St. Thomas Aquinas won 26-17 over Cardinal Gibbons this past weekend in Florida, cementing the team’s position as the DII Boys HS team in the state.

STA has already defeated previously-unbeaten Pompano, albeit by a razor-thin 21-19 scoreline. Still, Aquinas sits 5-0 in DII. Aquinas competed well with the DI teams last year, but opted for DII after the DI realignment changed the league from four pools to one big league. The Aquinas coaches liked what they had, but felt their players needed time to grow.

This year, the players’ knowledge has grown and the squad has grown - to about 40 players. Aquinas has a 5-1 record if you count non-conference games, having pushed Okapi and beaten West Pines - both DI teams. They will take on Cardinal Gibbons this coming week and will host a British Columbia touring team later this week.

Coach Matthew Wells says the team has potential to grow.

“We got a good core group of players who came back from last year,” said Wells. “And we’ve been building. We’ve got 60 kids CIPP’d now. They’re working hard, doing conditioning on their own.”

What Wells likes is to see his players move around on the field. No player is expected to be locked into one position. So flyhalf Dakota Haberland sometimes slots in at center. JP Franzese was a backup scrumhalf who now, at over six feet tall, can play lock, flanker, No. 8 … and scrumhalf. 

Zach Senecal is a speedy back who has lined up at virtually every position above 10. Zander Fertig is a smart scrumhalf who can kick, and scored 27 points in his first game. 

“We don’t like to say you’re a one-trick pony,” said Wells. “We want players to succeed as they grow in the game, so we move them around.”

Sophomore Hugo Meyjonade is 6-5 and has played several positions in the pack … it goes on. 

By having players move around, they become comfortable no matter what happens - injuries, exams, or family obligations mean a player can’t go, others can step in.

“We have a really well-rounded team,” said Wells. “We’re building confidence.”

Going 5-0 will do that.

Next up for Aquinas is Archbishop McCarthy, currently 1-4 in the league. Then they host DW Poppy School out of Langley, BC, a test the team is eager to meet.