FORT LAUDERDALE — Senior quarterback Mason Mallory threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another in the fourth quarter, but St. Thomas Aquinas’ furious second half comeback attempt fell short.
Mater Dei, the California power which won the 2024 national championship and opened this season No. 1 on the USA Today Super 25, held on to beat Aquinas 26-23 on Aug. 23.
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Mater Dei scored all four of its touchdowns in the second quarter and led 26-3 at the half. Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. the No. 3 ranked receiver in the nation on the 247Sports composite, caught a pair of touchdown passes for Mater Dei (1-0).
Henry finished the game with three catches — all in the first half — for 122 yards. Mater Dei quarterback Ryan Hopkins, a Wisconsin commit, threw for 265 yards and three scores.
It was a different story in the second half.
Aquinas junior Virgil Lemons scored on a short touchdown run in the third quarter.
St. Thomas Aquinas quarterback Mason Mallory rolls out against Mater Dei on Aug. 25, 2025 at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale.
Mallory, who helped West Boca win its first state championship in 2024, led Aquinas to a pair of late touchdowns. The final score, a 6-yard pass to junior Julius Jones, cut the deficit to three with 1:36 remaining.
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Mater Dei recovered the onside kick and was able to run out the clock to secure the win.
This marks the third consecutive season that Aquinas (0-1, No. 1 Class 5A) has dropped the season opener against a national power. Those losses haven’t had any lingering negative impact as the Raiders have won a record six consecutive state titles.
Recruiting notes
Aquinas senior defensive back Justice Fitzpatrick (No. 9 USA Today Florida Network top 100, Georgia commit) did not play after suffering a leg injury in the Kickoff Classic.
Jones, a four-star recruit and the No. 13 ranked receiver in the nation on the 247Sports composite, had several big catches for Aquinas. That includes a leaping effort on a double pass in the fourth quarter. Jones, the son of former NFL running back Julius Jones and nephew of former Pro Bowl running back Thomas Jones, has several Power 4 offers. The list includes Notre Dame, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami and Ole Miss.
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Aquinas senior cornerback Jerimyah Douglas played a strong game, including a key interception in the fourth quarter. Douglas’ offers include Colorado, FAU, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky and Louisville.
Mallory has a dozen offers. His most recent offers were Rhode Island, Eastern Michigan, West Georgia and Fordham. He finished the game with 134 passing yards and 81 rushing yards.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Football: Aquinas comback falls short against top-ranked Mater Dei
