Raiders dominant in battle of unbeaten teams

DAVIE — Chance Robinson scored two firsthalf touchdowns and St. Thomas got key special teams play in the second half to pull away and beat Western 38-0.

The Raiders (4-0), ranked 5th in the nation by MaxPreps, jumped out to a 14-0 lead during the first six minutes of the game.

Robinson hauled in a 15-yard TD reception from Hezekiah Harris and then on the Wildcats’ first series of the game, Rashad Henry returned an interception 35 yards for a score, giving the Raiders a two-score lead.

Harris found Robinson once more before halftime, this time a 45-yard score to give the Raiders a 21-0 lead at halftime.

“This was an emotional game because Western is a local team that’s very talented and we were fortunate to come out of here with a solid win,” said St. Thomas coach Roger Harriott.

St. Thomas opened the second half with a flourish as King Mack busted through the line to block a punt, setting up Nicholas Romero’s 23-yard field goal.

A few series later, Isaiah Hardge returned a punt 50 yards, which set up Gemari

Sands’ 6-yard touchdown.

“They are an excellent team, you can’t make mistakes against them and we made too many tonight,” said Western (2-1) coach Adam Ratkevich. “We’ll break down the film and get better. It’s not about getting knocked down, but how you respond and get back up.”

St. Thomas’ Jordan Clemons had 90 yards rushing on seven carries, while Jordan Lyle finished with 54 yards rushing on six carries. Western’s Matthew Wilson finished with 95 yards rushing on 15 carries.

“The biggest room in the world is room for improvement,” added Harriott. “We are grateful to have the opportunity to make some corrections over the next week and we’ll continue to grow and build as we make our way through the season.”