The Class 5A state playoffs continued last week at Florida State and the classification did not disappoint.

Entering Friday, it helped set up a fantastic state championship game, and the talented field of teams has now whittled down to the final two clubs. The state championship game will feature an exciting matchup as the two storied programs, Lakeland and St. Thomas Aquinas, face off Thursday night at Pitbull Stadium.

Check out who High School On SI predicts will win the Class 5A state championship game Thursday afternoon at Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Andy V’s quick hit: This is another state championship game that many predicted would happen back in the spring. However, as of last Friday, both Lakeland and St. Thomas Aquinas were in trouble and in real danger of not reaching the 5A title game.

The Dreadnaughts came up just short against Niceville, winning 34-33, and the Raiders narrowly defeated Manatee in Bradenton, 16-13.

Lakeland is undefeated, but has had pretty close defeats against Tampa Bay Tech and Niceville in recent weeks, winning by four points overall. The Dreadnaughts started the season with a breakthrough win at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami and will be looking to make one final statement on their return trip to Dade County.

Marvin Frazier has another talented team led by 2026 star Malik Morris, who really burst onto the scene last season and shined in the Class 4S state championship game against Venice. Morris has minimal yardage this season but will spend a lot more time out of the backfield in addition to his linebacker duties.

Lakeland will certainly use both quarterbacks in North Dakota State signee Chad Williams and Zander Smith, the latter of whom helped the Dreadnaughts win a year ago. Jordan Henderson and Jadarius Dobie are the team’s two biggest tailbacks.

The secondary is led by seniors Keon Young (Ole Miss signee) and Kavon McKinney, who has offers from Eastern Kentucky, Rhode Island and USF.

The Raiders haven’t lost three games since 2017, when they lost to Venice in the Class 7A state championship. St. Thomas Aquinas is continually challenged but has answered the bell every time in these playoffs. The Raiders narrowly edged out Manatee in a game where Aquinas trailed most of the evening.

When you look at this version of the Raiders, they are battle tested to the max in terms of the schedule they have been through. From artists like Chaminade-Madonna to St. John Bosco (California), Roger Harriott made sure his program was ready for this moment.

In the hunt for state title No. 15, they will rely on experienced senior Andrew Indorf (2,700 yards, 30 touchdowns) to lead the way. Indorf threw for 154 yards in the win against Manatee and will need to be at his best against a talented Lakeland secondary.

Joining Indorf in the backfield are running backs Cedric Wyche II and Chance Washington, who have both rushed for over 700 yards this season. Leading the receiving corps is talented sophomore Julius Jones, who hauled in 51 passes for 750 yards and six touchdowns.

Defensive lineman Trevor Sommers leads the front seven with 7 sacks this season and Justice Fitzpatrick, younger brother of NFL safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, will patrol the back end at cornerback for Aquinas.

This game could honestly go either way, but if we have to pick a winner, it’s hard to go against the team that hasn’t lost yet this season. Whenever they’ve been challenged, be it Miami Central, Lake Mary, Miami Booker T. Washington, Tampa Bay Tech or Niceville, the Dreadnaughts have always found ways to win.

FORECAST: Lakeland 29, St. Thomas Aquinas 28

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–Andy Villamarzo | [email protected] | @sblivefl