Aquinas wins battle of 5A unbeatens
ORLANDO – Ryan Becker passed for three touchdowns and ran for another as St. Thomas Aquinas routed Lakeland 56-7 Friday night at the Florida Citrus Bowl to win its second straight Florida High School Athletic Association Class 5A title and cap a perfect season.
The crown is the fifth overall for St. Thomas Aquinas (15-0), which also won championships in 1992 (4A), 1997 (5A) and 1999 (4A). The Raiders lost to Lakeland in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 finals.
By the end of the first quarter, the outcome wasn’t in doubt.
Becker completed a 53-yard touchdown pass to Gabrison Holmes on the second play of the game. Just under six minutes later, James White scored on a 45-yard run to make it 14-0. The Raiders added a one-yard touchdown run from Becker at the 3:29 mark of the first quarter, then made it 28-0 17 seconds later on a 20-yard interception return for a score by linebacker Conor O’Neill.
St. Thomas Aquinas led 35-0 at the half and 49-7 after three quarters. The final 12 minutes were played with a mandatory running clock.
Becker finished 8 of 11 for 100 yards. White rushed for 98 yards and a score and Giovanni Bernard added 104 yards on the ground for the St. Thomas Aquinas rushing attack, which produced 288 yards on 28 carries in the game.
The Dreadnaughts (14-1) totaled only 236 yards, compared to 388 for the Raiders, and turned the ball over twice.
n Cocoa 7, Tallahassee Godby 6: Anthony Wilson’s five-yard touchdown in overtime and Cody Bell’s extra-point kick lifted Cocoa to victory over Tallahassee Godby in the Class 3A state final.
Before booting the game-winner, Bell had missed four field goals. The title is the first for Cocoa (14-1). Godby (12-3) was trying to win its first championship since 1987 and fourth overall.
In regulation, the teams battled to a scoreless tie – a first in Florida Finals history. Godby had six turnovers, including four interceptions of quarterback A.J. Graham. Cocoa totaled only 137 yards through four quarters.
In overtime, each team got the ball at the other’s 10. Godby scored on its second play when Graham (20-of-35, 218 yards) found Willie Downs in the corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown completion. Godby’s extra-point attempt was blocked by Cocoa linebacker Anthony Session, leaving the Cougars with a 6-0 lead.