St. Thomas Aquinas 31, Homestead 28: Live updates recap from Florida 3M football state championship
This Florida Class 3M state championship showdown between Homestead and St. Thomas Aquinas is part of the 2023 Florida high school football championships, which will feature nine games over three days at Florida A&M University.
Stay with SBLive Florida for reports from this state championship game and others as we cover all nine title games at Bragg Memorial Stadium on the campus of Florida A&M in Tallahassee.
Read our live updates recap below from the St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Homestead championship game.
FINAL: St. Thomas Aquinas 31, Homestead 28 (game story, photo gallery
FOURTH QUARTER UPDATES
FIRST DOWN! Jordan Lyle gets the first down and Aquinas is in victory formation. (Actually, they run the ball on first down). Now they're in victory formation for real.
Nicholas Rodriguez has no trouble with the onside kick. Aquinas ball with 2:11 left, leading 31-28 and needing one first down to win.
TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS! Joshua Townsend bulls his way into the end zone from 17 yards out, but time is not on Homestead's side. It's 31-28 Aquinas with 2:15 left. Homestead has only one timeout. Onside kick next?
TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS! Andreus Madison breaks free for a 69-yard touchdown catch-and-run on third and 11 and it's 31-21 Aquinas with 5:25 left.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Homestead goes for it on fourth and 7 from the Aquinas 10 and Townsend gets sacked by Trevor Sommers for a big loss. Raiders ball on their own 32 with 6:22 left. Aquinas up 24-21.
Quick three-and-out and it's Homestead ball on its own 42 with 10:58 left, poised to tie or take its first lead.
TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS! What a play. On fourth and 14 Joshua Townsend finds Isaac Brown in the end zone from 43 yards out, plus a roughing the passer penalty to be assessed on the kickoff. It's 24-21 Aquinas with 11:41 left in the game.
THIRD QUARTER UPDATES
Quarter ends two plays after a Homestead touchdown was called back by a holding penalty. It'll be third and 20 for the Broncos on the Raiders' 49 to start the fourth. Aquinas leading 24-14.
TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS! Julius Jones catches a slant from Andrew Indorf and takes off for a 48-yard TD to bump Aquinas' lead back up to 10. It's 24-14 with 1:33 left. What a quarter.
TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS! Joshua Townsend connects with Kevin Cascudo for a 2-yard TD and we have a new ballgame. It's 17-14 Aquinas with 2:32 left. Big play by Fraquan Warren and then a personal foul penalty set it up:
FUMBLE! Broncos get it right back in Aquinas territory after a fumble on the kickoff return.
TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS! Joshua Townsend finds Isaac Brown for a 13-yard touchdown to get Homestead back in the game. It's 17-7 Aquinas with 4:11 left after the 80-yard drive.
Water break with Homestead driving on the Aquinas 23 with 5:47 left in the quarter, still trailing 17-0. Some nice gains by Cortez Mills on this drive:
Homestead starts the second half with the ball on its own 20, trailing 17-0.
SECOND QUARTER UPDATES
INTERCEPTION! Joshua Townsend chucks it deep and Bryant Allen picks it off (though it looked like his feet were out of bounds). That'll do it for the half. Aquinas leads 17-0.
TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS! Jordan Lyle takes the direct snap and scores from 2 yards out. It's 17-0 Aquinas with 32 seconds left in the half. Here's Lyle's Marshawn Lynch-like run to set up the TD:
Beast Mode run by Jordan Lyle and Aquinas is back in Homestead territory with two minutes left.
Homestead stops Aquinas on a three-and-out, but Michael Kern booms a 70-yard punt.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Aquinas defense stuffs Homestead quarterback Joshua Townsend on the 1-yard line on fourth down. Raiders ball leading 10-0 with 10:06 left.
FIRST QUARTER UPDATES
First quarter ends with Aquinas up 10-0. Homestead ball third and short in the red zone to start the second quarter.
TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS! Jordan Lyle takes a short pass and goes 18 yards for a TD. Freshman Julius Jones made a phenomenal catch to spearhead the drive. It's 10-0 St. Thomas Aquinas with 2:42 left.
Chippy on the Raiders' sideline on a punt return. Helmets and flags fly. Personal foul call goes against St. Thomas Aquinas, which has the ball on its own 40 with 3:30 left.
FIELD GOAL RAIDERS! Francesco Pileggi hits a 22-yard field goal after Chance Robinson's big fourth-down catch set it up. It's 3-0 St. Thomas Aquinas with 5:33 left.
Kickoff has arrived! St. Thomas Aquinas starts with the ball on its own 34.
PREGAME READING
This is a rematch of last year's state championship game, which St. Thomas Aquinas won 38-21 for its fourth straight 3M title.
The Raiders have won 14 state championships.
Homestead enters the final coming off a hard-fought 42-35 win over Jones and is seeking its first state championship.
(Feature photo by Matt Christopher)
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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
