Aquinas to face St. John Bosco

Matchup pits nation’s No. 5 versus No. 4

The last time a powerhouse from California played against St. Thomas Aquinas on national television, things went pretty well for the Raiders.

In 2011, St. Thomas welcomed in De La Salle, which won a national record 151 consecutive games from 1992-2004, for an ESPN2 showdown at Brian Piccolo Stadium. The Raiders prevailed against the West Coast juggernaut, topping the Spartans, 30-6.

St. Thomas is hoping history repeats itself as the school welcomes another California stronghold.

Tonight, the Raiders, ranked fifth in the nation by MaxPreps, will play host to No. 4 St. John Bosco. The game, which will be televised on ESPNU at 7 p.m., is among seven that will be broadcast as part of the GEICO ESPN High School Kickoff.

“Our players and coaches are blessed with an opportunity to represent God, our school, family, Broward County and the entire state of Florida on national television,” Raiders coach Roger Harriott said. “We’re looking forward to expressing our appreciation and gratitude with a great, championship effort.

For St. Thomas, it will be the team’s third appearance on national television in the past year. Last season, the Raiders, who went 13-2 en route to its ninth state title, played in two nationally televised road games. On Sept. 30, St. Thomas fell to Nevada’s Bishop Gorman 25-24 in a tripleovertime thriller.

After topping Tampa Plant in the Class 7A state championship, St. Thomas Aquinas faced Utah’s Bingham in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series on Dec. 23. The