Aquinas heads west for prime-time tilt
FORT LAUDERDALE Zion Turner will make his first start for St. Thomas Aquinas a long way from home.
The Raiders sophomore, whom coach Roger Harriott named the team’s new starting quarterback, will take his first snaps in California as St. Thomas travels to the Bay Area to play De La Salle — one of the top teams in California.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to come to St. Thomas and play football,” Turner said. “To have that dream fulfilled and now I’m playing on a higher level, the higher the expectations are I know I have to go out there and give it my all.”
Local fans will still get to watch the Raiders, who are No. 1 in the Sun Sentinel Broward County rankings and tied for first in Class 7A in the state Associated Press poll. Friday’s game will be showcased as part of the GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff.
The game will air on ESPNU at 9:30 p.m.
Turner said he feels ready to take the big stage in his first start.
“Since I was young, I’ve always played up,” Turner said. “I always played above my age level. I was always the bigger kid, and it really prepared me.”
Turner and the Raiders flew to California on Wednesday to prepare for the game. While the team is there, it will take a trip to see the U.S.S. Hornet, a former aircraft carrier that has been turned into a museum.
‘It’s really and truly a business trip; we’re heading out there to take care of what we need to do,” Harriott said. “We’re fortunate to have an opportunity to see the U.S.S. Hornet and get a little bit of history in with regard to the educational aspect of this experience. I think it’s important from a patriotic standpoint to instill the beliefs of our country into our players every chance that we get.”
Still, getting a football team full of teenagers to prepare for a cross-country trip can be a challenge. After Tuesday’s practice, Harriott and other coaches laid out the early-morning flight schedule, emphasized behaving appropriately while representing the school and discussed the need for proper nutrition and hydration before a long flight.
“It’s important to be efficient and organized, and fortunately we have a great cast of coaches who take it personal when it comes to professionalism, setting a good example, making appropriate decisions and doing the right thing,” Harriott said. “
Another phrase the coaches and players emphasized was that this trip isn’t meant to be fun. It’s a “business trip” and they are treating it as such.
“This is a big week for us,” linebacker Derek Wingo said. “Going against a great team like De La Salle, that’s great for us. We’re looking forward to it.”