Can Unbeaten Bloomingdale Surprise St. Thomas?
In this article:
They have grown over the past few seasons and have gotten to the point where they have been able to take care of Tampa Bay and Central Florida area teams.
But as they get ready for perhaps the biggest game football game in school history, there is that one burning question that everyone would like the answer to: Can Bloomingdale beat national power St. Thomas Aquinas?
Things that may overwhelm other programs – like a roster loaded with gifted prospects, tremendous coaching and a 12-0 record is just another day at the office for a Raider team that lost one time this year – to 4A finalist Cardinal Gibbons.
Like Venice last week, Bradenton Manatee the week before and Lehigh to open the 7A playoffs, head coach Roger Harriott and his football team will treat this evening’s “huge moment” for Bulls’ fans all over, as a game that stands in the way of repeating as 7A state champions.
They have been to this game so many times, fans and followers have forgotten.
For Bloomingdale to come out on the winning side of things they need to control the big plays – and on offense – try to establish something that every other opponent along the way has failed to do.
Tonight could be one of those games – or it could be just another outcome that was expected by a team that enters the road game as an 18-point favorite!
HOW BLOOMINGDALE ARRIVED AT 12-0.
From the start of the season, it was indeed all business for this football program.
Narrow wins to start the year off against Armwood (15-14) and Tampa Bay Tech (25-22) opened the way for larger victors against Plant City (37-20), Plant City Durant (30-0), Lakeland Kathleen (43-6), Lakeland (39-14), Strawberry Crest (62-0) and Lithia Newsome (38-10) in the regular season.
The playoffs have seen some familiar foes – such as Plant City (35-21), Armwood (24-14), Tampa Bay Tech (36-33) and Pinellas Park.
THE RAIDERS ROUTE TO 6-1
With the lone loss coming this season to 4A power Cardinal Gibbons, 17-10, St. Thomas Aquinas took care of business the rest of the way.
During the season, they picked up wins over TRU Prep Academy (25-13), DeLand (31-7) and Plantation American Heritage (33-23).
In the playoffs, it has been clear sailing – against Lehigh (50-14), Bradenton Manatee (45-0) and Venice (29-8).
THE BULLS FILE
SCHOOL: Valrico Bloomingdale
HEAD COACH: Jake Coulson
2020 RECORD: 12-0
CLASSIFICATION: 7A
BULLS TO WATCH IN 2020
2022 – Brycnn Bennett, LB
2021 – Avant Bethea, DE/TE
2021 – Jac’son Boone, WR/CB
2021 – Jonathon Dixon, LB/TE
2021 – Isaiah Doby, FS
2022 – Sean Dungan, QB
2022 – Carson Eisner, LB
2021 – John Goodwin, TE
2021 – Jordan Guerad, NG
2021 –
Agiye Hall
Agiye
Hall
6'2" | 185 lbs | WR
Valrico Bloomingdale | 2021
State
FL
, WR
2021 – Cullen Hicks, OG
2021 – Wa’myron Howard, RB/OLB
2021 – Unique Lewis, RB
2021 – Derrick Mahoney, OT
2022 – Ollie Manhertz, RB
2021 – Dinero McClendon, WR
2021 – D.J. McQueen, WR
2021 – Jarod Mounce, LB/TE
2021 – Jamarion Neal, LB
2021 – Britton Pascoe, FS
2021 – Phillip Riley Phillip Riley 6'0" | 190 lbs | DB Valrico Bloomingdale | 2021 State FL , CB/WR
2022 – Austin Russell, FS/WR
2021 – Jayden Segarra, WR/FS
2021 – Tre Simmons, QB
2021 – Twon Spurlock, CB
2021 – Curtis Thomas, WR
2022 – Lance Walker, OL
2021 – Jayden Williams, CB
THE RAIDER FILE
SCHOOL: Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders
HEAD COACH: Roger Harriott
2020 RECORD: 6-1
CLASSIFICATION: 7A
RAIDERS TO WATCH IN 2020
2021 – Carter Bass, WR
2021 – Allan Baugh Allan Baugh 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 FL , DL
2021 – Noah Botsford Noah Botsford P Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 FL , P/PK
2021 – Bralon Brown Bralon Brown 6'2" | 185 lbs | WR Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 State FL , WR
2022 – Camden Brown Camden Brown 6'3" | 190 lbs | WR Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022 State FL , WR
2021 – Rohan Brown, OLB
2021 – Adetola Daranijo, DL
2021 – Marco Fugar Marco Fugar 6'4" | 270 lbs | OL Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 FL , OL
2022 – Travis Gammage Jr., DL
2022 – Anthony Hankerson Anthony Hankerson 5'8" | 190 lbs | RB Fort Lauderdae St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022 State FL , RB
2021 – Gunnar Hansen, OL
2021 – Jaydon Hood Jaydon Hood 6'1" | 220 lbs | LB Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 State FL , LB
2021 – Antonio Johnson Antonio Johnson 6'3" | 220 lbs | TE Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 FL , TE
2021 – Jordan Kolnick, LB
2021 – Ja’Den McBurrows Ja’Den McBurrows 5'10" | 175 lbs | DB Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 State FL , CB
2021 – Maurice Newton, WR
2021 – Tyson Russell Tyson Russell 5'11" | 170 lbs | DB Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 FL , DB
2021 – Boaz Saint Vil, G
2021 –
Tyreak Sapp
Tyreak
Sapp
6'2" | 255 lbs | DL
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021
State
FL
, DL
2021 – Joshua Sauickie, OL
2021 – Quincy Skinner Jr, WR
2022 – Jordan Smith Jordan Smith RB Fort Lauderdae St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022 FL , RB
2021 – R.J. Sorenson, DE
2021 – Antonio Spencer, WR
2021 – Isaiah Taylor, DB
2022 – Mason Taylor, TE
2021 – Dallas Turner Dallas Turner 6'4" | 245 lbs | LB Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2021 State FL , DE
2022 –
Zion Turner
Zion
Turner
6'1" | 180 lbs | QB
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022
State
FL
, QB
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
This weekend, eight more teams, who have sacrificed spring and summer, and ultimately fought Covid and this pandemic, will join 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A teams this next week at Doak Campbell Stadium
The Race For Tallahassee is indeed much like the rest of 2020 has been. But we are one week away, and football is going to be played this weekend in 33 Florida cities, producing some of the best teams and players anywhere in the country.
Besides the Bloomingdale and St. Thomas game, here is a look at the remainder of the state semifinals:
CLASS 8A
STATE SEMIFINALS
NORTH
Sanford Seminole (10-0) at Apopka (8-3), 7.
SOUTH
Kissimmee Osceola (8-2) vs. Miami Palmetto (6-1) at Traz Powell Stadium – Saturday, 6.
CLASS 7A
STATE SEMIFINALS
NORTH
Orlando Edgewater (7-2) at Niceville (11-0), 7 Central Time.
CLASS 6A
STATE SEMIFINALS
NORTH
St. Augustine (10-2) at Lake Minneola (10-1).
SOUTH
Palmetto (9-3) vs. Miami Central (6-1) at Traz Powell Stadium.
CLASS 5A
STATE SEMIFINALS
NORTH
Dunnellon (10-0) vs. Tallahassee Rickards (8-1), Gene Cox Stadium.
SOUTH
Tampa Jesuit (13-0) at Plantation American Heritage (9-2).
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRED OCASIO
You Can Contact Larry Blustein with prospect or team information at: Foridakids1@aol.com. We are also on Social Media on @PrepRedzonefl.
