Gameday notebook: Aquinas-Deerfield game goes national

AQUINAS-DEERFIELD

GAME GOES NATIONAL

The long-awaited showdown between Deerfield Beach and St. Thomas Aquinas will be available on television nationally on CBS College Sports.

The game has been moved to an 8 p.m. kickoff at St. Thomas Aquinas on Oct. 17, and both teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally.

St. Thomas won the Class 5A state championship last season and is ranked No. 1 in the country by the National Prep Poll.

Deerfield Beach, however, has won the past two meetings against St. Thomas and handed the Raiders their only defeat of the 2007 season.

MIDSEASON REPORT

AROUND THE STATE

No matter who wins next week's showdown, St. Thomas Aquinas and Deerfield Beach have their sights set on a trip to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando for the state championships in December.

The opponent of whichever Dade or Broward team makes it in Class 6A again figures to be from the Orlando area.

Apopka, which opened the season nationally ranked in some polls, is 4-1, with only a loss on the road to South Panola High of Mississippi, which has the nation's longest winning streak at 80 games.

Apopka has victories against Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley and Orlando Edgewater. Clermont East Ridge figures to be Apopka's toughest challenger in its district.

Defending state finalist Orlando Boone is still undefeated. Boone (5-0), which lost to Miami Northwestern in last year's Class 6A championship game, has given up just 26 points in five games. Also in Region 2, Sarasota Riverview is 3-2 but has picked up quality victories against Sarasota Booker and Miami Monsignor Pace.

St. Thomas, which did not get the chance to face Lakeland last year in the Class 5A final, might get its wish this season. Lakeland won two close games recently against South Florida opponents.

Lakeland defeated Boyd Anderson and Miami Killian by a combined 11 points.

Regions 1 and 2 in Class 5A figure to be Lakeland's biggest challengers. Daytona Beach Mainland and Tampa Chamberlain are 5-0.

Largo, Venice, Niceville and Pensacola Pine Forest remain unbeaten in the North Florida area entering the week.

-- ANDRE C. FERNANDEZ

 

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