FORT LAUDERDALE — St. Thomas Aquinas senior running back Jordan Lyle had 110 total yards and a touchdown and the host Raiders defeated Coconut Creek 28-0 in a Class 3M regional final on Friday night.
St. Thomas Aquinas (12-1), which entered the game ranked No. 10 nationally by MaxPreps, have outscored their opponents 131-6 in three playoff games. The Raiders are looking to capture a fifth consecutive state title.
“I am proud of our guys for moving on to the next round,” St. Thomas Aquinas coach Roger Harriott said. “We beat a really good team that had a tremendous season. They have athletes all over the field. Special teams did a phenomenal job. It was an all-around team effort.”
Lyle, an Ohio State commit, rushed for 63 yards and a score. He also recorded three catches for 47 yards.
“I feel like we are playing great,” Lyle said. “We are starting to pick it up now. We are about to hit another gear and are getting ready. We are very motivated.”
Senior running back Stacy Gage and senior running back Justin Montgomery both rushed for scores in the second quarter. Junior quarterback Andrew Indorf had a 24-yard touchdown run in the fourth.
St. Thomas Aquinas senior Justin Bodford and senior David Pein both recorded sacks. Senior Earl Kulp had a fumble recovery and senior Allen Bryant recorded an interception. Senior linebacker Nick Rodriguez stepped up with a strong performance as one of the team’s leaders in tackles.
“We have a real strong brotherhood,” Rodriguez said. “We love playing and dominating as a team. I am taking every moment in and enjoying the process and taking advantage of every opportunity. I love our team.”
Coconut Creek senior starting quarterback James Hayes was sidelined after an injury in the regional semifinal. Senior Javares Jones played quarterback during the first half. Senior running back Jamarie Hostzclaw moved to quarterback at the start of the second half.
The game was scoreless at the end of the first quarter. Indorf had a 32-yard touchdown pass negated in the first due to a penalty.
St. Thomas Aquinas led 21-0 at halftime as they capitalized on a short field with three scoring drives in the second quarter.
St. Thomas Aquinas started their third possession on offense at the Coconut Creek 35-yard line. Gage rushed up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 7-0 with 11:03 left in the second.
Kulp recovered a fumble for the Raiders at the Cougars 28. The Raiders went three-and-out and were forced to punt.
The Raiders returned a punt into Cougars territory and the ball was spotted at the Cougars 10 after a penalty. Lyle rushed for a 10-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 14-0 with 8:28 left in the second.
St. Thomas Aquinas freshman Ah’Mari Stevens raced down the left sideline on a punt return to the Cougars 2. Montgomery powered his way for a 4-yard score to increase the lead to 21-0 with 6:03 remaining in the second.
Coconut Creek senior Elijah Cannon, an FAU commit, recorded an interception at the Raiders 49. The Cougars failed to convert on fourth-and-goal at the Raiders 4 after an incomplete pass to the end zone with 45 seconds left in the first half.
Coconut Creek (10-3) missed a scoring chance on their opening possession of the second half as they dropped a 52-yard pass attempt toward the end zone.
St. Thomas Aquinas missed a 44-yard field goal attempt late in the third quarter.
Coconut Creek had the ball inside the St. Thomas Aquinas 20 before Bryant recorded an interception at the end of the third.
Coconut Creek failed to convert on fourth-and-11 at their own 33 with 9:19 left in the fourth quarter.
Indorf rushed for a 24-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 28-0 with 8:34 remaining.
Coconut Creek defeated Piper 42-6 in the regional quarterfinal and they held off West Boca 24-17 in the regional semifinal.
“We couldn’t move the ball on offense and we missed a couple of plays,” Coconut Creek coach Johnnie Sloan said. “Despite the loss, it does not take away from what we gained and accomplished this season. We learned a lot. I love our team. It’s the biggest senior class I had. We will have some pieces next year and we will be back strong.”
