Aquinas ‘frustrated’ after missed chances, stagnant offense lead to season-opening loss
St. Thomas Aquinas starts almost every season by throwing itself at some of the toughest competition it can find, usually an out-of-state opponent with national-title aspirations of its own eager to come down to Fort Lauderdale and take a swing at the Raiders.
Usually, St. Thomas Aquinas finds a way to win, setting the stage for another run at a state championship. This year, the Raiders will have to settle for learning after a deflating 20-7 loss to St. John Bosco of Bellflower, California, in the Broward County National Football Showcase on Saturday. It was their first home loss at Brian Piccolo Stadium at Simmons Family Field since 2020.
“This is not so much of a losing situation,” Aquinas coach Roger Harriott said. “This is a learning opportunity.”
St. Thomas Aquinas, which had its 27-game winning streak snapped, probably won’t face a tougher opponent than the Braves for the rest of the year, but the Raiders’ standards -- with 14 state championships and a perennial spot in the top 25 of MaxPreps’ national rankings -- mean they won’t settle for just being one of the best teams in South Florida. They learned this weekend how far they still have to go to once again assert themselves as one of the best teams in the country and maybe also how close they still are.
No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas was tied with No. 3 St. John Bosco, 7-7, more than halfway through the third quarter and was only down 10-7 into the fourth. The Raiders also put together probably their best drive of the game after falling behind 10-7, only to stall out after they crossed midfield and have to punt.
The Braves came right back with a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to go up 17-7 with 10:19 left and then St. Thomas Aquinas quarterback Andrew Indorf threw an interception on the third play of the ensuing drive, leading to a 13-play drive for St. John Bosco to kick another field goal and put away the Raiders.
“We just couldn’t get the ball rolling,” star wide receiver James Madison II said, “but, at the end of the day, I feel like we’re going to come back a thousand times better than we played today.”
Madison, who’s orally committed to Missouri, had St. Thomas Aquinas’ only touchdown of the day, making a diving grab in the back corner of the end zone to tie the game at 7-7 with 9:52 left in the third quarter. The senior finished with six catches for 53 yards and a touchdown, but the Raiders’ offense faded in the second half after their eight-play, third-quarter drive got them down to St. John Bosco’s 39-yard line, only to end with a punt.
Indorf, who started just one game last season as the backup to former quarterback Hezekiah Harris, went 13 of 20 for 94 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but tailed off after starting 12 of 14 for 81 yards.
A game like this one might benefit him more than anyone else.
“He can only get better,” Madison said. “I felt like this was a good game for him to play, against such a good squad and for him to play against teams we’re going to play against down the road.”
Although its offense was mostly stagnant and ran just 39 plays, St. Thomas Aquinas was within striking distance until the final few minutes. The Raiders came up with a goal-line stand right before halftime to go into the break down just 7-0 and were able to tie it up early in the third quarter, and then gave themselves a chance to take a lead with their one extended drive after St. John Bosco went ahead for good at 10-7.
“We’re not so much disappointed,” Harriott said. “We’re frustrated because there were opportunities there that this could’ve flipped the other way.”
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This story was originally published August 26, 2023 at 11:56 PM.