In motion on the first snap of the game, Dominic Baez took the handoff and sprinted through the secondary for an 80-yard touchdown.
The star running back accounted for 201 combined yards and a total of 3 touchdowns in St. Thomas Academy‘s 36-14 win over Apple Valley on Thursday at Rosemount High School. But he insisted the praise should go to his teammates, especially on his long touchdown run.
“I got out there, and I see [wide receiver] Manny Sims making one of the best touchdown blocks I’ve ever seen,” Baez said. “I look behind me, I see [offensive lineman] Andrew Nelson box a guy out and slow him down. That was all them.”
The Cadets, ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, stalled out offensively for much of the first half after Baez’s long run, until they inserted Ethan Ruiz at quarterback for their final drive of the first half. St Thomas Academy (5-0) proceeded to mount a 10-play, 78-yard drive to end the half. Ruiz connected with Sims for a 26-yard completion on the drive before Baez, who had seven carries for 36 yards on the drive, punched the ball in at the goal line for a 2-yard touchdown.
St. Thomas head coach Travis Walch said all elements of Baez’s game stand out.
“His balance, his vision, he can catch the ball,” Walch said. “We had him punting tonight because our kicker (Toren Plitingsrud) is our best soccer player, and he was at a soccer game tonight.”
The score gave St. Thomas a 15-0 lead with 15 seconds to play before halftime.
Baez gashed the Eagles’ defense for 139 yards on 16 carries in the first half alone. In what was a one-sided ballgame, St. Thomas outgained Apple Valley 198 to 94 over the first 24 minutes of play.
After back-to-back three-and-outs to open the second half, Apple Valley (2-3) methodically moved down the field to dent the scoreboard for the first time. An 11-play, 94-yard drive that was capped off with a 30-yard touchdown pass from senior
quarterback Q Barnslater to junior wide receiver Tyson Johnson to cut the Eagles’ deficit to 15-7.
But St. Thomas Academy responded on its ensuing possession with a quick five-play, 69-yard scoring drive. The Cadets went back to junior quarterback Tristan Karl under center in the second half, who finished off the possession by finding Grant English in the endzone for an 18-yard touchdown to extend the lead back to 15 points.
Apple Valley head coach Pete Usset said penalties plagued the Eagles in the second half, including a late hit that extended the Cadets’ third touchdown drive.
“It takes a full team effort to beat those guys,” Usset said. “And part of that team effort is being disciplined.”
St. Thomas’ offense motored on in the final quarter, scoring on the opening play of the frame. Baez, in motion on the snap, took the handoff then turned around and threw it back to Karl, who caught the ball in space and scored. Baez’s third total touchdown gave St. Thomas a 29-7 lead, which put the game out of reach.
Senior defensive back Matthew Wagner put the exclamation point on the victory with an interception on a deep pass from Barnslater on the next possession.
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