St. Thomas Aquinas High School Football

Published Thursday December 18, 2008 in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Stable of runners

St. Thomas has three backs that are contributors

By Christy Cabrera Chirinos

It's a group any coach would love to have.

One has proven himself the power back. Another has the kind of patience that allows him to wait for the perfect opening. The third has speed, strength and vision.

Together, a trio of running backs at St. Thomas Aquinas has helped the Raiders' offense become one of the nation's best.

Friday night against Lakeland in the Class 5A state championship in Orlando, there's little doubt Giovanni Bernard, James White and Beau Bucci will be called upon again to make things happen.

"All three of them, they're all a little bit different. Like pieces of a puzzle," St. Thomas coach George Smith said. "I think they're all good athletes. They do different things, and we're fortunate because we have three guys we can interchange."

It's common knowledge the Raiders have a potent offense. Through 14 games, St. Thomas has outscored opponents 639-110. The Raiders average 410 yards per game, and quarterback Ryan Becker, with his receivers Duron Carter and Dwayne Difton, has put up gaudy numbers.

But the St. Thomas' backs have done their part. Together, the Raiders have gained 3,573 rushing yards this season. Bernard, a junior who is already commanding attention from some of the nation's premier programs, leads the way with 152 carries for 1,474 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Not bad for a kid who three years ago was nervous making the transition from youth football to varsity player at one of Florida's premier programs.

"Coming in then was a bit scary. It was a big change," Bernard said. "I've just been trying to step up my game every day and try to do what I can. I just have to focus and everything will come from there."

Bernard's been a force all season. And helping his game improve, he says, is the fact that he's working with White, Bucci and the rest of the Raiders' backs. White has gained 863 yards on 123 carries and Bucci has added 557 yards on 61 carries.

The trio knows they're going to face a tough Dreadnaught defense, but they feel confident that together, they can help St. Thomas win its second consecutive state title.

"We're like brothers, and we teach each other everything we can," White said. "Most teams have one star player and if he gets hurt, everyone goes down. Here, someone will step up and play well. We can always help each other out and that will help."