St. Thomas Aquinas High School Football

Published Thursday December 18, 2008 in THe Ledger

Familiar Foes Lakeland, St. Thomas Aquinas Meet Again

By BRANDT MERRITT

THE LEDGER

LAKELAND

Lakeland head coach Bill Castle has led the Dreadnaughts for 36 years.

So when he says this year's St. Thomas Aquinas team could be the best high school team he's ever seen, it means something.

"I don't know if our players realize how good they really are," Castle said.

The Dreadnaughts and Raiders will find out just how good the other team is at 7 p.m. today when they meet for the Class 5A state championship at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

St. Thomas (14-0) is ranked No. 1 in the state by The Associated Press and No. 1 in the country by USA Today. Lakeland (14-0) has been behind Aquinas all year at No. 2 in the state and is No. 6 nationally, but the Dreadnaughts have history on their side.

Lakeland is 5-1 against Aquinas in the postseason, and 4-0 in state championship games. From 2004 to 2006, the Dreadnaughts defeated the Raiders in three consecutive finals.

"Without a doubt, you know St. Thomas is raring to go for us," Castle said. "And if the shoe was on the other foot, we probably would be for those guys."

George Smith, who has been head coach at Aquinas for 32 years, played down his team's past performances against Lakeland. He stressed that this is a different year with different players, but he knows this year's team is aware of the history.

"Obviously, our guys know we've played them in past," Smith said.

Smith's Raiders, the defending state champions, have earned their lofty rankings this season, beating teams by an average of 38 points. Their top receiver, former NFL star Cris

Carter's son Duron Carter, has committed to Ohio State. Their tight end has committed to Purdue, their center and punter to Notre Dame and their top linebacker to Wisconsin.

Aquinas' quarterback, Ryan Becker, has thrown for 1,927 yards and 27 touchdowns, and its top rusher, Giovanni Bernard, has run for 1,474 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.

"I haven't seen anybody who can slow them down," Castle said.

Lakeland senior linebacker Jordan Jones will help lead the Dreadnaughts' efforts in stopping the Raiders. Jones, who was on the 2006 team that won the title in double overtime, said this year's team is ready to create its own identity.

"When we lost last year (in the second round), that identity of the old Dreadnaughts, Chris

Rainey and them, that kind of flew out the door because we know we can be beat," Jones said. "We're trying to be the '08 Dreadnaughts."

This season's Lakeland team hasn't dominated its opponents like past teams or like this year's Aquinas team. The Dreadnaughts edged Lake Gibson, 15-14, needed late scores in each of their two wins against Kissimmee Osceola, and had another one-point win against Pensacola Pine Forest, 22-21, last week.

Lakeland still has plenty of talent, though.

Sophomore Javares McRoy has established himself as a top playmaker, junior quarterback Jarred Haggins continues to grow, and Lakeland's stable of running backs gets the job done.

On defense, Jones, Will Lucas and Quayshawn Nealy form one of the top linebacking corps in the state, and Deonate Gary leads the team with 10 sacks.

Haggins said he's confident going into the finals.

"I'm not sure of their weaknesses, but I know we can beat them," Haggins said. "Anybody can be beat."

One factor working against the Dreadnaughts is health.

Lucas will be a game-time decision with a high ankle sprain, starting defensive lineman Ronnie Jones has a deep thigh bruise and Castle said McRoy and Haggins are both battling flulike symptoms.

Castle knows it will be a challenge tonight, but he said preparing for games like this never gets old for him.

"It's just as exciting this time as it was my first," he said.

Five Keys to LHS-Aquinas Game

By BRANDT MERRITT

THE LEDGER

Published: Friday, December 19, 2008

1. BE PHYSICAL

St. Thomas Aquinas hasn't been challenged all season. The Raiders' closest game was a 35-24 win against Cincinnati Elder at the Kirk Herbstreit Challenge in Ohio. Lakeland needs to come out strong, hit Aquinas in the mouth early and keep it close at the half. If the Raiders blink, the Dreadnaughts will be in good shape.

2. STOP PLAYMAKERS

The Raiders are a balanced team, but Duron Carter, Ryan Becker and Giovanni Bernard are their big playmakers. Lakeland's defense is banged up, but it will have to find a way to keep those players under control, especially Carter and the passing game. Making Aquinas one-dimensional is key.

3. GO TO MCROY

Sophomore receiver Javares McRoy has emerged as Lakeland's big-play threat. He leads the team with more than 900 yards receiving and has scored the game-winning touchdowns against Osceola and Pine Forest in the playoffs. The Dreadnaughts need to get McRoy in space as well as trying to throw it to him deep to free up the running game.

4. GET PRESSURE

The best way to disrupt an offense that has coasted most of the season is to get pressure on the quarterback. If defensive lineman Ronnie Jones can't go for Lakeland, that hurts, but Deonate Gary, Ben Brown and linebackers Jordan Jones, Will Lucas and Quayshawn Nealy need to be in Aquinas quarterback Ryan Becker's face all night.

5. HISTORY MATTERS

Both coaches can say this is a different year all they want, but there's no denying Lakeland is 4-0 all-time in finals against Aquinas. Bill Castle also never has lost in a championship game. Aquinas is a great team, but if the Raiders don't jump out early, thoughts of the program's past failures will be a factor.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Lakeland is young, hasn't been dominant this season and has key players hurting. Lakeland also knows how to win big games, and the Dreadnaughts can certainly win this one. St. Thomas, though, is No. 1 in the country for a reason. The Raiders are defending state champions, and they have years of frustration built up against the Dreadnaughts. If Lakeland wins, it won't be a shock, but the Raiders are the pick. St. Thomas Aquinas, 20-17.