High School

3 takeaways from St. Thomas Aquinas' dominating 5A title win over Lakeland

The Raiders took advantage of numerous Dreadnaughts' miscues en route to the program's 16th state championship

Andy Villamarzo

St. Thomas Chance Washington (#21) and Cedric Wyche (#4) celebrate the three-point win. St. Thomas Aquinas defeated the Manatee Hurricanes 16-13 on Friday night, in Bradenton to advance to state championship.
St. Thomas Chance Washington (#21) and Cedric Wyche (#4) celebrate the three-point win. St. Thomas Aquinas defeated the Manatee Hurricanes 16-13 on Friday night, in Bradenton to advance to state championship. / Thomas Bender / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MIAMI, FLORIDA- Lakeland started the season with a 16-8 win at Traz Powell Stadium against Miami Central.

They end it with a loss in the 305. Awhile St. Thomas Aquinas lost to Chaminade-Madonna at Pitbull Stadium during the regular season and return to pickup a win and an important one at that.

The Raiders used a balanced offensive attack combined with taking advantage of Lakeland mistakes, as the St. Thomas Aquinas defeated Lakeland 34-0 at Pitbull Stadium.

With the win, the Raiders claim the school's 16th state championship in program history and sixth straight title (2019-2024).

High School On SI was on hand for the game and gives you three takeaways from the contest.

1. St. Thomas Aquinas executed and played its game

Anytime you think of St. Thomas Aquinas, you can bank on the Raiders being one of the most disciplined teams in all of high school football in the Sunshine State. It once again remained true when they soundly defeated Lakeland and though their opponents made plenty of errors, the Raiders played otherwise a very clean game overall. An interception by quarterback Andrew Indorf in the first half was in the endzone and if completed, would've assuredly made it a 24-0 game before halftime. When it looked like Lakeland might mount a comeback, the Raiders' defense played to their cues and played line-and-assign football against the Dreadnaughts' run-heavy offensive attack. You're not going to beat St. Thomas Aquinas when it comes to being well-coached and not making miscues.

2. Lakeland's lack of a passing game hurt

No matter what nifty way Lakeland head coach Marvin Frazier wanted to run the ball, there was no game breaking plays that helped get the Dreadnaughts jump-started. In a position they haven't been all season long, playing from behind in a run-heavy offense never bodes well, but most teams turn to their passing attack to get them back into the game. Not for the Dreadnaughts, as North Dakota State signee Zander Smith (2-of-8, 2 yards, 2 interceptions) couldn't muster any offense through the air and it hurt Lakeland's ability to comeback. Not having Shanard Clower, an all-around athlete for the Dreadnaughts, certainly hurt, but there's plenty of playmakers on this Lakeland team that should've been able to make a difference. Nonetheless, not having a passing attack did the Dreadnaughts in and ended their hopes for championship No. 10. On the other side, Andrew Indorf for St. Thomas Aquinas played a relatively clean game, throwing for nearly 200 yards and a touchdown.

3. Lakeland-Aquinas didn't quite live up to the hype

Many, including this reporter, thought this Class 5A final might end up being another epic chapter between the two programs that have a combined 25 state championships between them. Instead, it would be the Raiders routing the Dreadnaughts on a chilly Miami night at Pitbull Stadium. From the crowd attendance to the overall play on the field, just something was off from the get go. Regardless, St. Thomas Aquinas played one of its best games of the season and notching another title and bringing it back to Fort Lauderdale. We just thought it would've been a little bit more difficult for the Raiders.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi

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Andy Villamarzo
ANDY VILLAMARZO

Andy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007, writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times, The Tampa Tribune, The Suncoast News, Tampa Beacon, Hernando Sun to name a few. Andy resides out of the Tarpon Springs, FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area. He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports, appearing frequently on podcasts, radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings, recruiting and much more.

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