Thursday, December 5, 2024

St. Thomas Aquinas At Manatee Preview

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders go on the road to Bradenton and challenge the Manatee Hurricanes on Friday night in a FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal. The winner will play next Friday for the state championship in Miami. 
     It is a renewal of a once big cross-state rivalry. The Hurricanes knocked off the Raiders, the then defending national champions and two-time state champions in 2009. The Raiders defeated the Hurricanes in the other five postseason clashes in 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2020. 
     St. Thomas Aquinas(10-3) are the state-record 15-time FHSAA state champions. They hold the distinction in their current reign of the being the only Florida high school in history to capture five consecutive state football titles. STA has outscored their opponents 571-216 this season. The Raiders dominated North Miami 58-0 in the regional quarterfinal, outscored Blanche Ely 53-32 in the regional semifinal and came back from 21 points down on the road to defeat Atlantic 49-42 in double overtime during the regional final. 
     Manatee(10-1) have won eight straight games and look to return to the top in the state. They have outscored their opponents 448-134 this year. The Hurricanes powered by Pinellas Park 55-26 in a regional quarterfinal, walloped Immokalee 54-8 in a regional semifinal and blanked Riverdale 38-0 in a regional final. 

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