Tyler Reid’s Historic Night Carries No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas Past No. 6 Columbus, 31–24

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Columbus had climbed all the way back.

The Explorers erased a 17-point second-half deficit, tied the nation’s No. 1 team and appeared positioned to complete their second monumental upset in six days.

Then Tyler Reid touched the football again.

On St. Thomas Aquinas’ first offensive play after Columbus tied the game at 24, Reid burst through the defense and raced 80 yards for the decisive touchdown, lifting the top-ranked Raiders to a 31–24 victory Friday night at Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium.

The Pittsburgh commit delivered the greatest performance of his high school career, rushing for 338 yards on just 13 carries and scoring all four St. Thomas Aquinas touchdowns.

Reid averaged an astonishing 26 yards per carry. He scored on runs of 63, 80 and 80 yards while also catching a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Blake Calixte.

In a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 6 teams in the MaxPreps Top 25, one player repeatedly became the difference.

Two National Powers Meet in Fort Lauderdale

The matchup carried unusual early-season significance.

St. Thomas Aquinas had risen to No. 1 in the MaxPreps rankings after dominating defending Texas state champion DeSoto, 38–14, during the Broward County National Football Showcase.

Columbus entered at No. 6 after producing its own national statement. The Explorers defeated previous No. 1 Bishop Gorman, 33–28, behind five-star Miami commit A’Mir Sears’ three interceptions and two touchdown receptions.

That created a rare situation: Columbus faced the nation’s No. 1 team for the second consecutive week.

The Explorers had already knocked one top-ranked program from the position. For much of the fourth quarter Friday, they appeared capable of doing it again.

St. Thomas Aquinas had another answer.

Reid Strikes First

Columbus received the opening kickoff and moved into St. Thomas Aquinas territory before the Raiders forced a punt.

When Aquinas took possession, Reid quickly changed the game.

On his third carry, the senior found space along the sideline and raced 63 yards for a touchdown, giving the Raiders a 7–0 advantage midway through the opening quarter.

The run was the first indication that Columbus would struggle to contain Reid’s combination of vision, acceleration and breakaway speed.

The Explorers later created another scoring opportunity but missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt early in the second quarter.

St. Thomas Aquinas responded by returning to Reid.

After the running back broke a 60-yard run to move the Raiders near the goal line, Calixte found him in the flat for a three-yard touchdown. Reid’s second score extended the lead to 14–0 with 8:09 remaining before halftime.

Columbus finally answered with a patient 13-play drive.

Quarterback Kai Moore completed a two-yard touchdown pass to Tony Brown III, cutting the deficit to 14–7 with 2:19 left in the half.

St. Thomas Aquinas added a short field goal before the break and carried a 17–7 lead into halftime.

Aquinas Extends the Lead

Any momentum Columbus gained before intermission disappeared quickly after the second-half kickoff.

On St. Thomas Aquinas’ opening possession of the third quarter, Reid broke free for an 80-yard touchdown. His third score of the night pushed the Raiders’ advantage to 24–7.

At that point, the No. 1 team appeared ready to pull away.

But Columbus had already shown its resilience against Bishop Gorman. The Explorers had withstood a late charge from the Gaels one week earlier, and they refused to allow a 17-point deficit to end Friday’s contest.

Moore led Columbus on a drive that began at its own three-yard line and ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Sanje Green.

The score reduced the Aquinas lead to 24–14 with 4:57 remaining in the third quarter.

St. Thomas Aquinas later recovered a Columbus fumble and took possession at the Explorers’ 38-yard line, but the Columbus defense forced a punt and prevented the Raiders from expanding their lead.

That stop gave the Explorers an opportunity to continue their comeback.

Sears Helps Columbus Pull Even

Columbus’ defense created another opening early in the fourth quarter when defensive lineman Angel Orozco intercepted a screen pass and returned possession to the Explorers deep in Aquinas territory.

This time, Columbus capitalized.

Moore connected with Sears on a four-yard slant for a touchdown. After spending much of the night contained by an elite St. Thomas Aquinas secondary, the five-star Miami commit delivered when Columbus needed him most.

The touchdown reduced the deficit to 24–21 with 9:48 remaining.

Columbus quickly received another opportunity when the Explorers intercepted Calixte and took over at the St. Thomas Aquinas 10-yard line.

The Raiders’ defense prevented a touchdown, but Matteo Miller converted a 25-yard field goal to tie the game at 24 with 6:55 remaining.

Columbus had completed the comeback.

The Explorers had scored 17 unanswered points and had the nation’s top-ranked team on the ropes.

The tie lasted 15 seconds.

Reid Delivers the Deciding Blow

On the first play following the kickoff, Reid took the handoff, found an opening and accelerated into the secondary.

No Columbus defender caught him.

His second 80-yard touchdown of the second half restored St. Thomas Aquinas’ seven-point lead with 6:40 remaining.

The play provided a fitting conclusion to an extraordinary night.

Each time Columbus threatened to change the direction of the game, Reid produced an explosive answer. His three touchdown runs covered 223 combined yards.

Columbus still had more than six minutes and all three timeouts available for a potential tying drive.

The Aquinas defense made sure Reid’s fourth touchdown remained the winner.

Penalties pushed the Explorers backward, and St. Thomas Aquinas prevented Columbus from crossing midfield before forcing a punt.

Reid then supplied one final play, breaking a 13-yard run for the first down that allowed the Raiders to close out their 17th consecutive victory.

Columbus Shows Its National Credentials Again

The loss ended Columbus’ undefeated start, but the Explorers again demonstrated their ability to compete with the country’s premier programs.

Moore threw three touchdown passes to Brown, Green and Sears. He remained composed after the Explorers fell behind by 17 and helped lead the fourth-quarter comeback.

Columbus’ defense also made crucial second-half plays. The Explorers produced two interceptions and stopped St. Thomas Aquinas after a turnover had given the Raiders possession in scoring territory.

Six days after defeating Bishop Gorman, Columbus came within one possession of knocking off another national No. 1.

The Explorers fell to 2–1, but their performances against Bishop Gorman and St. Thomas Aquinas have established them as a legitimate national contender.

St. Thomas Aquinas Protects the No. 1 Ranking

St. Thomas Aquinas improved to 3–0 and strengthened its position atop the MaxPreps national rankings.

The Raiders have now defeated Cardinal Mooney, DeSoto and Columbus to open the season. Their victories over DeSoto and Columbus came against nationally recognized opponents with championship histories and elite college prospects throughout their rosters.

The Columbus game required a different type of response than the dominant win over DeSoto.

Aquinas built a substantial lead, watched it disappear and then delivered the decisive play when the game became tied. Its defense followed by producing the stop necessary to finish the victory.

That is the type of response expected from the nation’s No. 1 team.

The Raiders have five-star prospects, a powerful offensive line and one of the country’s most talented defenses.

On Friday night, however, the best player on the field was the three-star running back committed to Pittsburgh.

Reid did more than produce a career-high rushing total.

He carried St. Thomas Aquinas through a heavyweight fight, answered Columbus’ comeback with one final explosion and ensured that the No. 1 ranking remained in Fort Lauderdale.

What’s Next

St. Thomas Aquinas travels to face Dillard on Thursday, September 10.

Columbus will visit undefeated Miami Palmetto in a Class 6A District 16 matchup on the same night.

Final Score

No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas 31, No. 6 Columbus 24

Scoring by quarter

Top performer

Tyler Reid, St. Thomas Aquinas: 13 carries, 338 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown.