Mater Dei at St. Thomas Aquinas: Live Score Updates as Nation's No. 1 Team Visits South Florida - Aug. 23, 2025

Monarchs explode to 26-3 halftime lead, then hold off STA in wild finish

Defending national champion Mater Dei, once again the No. 1 team in the country, opens its 2025 season in South Florida with a nationally televised battle with No. 13 St. Thomas Aquinas. / David Dennis

FORT LAUDERDALE -- In a tale of two halves, it was Mater Dei that survived after a national high school football showdown with St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday afternoon.

Looking invincible in building a 26-3 halftime lead, No. 1 Mater Dei appeared fatigued in committing numerous mistakes in the second half and held on for a nail-biting 26-23 victory in the marquee game of the Broward County High School National Football Showcase.

The game wasn’t decided until Mater Dei’s Justin Lewis broke off a big run with less than 2 minutes remaining to give the Monarchs a first down. Mater Dei (1-0) then ran out the clock to secure the win.

“Offensively we’ve got to clean some stuff up,” Mater Dei coach Raul Lara told ESPN following the game. “There’s no ifs or buts about it. It’s the beginning of the season. I thought we left our defense out there a little bit too long.

“But this is the first game,” Lara said. “You got to work on something. You know, obviously, we were blessed to come out of Florida with a victory. Much props to St. Thomas Aquinas.”

After St. Thomas Aquinas, ranked No. 13 in the High School on SI national rankings, got a 35-yard field goal by Johnny DiSalvatore with 3:40 in the first quarter to take a 3-0 lead, Mater Dei reeled off 26 unanswered points to take a 26-3 halftime lead.

Lewis got Mater Dei moving with a 3-yard touchdown run. Wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., an Ohio State commit and the No. 5 overall prospect in the ESPN 300, then snagged a 22-yard TD pass from Ryan Hopkins in the right corner of the end zone and sprinted 81 yards to paydirt on a catch-and-run from Hopkins.

Hopkins, a Wisconsin commit, kept up the air attack when he hit a wide-open Gavin Honore over the middle for a 62-yard catch-and-run for a TD with 21 seconds left in the first half. Hopkins finished with three TD passes.

But the second half belonged to St. Thomas Aquinas, which slowly, but surely, chipped away at Mater Dei’s lead.

Taking advantage of numerous Mater Dei penalties, St. Thomas Aquinas’ Virgil Lemons scored on a 2-yard pitch around left in the third quarter, and then Mason Mallory scored on an 8-yard quarterback draw and tossed a 5-yard TD pass to Julius Jones in the fourth quarter to cut the Monarchs’ lead to three, 26-23, with 1:36 left.

Lewis then hit a big run and Mater Dei held on for the win. The Monarchs host Bishop Montgomery on Aug. 29, while St. Thomas Aquinas entertains Boyd Anderson.

PRE-GAME NOTES

So much for easing into your schedule. For California's Mater Dei, the No. 1 team in the nation, and Florida power St. Thomas Aquinas, currently ranked No. 13 in the country, things get real, real fast. Mater Dei has made the cross-country journey to meet Aquinas, on its home field, in one of the marque match-ups of the 2025 Broward County National Football Showcase.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. and will be televised live on ESPN.

Players to Watch

Mater Dei

• Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, WR - Ohio State commit
• Chris Henry Jr., WR - Ohio State commit
• Mark Bowman, TE - USC commit
• Ryan Hopkins, QB

St. Thomas Aquinas

• Justice Fitzpatrick, DB - Georgia commit
• Daniel Norman, Edge - Oklahoma commit

Pick 'Em

Play High School On SI's Pick 'Em and choose who you think will win below.

Mater Dei at St. Thomas Aquinas: Live Score Updates as Nation's No. 1 Team Visits South Florida - Aug. 23, 2025

	1	2	3	4	F
Mater Dei	0	26	0	0	26
St. Thomas Aquinas	3	0	7	13	23

Updates will be placed here when the game begins. Refresh for the latest update.

Pregame:

The Mater Dei Monarchs (Cal.) travel to St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) to open the 2025 season on Saturday, Aug. 23. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Mater Dei wins toss, defers to second half.

1st Quarter

STUFFED! Mater Dei forces 3-and-out against St. Thomas Aquinas.

BIG STOP! St. Thomas Aquinas DB Jermiyah Douglas tackles Mater Dei QB Ryan Hopkins on run play to the left.

Mater Dei stopped, poor punt,

St. Thomas Aquinas QB Mason Mallory running wild, pushing the Raiders into Mater Dei territory!

MATER DEI sacks St. Thomas Aquinas Mason Mallory for 5-yard loss.

FIELD GOAL: St. Thomas Aquinas takes 3-0 lead on No. 1 Mater Dei with 35-yard field goal by Johnny DiSalvatore with 3:40 in the first quarter.

MATER DEI on the march with consecutive receptions by Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Chris Henry Jrl!

MATER DEI Chris Henry Jr., an Ohio State commit, makes leaping grab on the St. Thomas Aquinas sideline for a 1st and goal! End of 1st quarter. St. Thomas Aquinas 3, Mater Dei 0

2nd Quarter

TOUCHDOWN: Mater Dei running back Justin Lewis barrels in from 5 yards out to give the No. 1 Monarchs a 6-3 lead with 11:55 left. Mater Dei 2-point try fails.

MATER DEI defense forces 3 and out! No. 1 Monarchs lead STA, 6-3!

St. Thomas Aquinas star DB Jermiyah Douglas just misses a pick-6! 10:50 left.

TOUCHDOWN! WR Chris Henry Jr,, the No. 5 overall prospect in the ESPN 300, is taking over for Mater Dei! Ohio State commit catches a 21-yard pass from Ryan Hopkins and then makes spectacular diving 22-yard TD catch in the right corner of end zone for TD! Mater Dei muffs the PAT and leads St. Thomas Aquinas, 12-3, with 9:43 left in 1H.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS struggling to get any offense going. Mater Dei forces another punt.

TOUCHDOWN! Mater Dei star WR Chris Henry Jr., an Ohio State commit, beats Jermiyah Douglas on deep ball and sprints 81 yards to paydirt! Monarchs convert 2-point play and lead St. Thomas Aquinas, 20-3, with 4:30 left in 1H, Henry now with more than 100 yards receiving and 2 TDs!

INTERCEPTION, but then fumble! Mater Dei's CJ Lavender intercepts St. Thomas Aquinas QB Marcus Mallory and returns the ball 45 yards before fumbling ball away!

INTERCEPTION, but then fumble again! Mater Dei's Ezekiel Su'a intercepts batted pass by St Thomas Aquinas quarterback Cody Conness and rumbles to the STA 25-yard line before fumbling ball back to Raiders.

TOUCHDOWN! After forcing a punt, Mater Dei QB Ryan Hopkins throws a frozen rope to Gavin Honore for a 62-yard catch-and-run for a TD with just 21 seconds left in the first half. It is Hopkins' 3rd TD pass of the day for the No,. 1ranked Monarchs, who lead St. Thomas Aquinas, 26-3!!

FIRST HALF STATS: Mater Dei 70 rush, 232 pass, 302 total. St. Thomas Aquinas 42 rush, 53 pass, 95 total. Both teams 2 turnovers.

3rd Quarter

MATER DEI forced to punt on first possession of 2H.

Brady Palmer comes in at QB for St. Thomas Aquinas, the 3rd signal-caller for the game,

Despite dominating game, Mater Dei continues to be plagued by penalties.

TOUCHDOWN: St. Thomas Aquinas RB Virgil Lemons takes a pitch on the left and scampers in from 2 yards out for TD with 3:28 left. Mater Dei 26, STA 10.

STOPPED! St. Thomas Aquinas defense forces 3-and-out!

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS storming back behind QB Mason Mallory! Inside Mater Dei 10-yard line!

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 4th-and-goal on the 1-yard line! End of 3rd quarter. No. 1 Mater Dei leads 26-10.

4th Quarter

MATER DEI defense stops St. Thomas Aquinas on 4th-and-goal QB keeper by Mason Mallory. No. 1 Mater Dei leads 26-10.

INTERCEPTION: St. Thomas Aquinas DB Jermiyah Douglas makes sensational pick at Mater Dei 23-yard line!

TOUCHDOWN! St. Thomas Aquinas QB Mason Mallory scores on 8-yard QB draw with 9:44 left! Two-point pass fails. Mater Dei leads STA, 26-16.

NUMBER ONE MATER DEI on the ropes as St. Thomas Aquinas making big comeback in 4th quarter. STA forces Mater Dei punt. Mater Dei leads 26-16 in wild one!

St. Thomas Aquinas 4th-and-4 at its own 47-yard line with 6:12 left.

STOPPED! Mater Dei forces turnover on downs as Dailon Clanton knocks down pass!

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS WR Julius Jones Jr. makes incredible 35-yard catch at Mater Dei 45-yard line. Raiders driving,

ST. THOMAS QB Mason Mallory goes down with injury with 3:14 left after scrambling 7 yards for a 1st down.

St. Thomas QB Mason Mallory sits out 1 play and returns to throw 5-yard TD pass to Julius Jones, Jr,, with 1:36 left. Score comes after Mater Dei appeared to stop Mallory on 4th-down run but is called for personal foul on play. Mater Dei leads STA 26-23!

Mater Dei's Justin Lewis breaks off big run with time winding down and the No. 1 Monarchs hold off No, 13 St. Thomas Aquinas, 26-23, in wild finish in Fort Lauderdale! STA scored 20 unanswered points to make a game of it after falling behind, 26-3, at halftime.