The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders will look to capture their ninth state title as they face the Viera Hawks in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship game on Friday night at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. The Raiders have been undefeated on this field since 2007 winning their last five state championships. They look to win their sixth state title in the last nine seasons.
St. Thomas Aquinas(13-1) did not trail once in their first three playoff victories over Royal Palm Beach, Dwyer and Mater Academy. They struggle slightly during the first half in the state semifinal game on the road at Braden River last week. STA has won every game this year except for a three-point loss in the regular season at Deerfield Beach. They have been victorious in seven consecutive games since that defeat.
The Raiders execute a well-rounded offense in which they can run or pass the ball on any occasion. They have Jake Allen at quarterback who is a University of Florida commit. Running backs James Charles and Jaxson Kincaide will get numerous carries from the backfield. Wide receivers Sam Bruce, Michael Irvin Jr., Trevon Grimes, Michael Harley and James Jenkins can all make receptions on passes from Allen.
Viera(10-4) played their first three playoff games at home and defeated Harmony, Martin County and Lakeland. They went on the road last week and stopped Columbia in the state semifinal. They have won seven straight games after they began the regular season with a 3-4 record.
Quarterback Hayden Kingston leads the way for the Hawks on offense and can run out of the option. His two favorite targets to throw the ball to are wide receivers Tre Nixon and Alex Cabrera. Running back Brennen DePlancke is expected to be the main rushing threat for the team.
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