Florida high school football: Top 3 takeaways from American Heritage's comeback against St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas took on American Heritage on Friday night at home. It was a thrilling encounter between two nationally ranked teams as they juked it out for four quarters.

Despite the Raiders taking a sizeable lead in the fourth quarter, the Patriots won the game. They came from behind to score 14 unanswered points to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

American Heritage eventually won the game 42-38 and improved their record to 5-4 this season. St. Thomas Aquinas, on the other hand, dropped a winnable game and slipped to 7-3 for the season.

Let's take a look at three takeaways from American Heritage's win over St. Thomas Aquinas.

Top 3 takeaways from American Heritage's comeback against St. Thomas Aquinas

#3 American Heritage's defense came up big at the right time

The game was filled with excellent offensive performances by some of the best high school athletes in the country. The score read 21-17 after the first two periods as both the teams were locked in offensively.

However, the Patriots' defense stepped up at the most crucial time and contributed significantly to them winning the game.

American Heritage's star man Malachi Toney came up with a clutch interception with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Cory Simon also had a couple of huge sacks in the game for the Patriots.

#2 St. Thomas Aquinas' quarterback Andrew Indorf had a stellar game

St. Thomas Aquinas was in the driver's seat for most of the game thanks to their quarterback Andrew Indorf. The QB had a 35-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter to give the Raiders the lead. He also threw a couple of touchdown passes late in the game to extend their lead.

Although it wasn't enough, Indorf gave a great account of himself. He has played nine games so far this season and has thrown for 1,548 yards and 22 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He has completed 67.0% of his passes and has recorded a QB rating of 121.5.

#1 American Heritage's offense goes off against the Raiders

American Heritage's quarterback Dia Bell diced up St. Thomas Aquinas' defense throughout the game, throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns on just 22 pass attempts. He registered a QB rating of 164.0.

He also carried the ball eight times for 117 yards and scored one touchdown. The Patriots' running back, Byron Louis, rushed for 141 yards and a couple of scores on 19 carries against the Raiders.

However, the biggest performance came from four-star recruit Malachi Toney, who caught nine passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns while also recording six total tackles and an interception in the game. It was a stellar all-round performance from the Patriots' offense to ensure victory on enemy turf.