Game Recap: Mater Dei vs. St. Thomas Aquinas

Date & Event: August 23, 2025 – Broward County National Football Showcase in Fort Lauderdale 247Sports+11SI+11YouTube+11.

Final Score: Mater Dei 26, St. Thomas Aquinas 23 SIHigh School Football America

First Half — Mater Dei Dominates

  • Mater Dei (preseason No. 1) exploded early, racing to a 26–3 halftime lead Facebook+15SI+15High School Football America+15.

  • Quarterback Ryan Hopkins (Wisconsin commit) threw three touchdowns: two to standout WR Chris Henry Jr. (Ohio State commit), and one to Gavin Honore on a 62-yard catch-and-run SI+2MaxPreps.com+2.

  • Chris Henry Jr. not only caught a 22-yard TD and an 81-yard TD but finished with 4 catches for 134 yards and 2 electrifying TDs YouTube+4MaxPreps.com+4SI+4.

Second Half — St. Thomas Aquinas Fights Back

  • The Raiders, ranked No. 13 (or No. 10, depending on ranking system), staged a furious comeback SI.

  • Mason Mallory (STA’s QB) scored on a QB draw and later threw a touchdown to Julius Jones, while Virgil Lemons added another score, whittling the deficit to just three with 1:36 remaining SI+1.

Final Moments — Mater Dei Closes It Out

  • Justin Lewis delivered a critical late run to secure a first down, allowing Mater Dei to run out the clock and seal the win SI.

Key Stats:

Quote from Mater Dei coach Raul Lara:

“This is the beginning of the season… obviously, we were blessed to come out of Florida with a victory. Much props to St. Thomas Aquinas.” YouTube+7SI+7Wikipedia+7

Highlights & Video Footage

Watch the full ESPN highlights—clip featuring Mater Dei scoring, STA’s comeback, and the defining final drive.