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Tallahassee, FL — The 2019 version of Orlando Edgewater versus Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas came down to the final play of the game. The Eagles threw it to the end zone and Marcus Rosemy, now with the University of Georgia, came down with the football to secure the 11th state championship for St. Thomas.
The 2020 version of the only rematch from the previous year of the FHSAA state championships was not as close but highly contested. St. Thomas out-muscled Edgewater to a 31-21 victory in the last state championship game of the week. The Raiders benefited from five turnovers by the Edgewater offense and scored 17 points from three of the five takeaways.
Aquinas got on the board first with junior running back Anthony Hankerson stretching for the goal line for a four-yard touchdown. The drive, a methodical one, with the largest gain of the drive, a pass from quarterback Zion Turner to junior Mason Taylor for a 36-yard gain.
St. Thomas gets on the board first as @Hankk_22 stretches for the touchdown. Score 7-0 first quarter. @STA_Football leads Edgewater. pic.twitter.com/ZPs8atC7po
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) December 20, 2020
Edgewater would counter with a methodical drive of their own as sophomore Cedric Baxter scored from nine yards out to tie the game up at seven. Baxter finished with 19 carries 113 yards and two touchdowns.
Turnovers began to turn the game in favor of St. Thomas in the second quarter. Senior Jaydon Hood, a Michigan signee, would knock the ball loose from running back Christian Leary, an Alabama signee, and junior Derrieon Craig jumped on a loose football in Eagle territory. Hankerson finished the drive with a spectacular ‘sportscenteresque’ run. The junior made a swift jump cut to his left and took on an Eagle defender head-on, flipped over the tackler, maintained his balance with his hand, and got into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown.
Anthony Hankerson @Hankk_22 with the unbelievable touchdown run. @STA_Football up 14-7 over Edgewater with 2:52 left in the half. pic.twitter.com/oixVEDGTe1
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) December 20, 2020
On the next possession, senior quarterback Canaan Mobley overthrew his receiver on a bubble screen that was caught by one hand by Michigan signee Jaden McBurrows. The senior would take the football into the end zone after the interception for a highlight-worthy pick-six.
Edgewater would move the football down the field on Aquinas as Mobley would hit junior Jeremiah Connelly for a 48-yard pass completion. Baxter would go in for his second score of the game shortly after on a three-yard rush to the pylon. St. Thomas would take a 21-14 lead into halftime. Edgewater outgained St. Thomas 498 to 337 in total yards.
Edgewater led a promising drive to the St. Thomas 34-yard line to start the second half only to have it end abruptly with their third turnover of the game. Junior Jerrod Cameron caught an errant pass from Mobley at the 18-yard line that halted yet another Eagle drive. The Raiders would score a 32-yard field goal from left-footed senior Max Larson as a result of the turnover to extend the lead.
Hankerson went in untouched from nine yards for his third score at the 9:15 mark in the fourth quarter. Hankerson rushed 26 times for 181 yards three touchdowns. Edgewater would try to answer again getting to the St. Thomas three-yard line, but Craig would strip the football from Leary stopping yet another drive.
The Eagles would force a three-and-out and Edgewater would get another chance to cut into the Raider lead, but Tyreak Sapp, a Florida Gator signee, would recover another fumble by Leary to stop any threat of a comeback.
The win made St. Thomas the winningest championship program in the history of Florida. St. Thomas broke a tie with Jacksonville Bolles for the most state championships in the history of high school football in Florida with 12 titles. The win also made it five state championships in seven years for Aquinas.
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