St. Thomas to open season on national TV

St. Thomas Aquinas will kick off its season on national television.

The three-time defending football state champion’s week one match-up with St. John Bosco will be broadcast on ESPNU as part of the GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff. The Raiders will host the California powerhouse Aug. 25 at 7 p.m.

The showdown between the two coastal elites will be one of seven high school football games telecast by ESPN during the season’s opening weekend.

“Being selected to play in a nationally televised game has served as an eminent form of motivation during offseason preparation,” Raiders coach Roger Harriott said. “We humbly consider ourselves blessed to be one of the fortunate few to play on ESPN again.

St. Thomas Aquinas, which went 13-2 last year en route to its ninth overall state title, played in two nationally televised games in 2016. On Sept. 30, the Raiders traveled to Las Vegas to face Bishop Gorman. In a triple-overtime thriller, Aquinas suffered a 25-24 defeat to the nation’s top-ranked team.

Following its triumph over 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 Raiders capped off the season 33-25 victory and finished the season ranked sixth in the nation.

Despite graduating over 20 players who signed college scholarships, St. Thomas Aquinas is loaded once again this year. The Raiders have five senior prospects ranked in ESPN’s top 200.

Based in suburban Los Angeles, St. John Bosco went 13-2 last year and finished the ranked fifth in the nation.