The gym at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale is running out of room for championship banners. In December, the football team clinched its sixth straight state title—and the baseball team defeated Buchholz High (Gainesville) 8–3 to cap a 29-win season in May.
The baseball team hadn’t won a state title since 2003, but their 2018 victory over the Sarasota High Sailors ignited a new era—one that extended beyond the diamond and onto the gridiron.
The following year, the football team began a run of District 5A championships. The Raiders routinely cruised through regular-season play and elevated their performance when it mattered most, often securing state titles with commanding, double-digit victories.
From 2019 to 2024, St. Thomas won six consecutive 5A state football championships with impressive scores.
They defeated the Edgewater Eagles twice, 28–23 in 2019 and 31–21 in 2020. In 2021, they dominated the Tampa Bay Tech Titans 49–14. The Raiders then beat the Homestead Broncos back-to-back, 38–21 in 2022 and a close 31–28 in 2023. Finally, in 2024, they shut out the Lakeland Dreadnaughts 34–0, further cementing their legacy as one of Florida’s most prolific high school football programs.
However, the 2024 football campaign proved more challenging than previous years, as the team lacked the usual depth of 4- and 5- star talent that had defined past seasons.
“We did a lot of great things with average players,” said special teams coach Mike Crissy.
This talent gap contributed to three regular-season losses, breaking their typical streak of dominance and forcing the team to overcome adversity on the way to the playoffs.
They entered the postseason as underdogs—no St. Thomas Aquinas football team had ever won a state championship run after suffering three or more regular-season losses.
“We were doubted by everybody, including our own fan base,” recalled kicker Nicholas Romero. “But there was never a doubt in my mind that we could do it—I knew we had the character and the talent to still win.”
That belief, shared throughout the locker room, became the driving force behind their playoff push.
A defining moment of their season was the audacious decision to open the state semifinals against Manatee with an onside kick, said coach Mike Crissy.
“Nick Romero practiced onside kicks all season, and when the opportunity presented itself in a pivotal game, the coaching staff had full confidence that he would go out there and execute,” Crissy recalled.
The successful recovery of that onside kick instantly swung momentum in St. Thomas’s favor.
In addition to highlighting the play itself, Crissy praised Romero’s leadership and commitment.
“No one got more respect on this team than Nick Romero,” said Crissy. “Everyone saw his work ethic and how dedicated he was to the program, setting a standard for his teammates to follow.”
Fueled by internal trust and resilience, the Raiders silenced the critics and defied the odds, ultimately capturing their sixth consecutive state title—cementing their legacy as one of the most resilient teams in St. Thomas history.
Offensive lineman Logan Husband also faced challenges, as he was told by his coaching staff to switch from defensive line to offensive line before his junior season. Despite initial reluctance, he chose to trust his coaching staff and embraced the change. His dedication paid off as he earned a starting role on the offensive line and was later honored as a team captain his senior season.
Speaking about his time with the team, Husband said, “Practice was more challenging than the games were, and that’s one of the reasons we were so successful—because we pushed each other so much in practice that the games felt easier.”
He also coined the phrase “Iron sharpens iron” to capture the mindset at St. Thomas, where teammates constantly pushed one another to be great.
That culture of competition is what truly separated them from their opponents and explains how St. Thomas was able to sustain such a high level of success over their six year dynasty.
The baseball team followed a familiar path, entering the season underestimated and counted out by just about everyone. Just as the football team did, they transformed doubt into fuel—and used it to power a championship run no one saw coming.
Catcher Peter Brett labeled it “a season of destiny,” noting that last year’s early playoff exit against West Boca Raton “left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.” Motivated by that disappointment, the team came back stronger than ever, determined to finish what they started—and they did just that.
Third baseman Andrew Alvarez highlighted Game 3—a decisive “win or go home” playoff showdown against perennial powerhouse Doral Academy—as his favorite game of the season.
Despite the high stakes and the challenge of playing on the road, Alvarez said the Raiders embraced the underdog mentality that had defined their entire year.
“In the final two innings, Doral had all the momentum—bases loaded, no outs, cutting into our 9–4 lead,” Alvarez said. “We held them to two runs, then scored back-to-back runs to seal it. After that, we never looked back.”
Alvarez also opened up about his toughest challenge during his senior year.
“I was hitting .100 to start the season, which was really low by my standards,” he admitted. “To bounce back, I read Relentless by Tim Grover and leaned on my dad for guidance.”
The book, which focuses on staying mentally strong and never giving up, helped inspire his comeback.
His dedication paid off, as he finished his senior season with 13 home runs—second most on the team.
Together, these teams have built a culture of resilience, brotherhood, and faith at St. Thomas Aquinas. Whether overcoming doubts, setbacks or personal struggles, the Raiders showcased that success derives from hard work and belief in each other.
With such a strong legacy, the future looks bright for St. Thomas Aquinas athletics — where every player understands that greatness is earned, not given.
