Pine’s Raiders are looking to win their third straight game tonight, as they head to St. Thomas Aquinas to face the Falcons with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
Pine enters tonight’s game with a 5-3 overall record and a 3-2 record in district play.
Pine is ninth in the LHSAA unofficial Class 2A power rankings.
Last Friday, the Raiders were victorious over Northlake Christian School, 28-6.
Pine defeated St. Thomas Aquinas, 19-17, last year.
This season, quarterback Joey Seal has thrown for 1,030 yards and 11 touchdowns so far. Seal also has 309 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Seal and Damarea Odom connected on a pair of touchdown passes that went for 56 and 34 yards.
Jakyran Handy enters tonight’s game with 701 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. During the last month, Handy has run for 492 yards and five touchdowns.
Odom enters with nine receptions for 231 yards and 202 rushing yards, with three touchdowns.
Delvric begins the week with 459 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Last week, he ran for 35 yards and blocked Northlake Christian School’s extra point.
“Realistically, when you see them on film, Pine is very big up front on both sides of the ball,” St. Thomas first-year coach Hutch Gonzales said. “They’ve got some athletes they’re going to try to get into space, but they’re going to try to pound you on offense and defense. They’re going to try to take advantage of their size and physicality.”
Defensively, Hunter Temples recovered a fumble on an overall solid night by the defense. The only score came on a 68-yard run by Michael Morman.
The Raiders’ defense will be facing a spread offense this week that has been really potent over the last two weeks.
“Their offense the last (two) weeks has started to click. It’s a new system. It took them a few weeks to get rolling, but now it is rolling,” Pine coach Bradley Seal said.
St. Thomas Aquinas is coming off of a 45-0 win over Springfield and has scored 97 points in its past two games.
The Falcons have eclipsed the 30-point mark in four of the last five games.
Coach Seal said the key is for the Raiders to keep everything in front of them and not allow the big play in the passing game.
This season, Kade Bleakley has thrown for 1,875 yards on 129-of-209 passing. He has 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Brandon Tallo has made 35 catches for 493 yards and five touchdowns.
Adam Hetzinger is at 15 catches for 348 yards and six touchdowns.
St. Thomas’ top defenders include linebackers Luke Dibenidetto and Herzinger, and nose guard Zach Gras.
St. Thomas Aquinas is 4-4 overall and 3-2 in district play. The Falcons are 11th in the unofficial LHSAA Division III power rankings.