Published on Saturday October 11, 2008 in The Miami Herald
St. Thomas Aquinas is unstoppable
BY MIKE PHILLIPS
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No one at St. Thomas Aquinas is actually saying that, but they might want to make bumper stickers or at least plaster that message on some of those pep rally banners that hang in the school.
Next, that's what the Raiders' football season has come to this year, a string of games against underdogs who dare to stand in the way on a road that just might lead to a mythical national title.
Don't blame Cooper City, which fell to the top-ranked team in the country 55-0 Friday night. The Cowboys (1-4, 0-2) are trying to compete in Broward County, and just have the misfortune to live in the same District 16-5A with St. Thomas Aquinas.
Next is unbeaten Deerfield Beach, the top-ranked Class 6A team in the state, Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas, where the Raiders can make a much bigger statement with a victory than they did in the lopsided win Friday.
''This is the game we've been looking forward to, the game everyone has been looking forward to,'' said Raiders quarterback Ryan Becker, who is back from an ankle injury.
Deerfield Beach-St. Thomas Aquinas? Anything bigger? It will be sold out and televised on national TV.
''We are going to work even harder this week,'' said Raiders running back James White, who scored three touchdowns in the first half and then took the night off as the clock ran with the mercy rule in the final two quarters.
It was 48-0 at halftime, and the Raiders (5-0, 2-0) looked unbeatable.
''We don't talk about [the national title stuff],'' said Raiders coach George Smith, who knows how important beating Deerfield Beach will be for his program, which had a couple of bitter losses to the Bucks of late.
''It's a big game statewide,'' he said. ''They are ranked No. 1 in 6A and they beat us on a field goal last year with three seconds left. We have a great rivalry.
''Our kids like to play them, and their kids like to play us, and it's a great precursor to what you are going to face down the road if you are fortunate enough to get into the playoffs.''
It's all in front of St. Thomas Aquinas: the district title, the state title, and even a mythical national crown. The Raiders kicked off Friday ranked No. 1 in the nation by The National High School Poll. They just have to run the table.
The Raiders ran when they wanted to Friday. White gained 77 yards on eight carries, scoring on runs of 1, 25 and 14 yards, and Giovanni Bernard picked up 68 on four carries, including TD runs of 6 and 38 yards.
And threw a little bit, too.
Becker played only three series, but connected on 5 of 6 passes for 112 yards and 56-yard TD toss to Dwayne Difton. Backup QB Jacob Rudock completed 3 of 6 and had a 10-yard TD pass to Steven Bravo-Brown.
Defense?
Well, the Cowboys didn't get a first down until they picked one up on a penalty just before halftime, and finished with 53 yards, including 51 in the air. They had five punts and a quick kick -- in the first half alone.
Cooper City will no doubt recover and look better against teams not ranked in the nation, but does this kind of one-sided win help or hurt the Raiders, who have to turn around and play their biggest game of the year?
''You don't know,'' Smith said. ''You don't know how kids will react.''
They will find out soon enough.
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