Published Tuesday December 23, 2008 in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
St. Thomas Aquinas voted national champion
By Dave Brousseau
It's official.
Five national prep football polls are in agreement; St. Thomas is the national champion.
The Raiders earned the distinction by USA Today, ESPN's Rise Fab 50 Poll, PrepNation's final National Prep Poll, Rivals.com and MaxPreps following Friday's 56-7 victory over nationally ranked Lakeland for the Class 5A state championship in Orlando.
St. Thomas (15-0) has won back-to-back state championships and 24 consecutive games.
It was also the first time in Broward County history a team won back-to-back football championships.
St. Thomas coach George Smith is also expected to be named National Coach of the Year today by USA Today. He completed his 32nd season at the school with a career record of 333-65.
"They were so balanced and very impressive," PrepNation founder and publisher Jamie DeMoney said. "I've been doing the poll for 10 years, and they were as impressive as any team I have seen."
"You can't ask for anything more," St. Thomas senior quarterback Ryan Becker said. "We didn't expect it at the beginning of the season, but were happy to have it."
St. Thomas gives Florida its second consecutive National Prep Poll champion. Miami Northwestern earned the honor in 2007. St. Thomas dominated opponents, outscoring them 695-117.
"Knowing that we are ranked that high is a great feeling," senior linebacker Conor O'Neill said. "To get over the hump with Lakeland, this is a very special team and I'm blessed to have played with them."
The Raiders took over the No. 1 spot in the National Prep Poll rankings in September.
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