On January 7, 2026, St. Thomas Aquinas Varsity Boys Basketball played number one team in Florida, Columbus High School in their home in Miami, Florida. STA was able to secure a win by ten points with the score being 62-52. At the end of the first quarter, Columbus secured a lead by two points, however, STA then took the lead for the rest of the game eventually leading the school to victory.

Senior, Drake Sandi led the team in overall points, securing 18 points and five steals while shooting 42% from the field. Junior, Kellson Sandi managed to get five rebounds, five

steals, and 17 points. Meanwhile, their teammate, junior, Clarence Westbrook Jr., averaging 24.5 points per game, also had 17. Nate Accuis, another junior player, worked hard on both sides of the court by scoring three offensive rebounds and five defensive rebounds totaling eight rebounds overall.

STA’s record is now 15-2 and was able to push Columbus high school to a 12-4. In the Florida boys basketball rankings, STA is now ranked at fifth, just behind North Broward Preparatory Academy. The game was very close at some points, with minor slip-ups from both teams. Head varsity Coach, Julius Sandi, stated that “keeping calm when things didn’t go right for us” and “making sure that we were a level ahead at all times” helped them persevere and win the game.

To the team, Columbus’s rankings were never the priority. The team focused on mental, physical and emotional growth, approaching each game with the same goal: to compete and win. Coach Sandi said, “The moment was never big for us even though we were playing a nationally ranked team.” The team’s mindset helped push them forward to prevail. With the season soon ending, this game foreshadowed a promising future for this team.