Plantation, FL — Arguably the two best high school football programs in Florida met on the field Friday night. American Heritage (Plantation) and Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas combine for 11 state championships in the last ten years. In the last decade, American Heritage has won five state titles with its last in 2017, and St. Thomas has won six state titles with its last in 2019. The last time these two powerhouses met, Aquinas got the best of Heritage with a 38-7 win in 2014 in a game played at the then-named Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. Both teams would go on to win state titles that year.
This year, the two Broward County teams would meet on the home field of St. Thomas Aquinas. Both teams lost uncharacteristically this season to teams they were favored to defeat. St. Thomas lost to Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons 17-10 and Heritage lost to Jacksonville Trinity Christian 3-0.
Three defensive touchdowns by the home Raiders would prove to be the difference for Aquinas as they improve to 3-1 with a win over American Heritage (2-2) 33-23 in game televised on ESPN2. Linebacker Derrieon Craig ripped the football away from sophomore running back Mark Fletcher and returned it 20 yards for the touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
A blocked punt by Boogsie Silvera would give Heritage a chance late as the football would travel to the Raider four-yard line. Quarterback Vinson Davis would run it into the end zone on the next play with 3:20 left to play in the game, but Davis would fail to make a play for the two-point conversion for it to remain a ten-point game.
To start the game, the St. Thomas defense would force a three-and-out and drive to the goal line with some strong runs by junior running back Anthony Hankerson (5-8, 190). The Patriots defense would stand tall on the drive stopping sophomore quarterback Zion Turner (featured image) on the quarterback sneak on fourth down. On the ensuing play, a bad snap would lead to a Raider’s recovery in the end zone by Christian Gonzalez. A missed extra point would give Aquinas an early 6-0 lead.
Aquinas would continue with a heavy dose of the running game on their second drive and Turner would not be denied this time as he would get to the corner with a 2-yard touchdown run to extend the lead 13-0.
Fletcher (6-2, 225) created the first forms of life of offense for American Heritage as he broke out for a 35-yard run that would take the Patriots deep into Raider territory to close out the first quarter. The coaches affectionately refer to Fletcher as Derrick Henry as he has a similar build and running style to the Heisman Trophy winner.
The drive would be short-lived as St. Thomas’s senior defender Kylan Stevens caught an errant short screen pass from Dylan Romig and returned the football for St. Thomas’s second defensive score.
Heritage’s first four possessions ended in a punt, fumble for a touchdown, punt, then interception for a touchdown. Senior Vinson Davis, normally a slot receiver, playing quarterback in place of starter Blake Murphy out with a collar bone injury, put his team on the board with an explosive 58-yard touchdown run. Davis kept the football on a zone-read and saw nothing but green grass in route to the end zone. The Pats would add to their point total as Fletcher would get a pitch from Davis in the red zone and the 2021 talent would use his speed to get across the goal line to make it a 20-14 game at halftime.
Fletcher had 10 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown on the ground in the first half.
Davis would continue to display his athleticism in the second half as the converted quarterback avoided tacklers in the backfield and weaved his way downfield for a poetic 62-yard run. Davis and the Patriots would be denied a touchdown as senior Tyson Russell got away with a hold on Syracuse commit Oronde Gadsden Jr. in the end zone. Heritage would settle for a field goal to make it a 20-17 game in the 3rd quarter.
Heritage linebacker David Vadala was a tackling machine recording several tackles for losses and sacks on the night. Hankerson would slash by Vadala and Miami Hurricanes commit James Williams for a 21-yard touchdown. The junior capped a 9 play, 70-yard drive, but the extra point would be mishandled to keep it a nine-point difference in the third quarter.
Heritage (2-2) gets the winner of Palm Bay and Mariner next week in their first 5A playoff game next week. St. Thomas starts their 7A playoff run against the winner of Sarasota and Lehigh in two weeks.
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