The 2024 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) State Championships get underway this week at Pitbull Stadium, on the campus of Florida International University.
The third of our seven champions will be crowned Thursday night when the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (11-3) take on the Lakeland Dreadnaughts (13-0). Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
This will be the 7th meeting all-time between the two schools, where the Dreadnaughts have taken five of the first six matchups.
How did St. Thomas Aquinas get here? They defeated North Miami 58-0 in the regional quarterfinals. They defeated Blanche Ely 53-32 in the regional semifinals. They defeated Atlantic (Delray Beach) 49-42 in overtime in the regional finals. They defeated Manatee 16-13 in last week’s state semifinals.
The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders are making an elusive 24th appearance in the state championship game (15-8 record in title games).
The Raiders have lost three games in a season for the first time since 2017 (They also reached the state championship game before losing to Venice).
The Raiders have been led by senior quarterback Andrew Indorf who has thrown for 2,700 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions this season. Indorf has also rushed for 295 yards and 7 touchdowns this season.
Senior running back Cedric Wyche (Illinois commit) is the team’s leading rusher where he has 99 carries for 805 yards and 11 touchdowns. Also joining him in the backfield is senior running back Chance Washington where he has 84 carries for 725 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season.
Keep an eye on sophomore wide receiver Julius Jones in this one, where he has a team-high 51 catches for 750 yards and 6 touchdowns this season.
How did Lakeland get here? They defeated Spoto 51-6 in the regional quarterfinals. They defeated Gaither 41-13 in the regional semifinals. They defeated Tampa Bay Tech 24-21 in the regional finals. They defeated Niceville 34-33 in three overtimes.
The Dreadnaughts are making their 11th appearance in the state championship game (Won 9 of their first 10 state championship game appearances). They are also making their third consecutive state championship game appearance (Winning the previous two).
Expect the Dreadnaughts to deploy the two-quarterback system where they use senior Zander Smith (North Dakota State commit) and junior Chad Williams.
They also like to rely heavily on senior running back Jordan Henderson who has 61 carries for 466 yards and a team-high 6 touchdowns. Also, keep an eye on junior running back Jadarius Dobie who has 83 carries for 578 yards and three touchdowns this season.
This is a game I fully expect to be a tight one throughout where it could come down to the last possession of the game.
What is your score prediction for the 5A Championship Game? St. Thomas Aquinas 27, Lakeland 24
