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FOOTBALL
Falcons collect post season honors.
23 Saint Thomas football players named to All-District Team.
HAMMOND—The 2011 Saint Thomas Football Falcons collected a host of post season honors as 23 members of the
team earned District 8-2A All-District Honors. Nicholas Gibson headed the list of award winners as the senior
was named Most Valuable Defensive Player. Fellow seniors Lane Kropog, Austen Powell, Wade Smith
and Steven Wronkoski joined Gibson on the first team along with sophomore Javeon Francis.
Seniors Daryl Moore, Laird Regan, and Chase Tassin collected second team honors and were
joined by six underclassmen including juniors Breland Dillon, Garrett Richardson, Asa Serpas, Rus Chiasson,
and Camp Sledge, and sophomore Reid Travis.
Eight Falcons earned Honorable Mention including seniors Lawrence Ingraffia, Tony Miller,
Garrett Woodall, Garrett Taylor, Tyler Bradley, and Fede Smith, along with juniors Patrick Ingraffia
and Cameron Eckland.
The Falcons played one of the more challenging pre-district slates in the state
and went on to earn District 8-2A Runner-Up honors and advanced to the Regional Round of the LHSAA State Playoffs. Saint Thomas will return nine members of this year’s all-district squad for the 2012 season.
Winnfield ends Falcon playoff run.
The Tigers hand the Falcons a 41-0 setback in Regionals.
PHOTO GALLERY.
HAMMOND— The Saint Thomas Aquinas Falcon Football team suffered a 41-0 to the Winnfield Tigers in
a Class 2A regional playoff contest played at SLU's Strawberry Stadium. The victory sends the No. 2-seeded Tigers
(12-0) to the quarterfinal round of the LHSAA playoffs while No. 18 STA ends their season with a 6-6 record.
“That's a real good football team," said STA coach John White. “Not only do they have weapons on
offense. Their defense is physical and strong. Their secondary is very athletic so we knew it would be tough
to throw against them. Hats off to them they definitely earned the win, but I’m proud of our team.
After week five weeks were 1-4 with a lot of injuries, but we stayed together, hung together believed in themselves
and we went on to the second round of the playoffs.”
The Falcons took a page out the New Orleans Saints playbook to begin the contest with a
surprising onside kickoff, but the Tigers recovered the ball at their own 47 yard line.
Winnfield needed just four plays to score as quarterback Alonzo Moore went off-tackle and scamped 35 yards for a touchdown.
The PAT was successful to make it 7-0 with 11:22 left to play in the first quarter.
Following a Winnfield punt, the Falcons took possession at their own 34 and mounted a
eight-play drive that reached the Tiger 20 yard line. Highlighting the drive was a 35-yard pass completion from
quarterback Daryl Moore to Steven Wronkoski. But the Winnfield defense stiffened and forced the Falcons into a
41-yard field goal attempt that was missed with 3:04 remaining in the period.
Winnfield took possession on downs and scored two plays later when tailback Trey Gilbert
went around the right end and rambled for a 77-yard touchdown run. The PAT was successful giving the Tigers a 14-0
advantage with 2:43 remaining.
A short punt by the Falcons gave Winnfield field position at the STA 39 to set up its next drive.
However the Falcon defense sacked Moore twice and a holding penalty set the Tigers back another ten yards.
Facing a fourth-and-14 from the STA 32 the Tigers could not convert when Moore was sacked again forcing Winnfield
to give the football up on downs. Saint Thomas mounted another drive marching 45 yards in eight plays down to
he Winnfield 21. However, the Tiger defense held after the Falcons failed to convert a fourth-and-seven
situation and Winnfield took possession on downs with 4:40 remaining in the first half.
The Tigers mixed it up rushing the football between Moore and Gilbert and the drive ended with
Gilbert exploding off-tackle for a 63-yard touchdown run. The PAT was successful giving Winnfield a 21-0 advantage
with 1:32 remaining. Gilbert, who has committed to play at University of Memphis, ended the first half with 197
yards rushing on 10 carries.
Both teams traded punts to begin the second half. STA took advantage of a eight-yard punt attempt
by Winnfield to give the Falcons field position at the Tiger 32, but the Falcon offense could not advance the football
giving possession up on downs after failing to convert a fourth-and-three at the Winfield 36 yard line.
The Tiger offense struck quickly four plays later with a 28-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Tolbert Triplet
connecting with Alonzo Moore. The PAT was successful giving visiting Winnfield a 28-0 lead with 5:32 remaining in the third
quarter. The scoring drive was highlighted by a Gilbert 49 yard run that moved the football down to the STA 32.
Saint Thomas was forced to punt deep in their own territory to start the fourth quarter giving
Winnfield field position at midfield. The Tigers scored two plays later when running back D.J. Chark went around the
left end for a 41-yard touchdown run. The point after was succesful giving Winnfield a commanding 35-0 lead with 10:28
left to play in the game.
A Falcon fumble gave Winnfield possession at their own 32 and the Tigers marched 78 yards in
13 plays capping the drive with a two yard touchdown run by D'Anthony Jackson.
The PAT was blocked by Saint Thomas leaving the final score 41-0 with 2:23 left to play.
Saint Thomas amassed 161 yards of total offense. The Falcons had 53 yards rushing as Breland Dillion
led the way with 42 yards on nine carries. Teammate Javeon Francis added 18 yards on 12 attempts.
Daryl Moore completed seven of 13 passes for 108 yards. Steven Wronkoski led the Falcon receivers with two catches
for 46 yards and Garrett Richardson followed with three receptions for 31 yards.
Falcons punch ticket to Regionals!
Saint Thomas impresses with road playoff win over West Saint Mary 35-28.
BALDWIN—The Saint Thomas Falcons earned an impressive road win last Friday to punch their ticket to
the Regional Round of the LHSAA State playoffs. Saint Thomas will host Winnfield in a rematch
of the 2009 Bi-Dsitrict game won by the Tigers 21-18.
The Falcons used a solid running game that produced
255 yards to run past West Saint Mary 35-28. Javon Francis proved clutch in the red zone as the
Saint Thomas sophomore collected three touchdowns including a 13-yard dash for the winning score.
Junior Dillon Breland was a workhorse for the Falcons rushing 16 times for 119 yards.
Senior Steven Wronkoski added a special teams score returning a punt 58 yards for a touchdown.
The Falcon defense created three turnovers and sophomore Dillon Lee was steady in relief of
the injured Daryl Moore completing 5-of-9 passes for 55 yards.
“We did a good job of overcoming some early adversity on the road and our running game was solid,”
said Falcon head coach John White. “We have had more than our share of injuries this season, but
guys have stepped up and played hard.”
The Falcons seeded 18th will return home to Strawberry Stadium Friday to entertain a
familiar foe in the Winnfield Tigers. The Tigers are currently 11-0 and seeded second in the post season
tournament. In 2009, Winnfield was seeded ninth and Saint Thomas 24th, but the Falcons gave the
Tigers all they could handle in a 21-18 loss.
Falcons rally to claim District Runner-up honors with 21-10 over Dogs!!
Saint Thomas overcame a ten-point deficit against rival Springfield to post a 21-10 victory and
claim the league runner-up spot at 4-1. PHOTO GALLERY to post SUNDAY.
HAMMOND—The Saint Thomas Falcons found a way to rally in hostile territory after falling behind by ten points to the
Bulldogs of Springfield as the Falcons went to the air in the second half scoring three unanswered touchdowns to take a 21-10
margin over home-standing Springfield. The win improved the Falcons final league mark to 4-1 and enhanced their playoff standing as
power rankings and playoff brackets are set to post this Sunday.
“Credit Springfield’s offense in the first half,” said Saint Thomas head
coach John White. “They kept the ball for most of the half and their defense made us earn everything. We just needed a big play to get us going
and the pass to (Steven) Wronkoski that set up our first score got us going in the second half. We made some adjustments in the second half in
our sets on both sides of the ball, and we started making plays.”
Both offenses sputtered in the first quarter as the two teams exchanged fumbles. The Bulldogs took control
in the second period mounting an 18-play drive that burned up all but a minute of the quarter, but Springfield managed only a
33-yard field goal by Darren Hagen with 1:02 showing as senior Garrett Taylor stuffed the Bulldog run on third down
ending the Springfield touchdown threat.
Springfield started in good field position on their first possession of the second half using four plays to
march from their 42 to the Saint Thomas 46, but an interception by senior Nicholas Gibson end the Bulldog threat setting Saint Thomas
up at their 33. The Falcons gave it right back three plays later, however, as Shaquille Smith recovered a Falcon fumble.
Following Falcon punt inside the Saint Thomas 20 yard line, the Bulldogs took advantage of good field
position mounting a 45-yard drive in five plays as Smith found Chuckie Vickes for a six-yard touchdown toss. Hagen added the
point after and Springfield led 10-0 with 1:21 left in the third.
The Falcons quickly answered on their ensuing possession, however, as senior Daryl Moore launched a 57-yard bomb
to fellow senior Steven Wronkoski setting Saint Thomas up first and goal at the Springfield three. Moore did the honors on the next
playing walking into the end zone for six. Junior Camp Sledge added the point after to pull the Falcons two within three
at 10-7 with 58 seconds left in the third.
“The guys were ready to play, but I felt like they did not have that spark in the first half,” said White.
“You did not see excitement after we would make a play for good yardage or a stop on defense, but we made some adjustments in
the second half and the guys responded.”
Springfield got good field position on the ensuing kickoff as Sam Jones returned to the Bulldog 40 and
a five-yard face mask penalty moved it to the 45. But a pair of incomplete passes and a big stop for a three-yard loss by Dusty
Tallion forced a Springfield punt.
Starting at their 34, the Falcon offense seized the momentum again going to the air as Moore converted
a third and 11 with a 29-yard pass to junior Garrett Richardson. Junior Brelan Dillon added 12 more yards to the effort on the
next play and Moore completed the march with an eight-yard touchdown pass to senior Garrett Woodall. Sledge booted the
point after and Saint Thomas took the lead 14-10 with 9:03 remaining in the fourth.
The Falcon defense kept the pressure on as senior Wade Smith and junior Kameron Eckland combined to sack
Springifled’s Smith on the first play of the Bulldogs ensuing drive and senior Tyler Bradley added insult to injury four plays later
intercepting a Smith pass to set Saint Thomas up at midfield with 6:46 left in the contest.
The Falcons continued their air assault as Moore tossed a 26-yard touchdown strike to junior Kaylan Richardson
completing a six-play, 50-yard drive that gave Saint Thomas an 11-point cushion with 5:48 left to play. The score would hold up
as the Falcon defense continued to frustrate the Bulldog offense stopping a pair of drives to secure the win.
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