State's No. 1-ranked private school, St. Thomas, looks to shine against Central Catholic

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The St. Thomas Eagles open their district schedule, hosting San Antonio Central Catholic on Friday night at Granger Stadium.

The Eagles enter the game undefeated and are ranked No. 1 in private schools in the state, according to Dave Campbell's Texas Football.

St. Thomas is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The offense is directed by Kansas State baseball-commit, Donte Lewis, who has thrown for just under 1,300 yards and 16 TDs. Additionally, Lewis ran for six touchdowns so far this season.

When Lewis isn't making a spectacular play, Vanderbilt commit Johann Cardenas is wearing down defenses running the ball. Cardenas is averaging 181 yards per game and has scored five touchdowns this season. The Eagles also have a talented receiving corps that has garnered college coaches' attention. Luke Edgecomb and Larry Benton III each average over 100 per game receiving. In fact, Edgecomb is a dual-sport athlete who also takes care of business in the classroom with a 3.8 GPA.

The leading tackler for St. Thomas is Tyler Day. Last week, Day was offered a preferred walk opportunity at Rice University. Defensive lineman, Michael Anthony Okwura, is a Cal football-commit.

Before Friday's game, St. Thomas will recognize former Central Catholic head coach, Mike Santiago, for his contributions to the community. Coach Santiago passed away in August after an eight-month battle with stomach cancer.