Raiders out for more balance

FORT LAUDERDALE — St. Thomas Aquinas enters the 2018 football season embracing a new motto of “Win NOW.”

“The NOW part stands for ‘No Opportunity Wasted,’ and we’re focused on winning each moment,” said coach Roger Harriott, who enters his fourth season leading his alma mater.

Those first moments took place Monday morning as high school football teams across Florida were able to hold practices ahead of the fall season for the first time. The Raiders, ranked eighth nationally by MaxPreps, are savoring the opportunity to return to the top of Class 7A after 2017 ended with their three-year state championship streak getting snapped in a state semifinal.

“That hurt me personally,” said senior linebacker Anthony Solomon, a Miami commit. “I’m just ready to do what we have to, do what I have to do to get the team to where we have to go.”

In order to win now, the St. Thomas offense will have to catch up to its defense, which at times had to carry the Raiders last season. While the defense remains as stout, there is a strong belief that the offense will bring balance back to the team.

Aquinas’ strong offensive line will look to pave the way for a staple of running backs led by senior Daniel Carter. The starting quarterback role to throw to a deep receiving corps will be earned in fall practices, leading up to the Raiders’ opener against Maryland powerhouse DeMatha on Aug. 25.

Three seniors — Harvard commit Curt Casteel, Northern Illinois commit and incoming transfer from Michigan Mariano Valenti and Kyle Engel — will vie for the starting job.

“The quarterbacks are great. It’s going to be a tough one. It’s going to be down to the tape,” senior wideout Jamal Cooney said. “They’re going wire-to-wire, day-for-day