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Buchholz will have their toughest test this season against St. Thomas Aquinas when a pair of 12-1 teams face-off, with the winner advancing to the State Championship.
According to Max Preps, the Bobcats, who rank 63rd in the nation, went 9-1 in the regular season, with their lone loss coming to another school in Fort Lauderdale and Cardinal Gibbons. They added three more wins in the postseason. The Raiders ranked 13th and had their lone loss come against Jesuit High School.
Both teams have also combined to score 252 points through their first three playoff games and have allowed only eight touchdowns.
Key Players: Buchholz
Creed Whittemore continues to shine for Buchholz. He recently surpassed 2,100 passing yards and had added another 763 on the ground. He also has thrown for 24 touchdowns and added a pair of rushing scores.
Both Amarius Hale and Quinton Culter have rushed for over 300 yards, while Quan Lee is just 72 receiving yards shy of 1,000. Defensively, the team is led by five seniors in Tavares Williams, E.J. Gadson, Nay’ron Jenkins, Jahari Clemons and Daryus Boyd.
Donny Herbert has four interceptions while Kendall Jackson has five sacks which is third on the team behind Clemens and Boyd.
Key Players: St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas also has a terrific quarterback in Zion Turner. He has 1,787 yard passing and 21 touchdowns. The Bobcats have also ran for 2,369 yards, led by senior Anthony Hankerson. Additionally, they have four receivers with at least 200 yards receiving.
Defensively, they have one of the top players in the state of Florida in Derrieon Craig. The senior has 82 tackles this year and has forced three turnovers. St. Thomas Aquinas has also picked off 12 passes, with two-thirds of them coming from King Mack and Conrad Hussey.
Kickoff for this matchup is set for Friday, December 3, in Fort Lauderdale at 7:30. The winner of this game will play the winner of Tampa Bay Tech and lake Gibson in the state Championship on December 17.
