Mallory’s four TDs propel Aquinas past Coconut Creek in regional semifinal

It wasn’t the most glamorous St. Thomas Aquinas playoff football victory in recent years, but when the clock ran out on Coconut Creek’s season, the Raiders continued another push for a state championship.

Led by senior quarterback Mason Mallory’s pair of touchdown runs and two scoring passes, Aquinas rolled to 45-13 victory over the Cougars in a Region 4-5A semifinal on Friday.

The Raiders (11-1) will host McArthur, a 17-16 victor over Delray Beach Atlantic, in the regional final next Friday.

Aquinas, winners of 32 consecutive playoff games, are 18-2 all-time against the Mustangs, including a 31-7 win earlier this season.

Up 17-7 at the half, the Raiders put the game away in the third quarter on a 15-yard scoring pass from Mallory to Julius Jones and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Shavis Linder for a 31-7 lead.

“We just came out and made sure we executed everything we worked on in practice,” Mallory said. “We knew certain looks they were going to give us and knew what we would usually hit. We got sloppy at some points, but we’re a bend don’t break team and made some adjustments,”

Down by 24, the Cougars weren’t quite ready to fold as sophomore quarterback Josisah Sanchious connected wide open Jordan Thompson for and 83-yard touchdown pass cutting the deficit to 31-13.

The Raiders shut down any thoughts of a Creek (9-3) comeback with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns.

Backup quarterback Brady Palmer scored on a 13-yard run, followed by a 25-yard scamper by Morris Choice with 5:18 to play.

Aquinas took advantage of two early interceptions of tipped balls to take a 10-0 lead.

Mallory scored on a 15-yard run just 1:17 into the first quarter. That was followed by a 30-yard field goal from Johnny DiSalvatore.

“They are an extremely talented team, and we had some opportunities from their mistakes and turnovers,” Aquinas coach Roger Harriott said. “We capitalized on them early and that set the tone for us for a solid victory.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2025 at 2:02 AM.