It was third down and goal, the Gardner Edgerton Trailblazers just a couple of yards from the Aquinas endzone, with STA nursing a 17-6 lead. Handoff. The Saints stuffed it.

It was fourth down and goal, even closer to the Aquinas endzone. Handoff. Tackle. Bring out the chains. Short by inches. Goal Line stand.

That stand by the Saints' defense was arguably the biggest set of plays in school history. Sure, the Saints were up 17-6, but they had not scored since going up 17-0 in the second quarter, and now the game was in the early stages of the fourth. A touchdown would have given Gardner all the momentum, with plenty of time left.

For the eighth time in ten years, the Saint Thomas Aquinas Saints football team is in the 5A state semifinals, facing Gardner Edgerton at Gardner's crib this Friday. The previous seven trips? 0-7.

But this time it can be different. The only loss the Saints have so far is an embarrassing 31-7 loss to Blue Valley. It was by far the Saints flattest performance of the year. However, the Saints have been strong in their other games this year. They had a very good EKL season, going 4-1.

Most importantly, though, Aquinas has already beat Gardner this year. In a cold, sloppy game Oct. 24th, STA was able to come away with a 12-6 victory. Although the game was close, as the score indicates, it was still a huge victory for the Saints. The field was in terrible shape due to the weather. Gardner prefers a running game compared to the Saints pass 1st, pass 2nd, consider running 3rd spread offense. A poor field should favor Gardner, but Aquinas still prevailed. With a good field on Friday, Aquinas' passing game should be even more potent than in the first meeting.