FORT LAUDERDALE — St. Thomas Aquinas reinforced its reputation as one of the premier teams in the nation with a dominant 38-14 win over DeSoto on Aug. 29.
Aquinas, the No. 1 ranked team in the USA Today Florida Super 25, hosted DeSoto, the 2025 Texas Class 6A state champion and the No. 22 teams on the USA Today Super 25, in the showcase game of the Broward County High School National Football Showcase.
While the matchup looked good on paper, it wasn't close on the field.
Pitt commit Tyler Reid scored on Aquinas' first offensive play as the Raiders raced out to a 38-0 halftime lead on DeSoto. The second half was played with a running clock.
Notre Dame commit Julius Jones caught a touchdown pass and Collin Francis added a rushing touchdown for Aquinas
(2-0).
The defense also got into the act with a pair of scores. Ohio State commit Jayden Carey returned an interception for a touchdown in the first quarter. Notre Dame commit Zayden Gamble returned a fumble for a score in the second quarter.
Here are two takeaways from the Aquinas win.
St. Thomas Aquinas' defense is elite
Ohio State commit Wyatt Smith set the tone on the first play from scrimmage when he stuffed DeSoto's 3,000-yard rusher SaRod Baker in the backfield. Middle linebacker Levi Champion, a Liberty commit who led the state in tackles in 2025, had 10 tackles in the first half. The Raiders defense speed posed problems for DeSoto all night. Even when DeSoto tried a trick play, Aquinas' speed and aggression ended up forcing a fumble on what was supposed to be a halfback toss. DeSoto scored both of its touchdowns in the second half with the game out of reach. Including the Kickoff Classic, no team has scored against Aquinas in the first half this season.
The Broward Showcase opened the door for Aquinas to win a national title
It might sound like a crazy thing to say in August, but it's worth saying. Aquinas' win coupled with Columbus' upset of Bishop Gorman, the No. 2 ranked team on the USA Today Super 25 national rankings, has opened the door for Aquinas to really make an impression on voters. Aquinas will have more chances in the coming weeks, too. The Raiders host Columbus on Sept. 4 and travel to Chaminade-Madonna on Oct. 2. If Aquinas makes it through the regular season unscathed, the Open Division gauntlet awaits. Aquinas appears to be a legitimate national contender, and the final day of the Broward Showcase certainly helped.
Aquinas'
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Takeaways from St. Thomas Aquinas' rout of Texas state champ DeSoto
