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ST. AQUINAS 79, COOPER CITY 3
Raiders cruise, remain perfect
St. Thomas, which led by 37 points in the first quarter, finished with 79 points, the second-highest total in county history.
BY BOB EMANUEL JR.
[email protected]
The hundreds of St. Thomas Aquinas fans who waited through the 2-minute, 6-second lightning delay at Cooper City High on Friday night were rewarded for their patience.
The Raiders put on a clinic in every phase of the contest en route to a 79-3 victory over Cooper City. The 79 points was the second-highest total ever scored by a Broward County team, trailing Ely's 83 points scored against Gifford in 1951.
''It looked like a little boy out there trying to play against a grown man,'' Cowboys coach Jim Elder said.
The Raiders (3-0) took a 37-0 lead in the first quarter and never were challenged.
Quarterback Wesley Carroll opened the barrage less than two minutes in on an 8-yard run. The touchdown was set up when safety Major Wright blocked a punt, which was recovered at the Cooper City 16.
The defense set up the next score when Matt Shula sacked and stripped quarterback Erik Applegate inside the 5. Cooper City recovered in the end zone for a safety.
After the free kick, Jeremiah Harden scored on a 37-yard run for a 16-0 lead with 8:58 remaining in the quarter. Less than two minutes later, Ronnie Kennedy scored on a 7-yard run. Carroll found Leonard Hankerson for a 28-yard reception with 4:19 to play.
Michael Barasch capped the outburst with a 1-yard run with 28 seconds left.
The second quarter was nearly a carbon copy of the first. Hankerson caught a 10-yard pass from Carroll to put the Raiders ahead by 44. Carroll hit his third touchdown pass of the game with 8:19 remaining when he found Kyle Johnson for a 5-yard score.
Carroll left the game after the touchdown, but his backup continued the aerial show. Sean Fitzgerald found Giovanni Bernard for an 18-yard touchdown pass just 94 seconds later. Kevyn Scott then scored on a 36-yard fumble return with 1:58 to play in the half.
''We came out and got some breaks early in the game,'' Aquinas coach George Smith said. ``The offense worked pretty good. We got a couple of things going.''
Playing with a running clock in the second half, the Raiders continued their assault on the record book. Bernard scored on a 15-yard run nearly halfway through the quarter. Kevon Brown added a 1-yard score, and kicker Wesley Byrum hit his 10th PAT for the Raiders' 79th point, establishing a school record. The previous mark of 77 points was set versus Forest Hill in 2002, and the 76-point margin of victory eclipsed yet another school record.
Statistics aside, the game afforded Smith an opportunity to play many of his younger players. The youth showed discipline, as the Raiders were called for four penalties totaling 30 yards.
''We got a chance to play a lot of kids, and we kept our penalties down,'' Smith said.
Cooper City held possession most of the fourth quarter and broke the shutout with a 43-yard field goal by Robert Yanks with three minutes remaining.
