High school gridiron action
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FORT LAUDERDALE — As loud as the doubters may have been this week, they could not be heard over the roar at Brian Piccolo Stadium when Nik Bonitto deflected a second-quarter Deerfield Beach pass to intercept it in the end zone.
Everyone on the outside that thought the Raiders would go down in back-toback games for the first time in 22 years was hushed. Bonitto’s touchdown broke a scoreless tie to lift St. Thomas, the three-time defending state champs in Class 7A, to a 14-0 victory over Deerfield at home on Friday night.
The Raiders (5-1), ranked 16th in the nation by MaxPreps and tops in 7A in the state poll, proved resilient following the 12-0 loss in Peoria, Arizona to Centennial seven days earlier.
It was fitting that after Aquinas was shut out for the first time since 1996 – and in the midst of another defensive struggle — the defense would be the unit to break the scoring drought.
Bonitto, a four-star defensive end who has been on a tear all year, came off the edge untouched with the Deerfield offense backed up in the shadow of its goalpost. As Bucks quarterback Kyle Kaplan delivered a short pass, Bonitto leaped and got a hand on the ball. With no one around him, he easily came down with it at the goal line for the touchdown midway through the second quarter.
“We knew the defense had to score some points,” Bonitto said. “I just read the play and got the interception.”
Bonitto also finished with 2 ½ sacks and a forced fumble. He has come out motivated as a senior after a junior year that didn’t go as planned.
“Last year I didn’t really play a lot, I had off-the-field issues,” he said. “I just wanted to prove something this year to a lot of people.”
Said St. Thomas head coach Roger Harriott: “[Bonitto] exemplifies what it means to give a championship team effort, and we’re really excited about the direction he’s going in.”
St. Thomas now leads Deerfield (3-2) 16-12 in the all-time series. The Bucks have the most wins by any opposing team against Aquinas.
The defensive score sparked the offense on the following drive – with excellent field position given to the Raiders from one of Bonitto’s sacks and a punt return from Asante Samuel Jr.
Starting in the red zone, junior running back Daniel Carter, who finished with 43 yards, scored from 5 yards out before halftime. Nigel White led the Raiders ground game, going for 73 yards on 17 rushes as the St. Thomas only threw for 20 yards.
Deerfield got into the red zone with a chance to cut the deficit to one possession in the fourth quarter, but Tyler Steen stopped a rushing attempt on 4th-and-1 short of the line to gain as the Bucks turned it over on downs. A Bonitto strip sack and Coleman Crozier fumble recovery stopped the ensuing Bucks drive.