High School

Prospect profile: Broden Sobolewski, St. Thomas Aquinas

Busting the myth that South Florida cannot produce top interior offensive lineman, Raiders star has committed to West Point

Michael Costeines

Prospect profile: Broden Sobolewski, St. Thomas Aquinas
Prospect profile: Broden Sobolewski, St. Thomas Aquinas /

FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – South Florida is well-known for having some of the best high school football in the country. A number of area programs are nationally ranked while having Division 1 talent across the field. A perfect example of this is St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

The Raiders have won three-straight state championships and 13 overall. St. Thomas Aquinas is currently 5-0 and therefore well-positioned for another state title. A national powerhouse, the program routinely produces college level prospects, including 19 from their championship-winning team from a season ago. And it’s not all skill-position players, as some might think. South Florida tends to have a stigma of only producing running backs and wide receivers or safeties and cornerbacks.

Senior Broden Sobolewski, who has committed to play his college football for Army at West Point, is a prime example of that being a false narrative.

The 6-foot-2, 270-pound center/guard anchors the bread n’ butter upfront to Aquinas’ explosive offensive attack. The Raiders highlight reel runs and big-time pass plays begin with Sobolewski in the trenches.

Brodon Sobolewski, with Army head coach Jeff Monken, was impressed with his visit to the U.S. Naval Academy, but he has known he has wanted to play at West Point since the seventh grade. That dream will become a reality next year.
Brodon Sobolewski, with Army head coach Jeff Monken, was impressed with his visit to the U.S. Naval Academy, but he has known he has wanted to play at West Point since the seventh grade. That dream will become a reality next year

“Ever since I was young, football has always been a part of my life,” said Sobolewski. “I was thrown into tackle football at the young age of five years old. I played for the Plantation Wildcats which goes down as the best team ever assembled in that league. We won five super bowls in five years. This is truly where my winning personality got a spark from. Over the years I have played with many different athletes and characters. One person who led me through high school was Josh Sauickie. He was two years older than me when I got my first start on varsity as a sophomore and he taught me how things were done. He took me under his wing and was a great role model that I looked up to.”

Sobolewski is a smart player that knows his blocking assignments. His intuitiveness and versatility has helped the Raiders average over 150 yards (7 ypc) on the ground while scoring ten rushing touchdowns. Overall, St. Thomas Aquinas has outscored its opponents by a 191-58 margin.

“I believe some of my strengths are my leadership, determination, and that I carry myself with poise,” said Sobolewski. “I do not fold under pressure and I maintain a positive charisma. These qualities are very important when playing football. As a football player I am a little undersized, but that does not stop me from dominating my opponents. I have to focus on technique so I can outmaneuver them. When it comes to center vs. guard, I personally do not have a preference. I play the position wherever I am needed. There are plenty more responsibilities at center, but when I am at guard I still contribute and communicate with the center at every snap.”

The Raiders dominance on the football field coincides with its elite coaching and training staff. St. Thomas Aquinas’ off-season training program is first class while maintaining some of the best workout facilities in the country. What starts off the field carries over to a winning mentality on game days.

“The coaching staff does an excellent job when it comes to preparing us for the next level," said Sobolewski. “Not only do they train us hard and well, but they teach us the academic side of football. One person that expanded my knowledge of the game was my offensive line coach Nate Garner. He played for the Dolphins for several years and has a mind for the game. He coached me for two years before moving onto the next level. He taught me how to read defenses and have a coach’s eye on the field.”

While developmental critiques have Sobolewski well placed, he knows there is still work to be done. Playing college football, especially on the offensive line, is a constant upheaval of change and growth.

“Personally, I would like to improve my weightlifting, overall agility, and becoming more flexible”, said Sobolewski. “This will help my game as I move on to the next level and ultimately allow me to play at my best. I am fortunate to have access to the best coaches in the country who are always one call away and always want to help.”

Sobolewski currently lists his bench press at 355 pounds and dead lift at 585.

Sobolewski has received interest from two of the service academies during his recruitment. Both Navy and Army were heavily in the mix for the star student-athlete. Sobolewski holds a 4.3 GPA in the classroom.

“I took a trip to Annapolis, Maryland in April of this year,” said Sobolewski. “I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. There was nothing wrong with the Naval Academy expect the fact that it was never my dream school. I definitely considered the Naval Academy because it had so much to offer and is one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. My parents told me not to buy into anything until I went up to West Point and then compared the two schools. When I went to Army West Point a month later everything just clicked. From the football, to the campus, to the overall feel, it just felt like home. It was everything I ever wanted since I was in middle school.”

Committing to a service academy is unique. You have a duty to serve once you graduate. It’s not like playing at Georgia or Oklahoma. Most of South Florida’s best prospects are looking to commit to those type of schools. It takes a unique individual with strong character to make that sort of pledge.

“I have always had an interest in the military field ever since I was young,” said Sobolewski. “I’d dress up as a soldier for Halloween because I loved it. I first found out about West Point in the sixth grade and immediately fell in love with it. Around my seventh-grade year I decided that West Point is my dream school. All my friends were worried about what high school they were wanted to go to, so me talking about my college dreams sounded very foreign to them.

"Everyone that knew who I was knew I wanted to go there. It wasn’t until my freshman year of high school, a family friend, Cole Caterbone, went to West Point for football that I realized I could do the same. From that point on it was my goal to go Army West Point and play football. When I got the offer it was by far one of the most glorifying moments of my life. The feeling of all the hard work paying off casted the biggest storm of joy for me.”

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Michael Costeines
MICHAEL COSTEINES

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