Published Saturday December 10, 2005 in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Lakeland overpowers St. Thomas to take 5A championship
By Christy Cabrera Chirinos, Staff Writer
Miami Gardens • It was more of the same.
More of Lakeland's powerful offense, smothering defense and complete dominance. And for St. Thomas Aquinas, it proved to be another dose of the pain.
In a game where the promise of a mythical national championship from USA Today got as much billing as an actual state title, Lakeland (15-0) showed once again that even a stronger, more experienced St. Thomas (13-1) team still can't come close.
The Dreadnaughts won their second consecutive Class 5A championship with a 39-10 victory over the Raiders in front of an announced crowd of 16,147 at Dolphins Stadium. It was the Dreadnaughts' fifth title since 1986 and the third time Lakeland has defeated St. Thomas for the championship, twice in two years.
"We didn't play worth a damn," Raiders coach George Smith said. "You're not going to beat these guys playing like that. [Six] turnovers are ridiculous. Embarrassing. But we're going to walk out of here with class."
Lakeland's defense disrupted St. Thomas quickly, forcing the first turnover on the Raiders' opening drive and capitalizing almost instantly.
With the Raiders facing a third and 15, Raiders' quarterback Wesley Carroll looked downfield, but Lakeland's Steve Wilkes was tracking the pass. One play after the interception, Lakeland took the lead when Matt Grier sped through the Raider defense and scored on a 56-yard pass from Billy Lowe.
St. Thomas tied it on the first play of the second quarter when a 2-yard pass from Carroll to Leonard Hankerson capped a 9-play, 52-yard scoring drive.
But even with the game tied, the Raiders mistakes kept coming. On Lakeland's next drive, the Raiders were penalized twice for encroachment and the Dreadnaughts took advantage, taking the lead on a 1-yard run by Jamar Taylor.
On the ensuing kickoff, Lakeland recovered a St. Thomas fumble and made it 20-7 when Chris Rainey capped a 6-play, 20-yard drive with a 12-yard score.
"We just couldn't execute, bottom line," Carroll said. "It's the worst feeling when you're the starter and the quarterback. You feel like all the weight is on your shoulders, but we just didn't play our game."
The second half started with promise for the Raiders. Trailing 20-10, St. Thomas' Everett Lewis did what only one other player has done this season--he intercepted one of Lowe's passes. But two plays later, St. Thomas fumbled again and the Dreadnaughts got the ball back.
They made it 27-10 when Taylor scored his second touchdown, a 1-yard run. He'd add another 1-yard run in the fourth quarter, finishing with a game-high 154 yards on 16 carries.
"We didn't play our best ball tonight," Raiders' offensive lineman Sam Young said. "They made big plays, created turnovers and they capitalized. It was disappointing, but we've had one heck of a year and there's nothing to be disappointed in that."
Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
