Raider Press Box

ONLY HAPPENED ONCE TRIVIA

Each week during the regular season, a trivia question will be posted to test your knowledge of Raider Football History.  A randomly selected correct answer will be awarded 2 tickets to a Raider home game.

Since 1975 when George Smith took over as head coach of the Raiders, the football program has experienced unprecedented success.  Smith has coached Aquinas to State championships, numerous district titles, player individual honors and overseen the player pipeline to the college ranks.

Amazingly over Smith's 30 plus seasons as the leader of the program, there has been only one year that the Raiders lost more games than they won.

Name the only losing season the Raiders have experienced since 1975?

Hint:  Raiders defeated the Western Wildcats 68-0 for one of their few victories that season.

Post your answer in the comments section below. If you want to try and stump the Press Box Crew with a Raider Trivia question of your own, place it in the Comments section.  If we cannot answer your question, we will also place your name in the drawing for 2 tickets.

RAIDERS WAIT FOR MUSTANGS' BUS TO ARRIVE

In the 1988 season McArthur had been plotting strategy all week before their game against St. Thomas. They would arrive moments before the start, drive its yellow school buses onto Brian Piccolo field and take the Raiders by surprise. The plan worked perfectly, except for one thing. St. Thomas was more than surprised. It was stunned.

On that McArthur bus was running back, Errict Rhett, one of the greatest players in Broward Football High School history.

Current McArthur Coach Mike Zarra was a St. Thomas Assistant Coach in 1988 and witnessed the Mustangs' 29-0 victory over the Raiders.  That victory was the Mustangs only win over Aquinas in their last ten meetings.

Not so fast Coach Zarra, the bus ploy will not work this time.  Fool Coach George Smith and the Raiders once; but not twice, especially in 2007.

Both teams are coming off shut out games last week. But the Raiders shut out South Broward, and the Mustangs were blanked by Cooper City.

HOME FIELD TRIVIA

Each week during the regular season, a trivia question will be posted to test your knowledge of Raider Football History.  A randomly selected correct answer will be awarded 2 tickets to a Raider home game.

In September 1975 after 29 years without a stadium, Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium was built on the St. Thomas Aquinas High School campus. The Raiders finally had a place to call home.

Prior to the building of Piccolo Stadium, locations, such as, Stranahan Field, Lockhart Stadium, McArthur Stadium and the Plantation Athletic League (P.A.L.) Field served as the home field for the Raiders.

Name the stadium that the Raiders used as their home field for only year?  And the year this stadium served as a Raider football home?

Hint #1: The Raiders' opponent this week calls this stadium their home.

Hint #2: This was the year Raider football great, Brian Piccolo, while at Wake Forest University led college football in scoring and rushing yards.

Bonus Hint: This was the year the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, marking their first live performance on American television, the appearance became the catalyst for the mid-1960s, "The British Invasion", of American popular music.

Raiders shutout South Broward, 35-0

Aquinas found their winning ways again with a superb defensive performance in a 35-0 district win over South Broward.

Christian Thompson, making his first start at middle linebacker, led the defense with 8 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Conor O'Neill sparked the scoring with a 14-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in 1st quarter.

Jeremiah Harden scored 2 touchdowns, including a dazzling 65-yard run in the 3rd quarter. He finished with 85 yards on 8 carries.

Aquinas finished out the scoring when John Carr recovered a blocked punt and returned it 5 yards for a touchdown.

Aquinas continues district play next week with a home game against McArthur.

RAIDERS GO TO THE DOGS

Aquinas heads to South Broward High School to face the Bulldogs in a District 16-5A contest.  Coming off a last second loss to Deerfield Beach, the Raiders look to rebound against the Bulldogs winner of their last 3 games.

Look for the Raiders' offense to dominate South Broward defense on the ground and in the air, while the Raider "D" bends , but does not break against the Bulldog's rushing attack.

St. Thomas seniors - Jeremiah Harden, Philip Pierre-Louis, Rodney Gills and Christian Thompson - prevent any upset happening by South Broward this week.

So, if you are betting on this game, don't "take the dog at home".  A determined Raider squad says, "dog gone it, no more losses", and leashes South Broward in Bulldog Stadium.

Raider Press Box Prediction: Raiders by 24

FILL IN THE BLANK TRIVIA

Each Monday during the regular season, a trivia question will be posted to test your knowledge of Raider Football History.  A randomly selected correct answer will be awarded 2 tickets to a Raider home game.

During the 2006 game against South Broward High School at Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium, the Raiders benefited from a very unusual play. 

South Broward faced a fourth-and-36 from its own 6 yard line in the fourth quarter.  The Bulldogs decided to punt.  Here's what happened as South Broward attempted the punt.

St. Thomas linebacker, __________, pushed his blocker back on the resulting punt, and the punted ball caromed off the South Broward blocker's helmet and high into the air where Aquinas safety, ____________, caught the ball in the air in the end zone for a touchdown.

Name both the St. Thomas linebacker and safety that were featured in that play?

Hint #1:  This hard working Aquinas linebacker chose to walk-on at Florida State and has made the Seminole roster.

Hint #2: This former Raider defensive back has made a major impact this season for The University of Florida Gators.

Post your answer in the comments section below. If you want to try and stump the Press Box Crew with a Raider Trivia question of your own, place it in the Comments section.  If we cannot answer your question, we will also place your name in the drawing for 2 tickets.

BYRUM WINS IT AGAIN FOR AUBURN

Auburn freshman Wes Byrum, STA 2007 graduate, has found his way onto the Lou Groza Place-Kicker "Star of the Week" list for the third time this season.

No. 22 Auburn edged Arkansas, 9-7.  Byrum's 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining gave the No. 22 Tigers a 9-7 victory over Arkansas on Saturday night. It was Byrum's second game-winner in three weeks. The freshman also beat Florida with a 43-yarder as time expired.

Byrum was also named Alabama Athlete Of The Month by the United States Sports Academy earlier last week. 

WARNING: POINT OF ATTACK

The #2-Class 5A State-ranked Raiders travel to face the #2-Class 6A State- ranked Deerfield Beach Bucks in a game which matches undefeated teams.

This series began in 1970 and is tied at 9 wins-9 losses overall. 

This pre-game analysis can be broken down in many areas: the Bucks defense vs. the Raiders offense, the Raiders defense vs. the Bucks offense and Special teams play for both.  Throw in the coaching factor and we come up all even.

The outcome should be decided at the "point of attack", or by the "play in the trenches", better known as the interior line.

The Aquinas O-line continues to improve each week under the coaching of Jay Connolly and Mike Curry. Three factors show why the the improvement has occurred: physical play, a healthy unit and chemistry as each player becomes accustomed to his teammates.

Aquinas has Deerfield Beach clearly in their cross-hairs and drop the Bucks in this back and forth shoot out.

Raider Press Box Prediction: Raiders by 3

UNDEFEATED TRIVIA

Each Monday during the regular season, a trivia question will be posted to test your knowledge of Raider Football History.  A randomly selected correct answer will be awarded 2 tickets to a Raider home game.

The Raiders have started the 2007 season with an undefeated 5-0 record.  Aquinas has finished the regular season undefeated with a 10-0 record in several seasons.

Which one of the following seasons was not an undefeated regular season for the Raiders?

• 1992
• 1997
• 2000
• 2001

Hint: Although the team lost a regular season game, the Raiders won a State Championship in that season.

Post your answer in the comments section below. If you want to try and stump the Press Box Crew with a Raider Trivia question of your own, place it in the Comments section.  If we cannot answer your question, we will also place your name in the drawing for 2 tickets.

FINDING JAY OTTOVEGIO, FORMER RAIDER KICKING SPECIALIST

When Jay Ottovegio, STA 2003 alum, decided to kick the football for Stanford University, that decision took him along way from home.  You could almost say he was "out of sight, out of mind".

But Jay, a red-shirt senior, resurfaced in a big way, when Stanford beat USC 24-23 Saturday night in Los Angeles, his punting was an important part in the biggest upset of this college football season and probably one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history.

The win over USC probably ranks as Stanford's greatest upset ever and rivals the biggest college football upsets of all time. A victory by a 41-point underdog is believed to be the largest point-spread reversal ever.

Ottovegio, Stanford co-captain,  punted 8 times for a 43 yard average which included 2 punts inside the 20 yard line, 2 touchbacks and one punt over 50 yards.

Congratulations to Jay and the Stanford Cardinal from the Raider Nation.