas Aquinas senior kicker Johnny DiSalvatore tied a state record in the state championship with five field goals.
“It means so much to have such a good game,” DiSalvatore said. “I will remember this the rest of my life. We have overcome so much adversity throughout the season with so many people doubting us.”
The Raiders defense recorded seven sacks and created three turnovers. Junior Jaden Carey and junior Zayden Gamble each recorded interceptions while senior Mekhi Bradley had a fumble recovery. Senior Daniel Norman had six tackles and two sacks.
“The feeling is amazing after we put in hard work and dedication the whole season,” Norman said. “Our coaches did an awesome job preparing us for this week. This was our night and we wanted the shutout. We did not let up. For the last game of my high school career, I have so much joy that we came out here and did what we were supposed to do. I love this feeling.”
Junior wide receiver Julius Jones recorded seven catches for 127 yards and sophomore wide receiver Levi Thomas had seven receptions for 90 yards. Senior running back Jaden Desir and senior running back Morris Choice each rushed for touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
DiSalvatore converted three field goals in the first half. The Raiders led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter and had a 9-0 advantage at halftime. DiSalvatore drilled two field goals to give the Raiders a 15-0 advantage entering the fourth.
“When you have a tremendous special teams unit, we have a great advantage,” St. Thomas Aquinas coach Roger Harriott said. “That particular phase of the game is neglected by most teams. We put a tremendous amount of time and effort into that phase of the game. We have all the confidence in the world in our kicking game.”
The Raiders marched downfield on their opening possession and settled for a 19-yard field goal by DiSalvatore with 8:23 left in the first.
Jones made a highlight-reel one-handed 44-yard catch to the Lakeland 12-yard line on their next series on offense. DiSalvatore connected on a 30-yard field goal to extend the lead to 6-0 with 51 seconds left in the first.
Carey stepped up with an interception at the Raiders 26-yard line in the second quarter.
DiSalvatore converted a 30-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.
Gamble stepped up with an interception on the opening possession of the second half. The Raiders drive stalled as DiSalvatore drilled a 33-yard field goal.
Lakeland failed to get a punt away deep in their own territory at their own 14. DiSalvatore connected on another 33-yard field goal to push the lead to 15-0.
Mallory had a 67-yard run down the left sideline to the Lakeland 2-yard line in the fourth. Desir rushed for a 1-yard score to extend the lead to 22-0 with 8:00 remaining. Bradley recovered a fumble at the Lakeland 29 on the ensuing drive. The Raiders capitalized as Choice rushed for a 6-yard touchdown run with 6:27 left.
St. Thomas Aquinas entered the state final as the No.11-ranked team nationally by MaxPreps. The Raiders won 14 straight games after a 26-23 loss to California’s Mater Dei in the season opener.
“Our coaches get the most out of our guys,” Harriott said. “Our scheme [on defense] is exceptional. The guys believe in what we do. They fly around. We had all the faith in our team.”
