Sept. 4, 2026, 6:03 a.m. ET
- The USA TODAY Excessive Faculty Sports activities Sport of the Week options No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas in opposition to No. 6 Columbus on Friday, September 4.
- St. Thomas Aquinas enters the sport on a 16-game successful streak, whereas Columbus not too long ago defeated then-No. 2 Bishop Gorman.
- Columbus is led by five-star Miami commit A’mir Sears, who transferred to the crew within the offseason.
This week’s USA TODAY Excessive Faculty Sports activities Sport of the Week is a must-see.
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL), ranked No. 1 in the most recent USA TODAY Sports activities Tremendous 25 rankings, will likely be taking up No. 6 Columbus (Miami, FL) in a prime-time matchup on Friday, Sept. 4.
The Raiders are presently on a 16-game successful streak courting again to Aug. 29 of final 12 months. Columbus shocked the nation when it surprised then-No. 2 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV), behind an unreal effort from five-star Miami commit A’mir Sears.
Columbus misplaced final 12 months’s matchup 42-7, however the Explorers are a far completely different crew after Sears transferred in through the offseason from West Broward (Pembroke Pines, FL).
This is every thing you’ll want to learn about each groups and the way you can watch the showdown from house:
Watch No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas vs. No. 6 Columbus LIVE on NFHS Community
When is St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Columbus highschool soccer recreation?
The Sunshine State showdown kicks off on Friday, September 4, 2026.
What time does St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Columbus highschool soccer recreation begin?
The sport is slated to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
Watch St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Columbus highschool soccer recreation dwell
St. Thomas Aquinas and Columbus followers can watch the sport dwell on the NFHS Community.
St. Thomas Aquinas soccer: What to know
- The Raiders are the favourite to win the FHSAA’s Open Division this season, successful 14 straight to shut final season after Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) handed the Raiders a season-opening loss.
- The St. Thomas Aquinas protection has been elite, led by four-star Ohio State line of defense commit Wyatt Smith, four-star Notre Dame defensive again commit Zayden Gamble, three-star Ohio State defensive again commit Jayden Carey and others.
- Because the St. Thomas Aquinas head coach, Roger Harriott has misplaced simply 4 video games to Florida opponents this decade and is 144-15 (.906) main this system since 2015.
Columbus soccer: What to know
- The Explorers have been elite underneath head coach Dave Dunn except for the 2025 season, when this system completed 4-8 however nonetheless superior to a regional semifinal.
- Exterior of A’mir Sears, control 2029 linebacker Sekou Toure and senior quarterback Kai Moore, who accomplished 20 of 27 passes for 240 yards and 4 touchdowns in final week’s upset of the Gaels.
- Within the MaxPreps period courting again to mid-2000s, Columbus is 0-3 all time in opposition to the Raiders, dropping 42-6 and 42-7 in 2024 and 2025, respectively. The Explorers performed a more in-depth recreation in 2012, however nonetheless fell 38-28.
Watch the Tremendous 25 showdown dwell on NFHS Community
Comply with Sports activities Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or through e mail: amartin@usatodayco.com. For extra highschool sports activities protection, remember to observe USA TODAY Excessive Faculty Sports activities on Instagram and X.
