The road to a seventh consecutive state championship runs through Fort Lauderdale, as St. Thomas Aquinas enters the FHSAA Class 5A playoffs as the number one seed in their region.
The Raiders earned that top spot with another dominant regular season, finishing 9–1 and closing the year on a nine game winning streak. Since the opening weekend, Aquinas has surged, closing the year with statement wins that reaffirmed their place atop Florida high school football.
The defense led the charge in key victories, including a 19–12 road win over American Heritage, where Wyatt Smith recorded 3.5 sacks and the Raiders’ secondary came up with multiple interceptions.
Most recently, STA capped the regular season with a 27–21 win over Chaminade-Madonna, showing playoff poise in a back-and-forth battle between two powerhouse programs.
Now, with the postseason underway, the Raiders look to extend their dynasty — chasing what would be a seventh straight state championship. Every playoff matchup until the state championship is slated to take place at home. The lights at Brian Piccolo Field will stay bright, and the path to another title begins where it always does for STA: surrounded by their fans, with championship standards in full force.
