September 14 matchup will feature two of the nation's most successful high school football programs
By Christy Cabrera Chirinos, Sun Sentinel
Once again, the St. Thomas Aquinas football team will line up against a top-notch, out-of-state foe.
Thursday, athletic director George Smith confirmed the Raiders will host New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco Prep in a game scheduled for Sept. 14.
There's been plenty of Internet speculation about the game for weeks, but Smith would not comment on the potential matchup until a contract was finalized.
That's finally happened and it's time for St. Thomas to start thinking about its matchup with the Ironmen, who finished the 2011 season as the nation's top-ranked team by ESPNHS, USA Today, PrepNation.com and MaxPreps.
"These are two good programs that have been nationally known over the past few years and have won the national titles in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011," Smith said. "It should generate a lot of interest locally and nationally."
Added Raiders coach Rocco Casullo, "I'm excited and the kids are excited. These games have really fueled our off-season workouts. I have a lot of respect for coach [Chris] Merritt at Columbus and I've gotten to meet coach [Greg] Toal and his staff at the coaching conventions and they've dominated the last five years. Our kids are really excited and now that it's finalized, there's a little buzz around St. Thomas."
St. Thomas, which went 10-3 in 2011, has played well against out-of-state teams.
Last season, the Raiders defeated California's De La Salle and Alabama's Prattville to improve their record to 7-0 against teams outside of Florida.
Bosco, meanwhile, notched victories against California's Mission Viejo and Bradenton Manatee last year.
The Ironmen will enter the 2012 season on a 46-game win streak, while St. Thomas is looking to return to championship form after a 6-3 regional final loss to Dwyer.
But Bosco isn't the only high-profile opponent on the Raiders schedule next fall.
Smith also said St. Thomas will also take on Miami's Christopher Columbus on Aug. 31. Columbus went 10-3 last season and advanced to the state semifinals before being eliminated with a 14-6 loss to Miramar.
Both the Columbus and Bosco games are scheduled to be played on the St. Thomas campus.
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