Their motto, five fingers is never as strong as a fist, guides St. Thomas Academy's offensive linemen. In the words of senior center Max Anderson, "You need all five fingers to get a good punch in."
St. Thomas Academy rolls past Two Rivers and into football section final
The teams were tied for ninth in the final Class 5A rankings, but separation showed eventually Saturday.
October 28, 2023 at 7:41PM
Anderson and the big guys landed blows against Two Rivers throughout Saturday's Class 5A, Section 3 semifinal at Gerry Brown Stadium in a 47-14 St. Thomas Academy rout.
The offensive line repeatedly opened holes for running backs Niko Vargas and Savion Hart, and the duo combined for six of the Cadets' seven touchdowns.
"We've got the best running backs in the state, and we're blessed to be blocking for them," Anderson said. "We were physical with Two Rivers and took the wind out of the sails early and just kept it going."
Saddled with the No. 4 seed in the section playoffs, Two Rivers sought greater respect, the kind a playoff victory at St. Thomas Academy would bring. To that end, the Warriors could not have started any better. Ramzi Rislove's 67-yard touchdown dash produced a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.
From there, the teams tied for ninth in the final Class 5A rankings went different directions. The lightning scores stopped for Two Rivers. The Cadets' thundering drives, however, continued unabated.
Rislove's big score was answered by three consecutive touchdown runs by Vargas in the first half. The 26-7 halftime lead by St. Thomas Academy loomed much larger.
"To have an explosive play like that gives you a good boost," Warriors co-head coach Tom Orth said. "Unfortunately, we were not able to get the job done on defense, and a lot of that was a credit to St. Thomas."
Two Rivers (8-2), winner of seven consecutive games before Saturday, won its most games in a season since 2013. The Warriors threatened in the third quarter with good field position. But an interception kept the Cadets (7-2) in control.
"The Fist" quintet would not relent. Three additional touchdowns in the third quarter put the game out of reach.
"We were going it 100 percent all week in practice," Anderson said. "And that's the way we need to be for the rest of the playoffs."
*To see the section tournament brackets in six classes and the state tournament bracket in Class 6A, click here.
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
