August 10, 2009

Laurel Pfahler
Special to Rivals High

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Top 100 countdown No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas, Florida

COACH: George Smith LAST SEASON: 15-0, National Champs. Florida 5A State Champs FINAL 2008 RIVALS.COM RANKING: No. 1 Nationally When a football team dominates a state championship game like Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas did in 2008, losing several top players does not comfort opponents. The Raiders defeated perennial power Lakeland 56-7 in the Class 5A final to win their first national title last season with a 15-0 record. They graduated 11 players to Division I college programs, including the quarterback, three receivers and the team's leading tackler. But reloading never seems to be a problem for St. Thomas, and expectations remain high heading into the 2009 season. "There are obviously holes when you lose three Division I receivers, but you have holes to fill every year," said Raiders coach George Smith, who enters his 33rd season. "How you fill them and what you have to fill them with is a different question, and I guess that's why you practice. "One of the keys is how hard you can get them to work and how much they buy into what you are doing as far as your weight and conditioning program. For the most part, the guys have bought into that, so we will go from there." The offense has the most holes to fill, but the defense might be as good as any in the nation with the secondary play of cornerbacks Cody Riggs, Miami Southwest transfer Lamarcus Joyner and Dillard transfer Keion Payne - along with returning safeties Brian Robinson and Reynaldo Kirton. Riggs, who led the Raiders with eight interceptions last year, and Joyner, a five-star versatile athlete who might be needed more on offense, are ranked by Rivals.com among the top four defensive back prospects in the country. Payne also is a top DB recruit at No. 61. Linebackers John Baglia and Vinnie Mauro are key returnees with the loss of leading tackler Conor O'Neill. Ken Hankerson and Matt Stokes will lead a depleted defensive line that features plenty of rising talent. "The secondary, I think, is our biggest strength," Smith said. "Overall, I think our defense is pretty decent." Replacing skill players on offense will be among the biggest challenges. Graduated quarterback Ryan Becker threw for 2,033 yards and 30 touchdowns and signed with the University of Pennsylvania. Last year's backup, Jake Rudock, was in line to take over, but he's thrown just 28 passes in his high school career and now must compete with Division I prospect Turner Baty for the job. Baty transferred in from Menlo-Atherton (Calif.) High, and though Smith said the quarterback situation is unsettled, it might be tough to sit a player who threw for 1,700 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior and had scouts lining up at spring practice. "He went through spring practice with us, but our offensive line, we had some guys banged up, so it was hard to tell who was the guy," Smith said. "The kid is a really hard worker and a really nice kid, so we will see what happens." Whoever earns the job as the new playcaller will have the help of the team's two main running backs, seniors Gio Bernard and James White. Bernard rushed for 1,528 yards and 18 touchdowns on 160 carries last season, and White finished with 933 yards and 18 touchdowns on 127 touches. "They are three-year players, both very intelligent guys on the field and in the classroom, and they can run and catch, and they are both tough," Smith said. "That's a real good combination if you get those guys going, and hopefully we can get our offensive line - which we lost all but one guy from - better than we were in the spring and we can take advantage of the talented backs we have." The comfort of an established backfield doesn't mean Smith will keep the offense on the ground. The Raiders were multiple last year and likely won't stray from that too much, though the receiving corps will be young. Wide receivers Duron Carter (Ohio State) and Dwayne Difton (Connecticut) and tight end Gabe Holmes (Purdue) have moved on, but Joyner - who Smith expects to use often on offense - provides a deep threat. Junior Phillip Dorsett should step in as another athletic target. "I don't know that we will be exactly similar to what we tried to do last year," Smith said. "That's going to depend on a couple things, but we will not turn into a running team." One factor is the offensive line, which lost all but one starter, senior Brandon Linder. That was the case last year, too, and the Raiders dominated up front. "There needs to be good chemistry developed between those guys, and that did happen last year, so we will see if it happens this year," Smith said. "Brandon Linder, who is a three-year starter and offensive tackle, is certainly a top-quality player, and with his leadership, hopefully he'll bring those guys together as a unit." Punter/kicker Michael Palardy, who recently committed to Tennessee, completes the package. He was just 3-for-6 on field goals last year, but he was well-known for his big boot and numerous touchbacks. Joyner also will help out on special teams as a return specialist, replacing Ronnie Kennedy, who had three returns for touchdowns. St. Thomas opens the season once again at the nationally televised Herbstreit Classic, earning an invitation last year and beating Cincinnati (Ohio) Elder, 35-24, at the Bengals' Paul Brown Stadium. This time, the Raiders meet Upper Arlington (Ohio) at noon Aug. 29 at Ohio State. Smith hopes to learn what kind of team chemistry he has while his players are together on the trip for almost 48 hours. The Raiders also have a new district this year, and will play Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes, which could be one of the nation's best matchups of the season. The Rebels have won seven South Carolina state titles in the past eight years. "I think our schedule is as tough as anyone's in the state, maybe the country," Smith said. "We open up in Ohio again, and then the local teams Boyd Anderson - tremendous athletes - Cypress Bay, Deerfield Beach, Miramar and then you add Byrnes in there, it's a pretty tough schedule, but hopefully we are prepared."