The tried-and-true formula of the ground attack and defense won out for St. Thomas Aquinas again.

The Saints, No. 17 in the 810 Varsity Top 25, used two goalline stands and the legs of junior running back Calin Arndt for a 28-7 win over No. 18 St. James Academy on Friday night.

Two straight 55 yards drives capped by Arndt one-yard touchdown runs gave Aquinas a 14-0 lead. The first drive, an 8-play, 55-yard drive, was highlighted by an Arndt 18-yard run for a 7-0 lead early in the second period. On the ensuing possession, again from the Saints 45, an Arndt 25-yard run later set up a one-yard plunge for a 14-0 margin with 4:12 left in the half.

Disaster struck St. James when on a bad snap at its own 25, the ball ricocheted in the air and senior linebacker Andrew Ham pounced on the ball at the 26.

One play later, senior quarterback Elzie Slaughter fired to the right side to a wide open Michael Bernart. The senior tight end hauled in the pass over his right shoulder as he sauntered into the end zone for a 21-0 lead.

For the game, Arndt finished with 195 rushing yards on 31 carries.

St. James (1-1) kept it interesting, driving in the final three minutes, after a 38-yard connection from quarterback Tyson Beashore to fellow senior Parker Chase set the Thunder at the 1. Three plays later, the duo connected for a 1-yard touchdown strike, and a 21-7 halftime deficit.

The Thunder got into the red zone again with 10:01 left in the third, but a Beashore floater to the end zone was picked off by senior Conor O’Donnell to thwart the drive.

After the Thunder held, St. James again drove inside the Aquinas 5, but the Saints stuff the Thunder on a 3rd-and-1, then on fourth down, tipped a ball out of the end zone.

"Three touchdowns by Calin may be what everyone talks about, but also our defense with the turnover in the first half and those two stops at the goalline really made the difference," stated Aquinas head coach Randy Dreiling.

This time, the Saints mounted a 94-yard drive which chewed up 5:08 of the game … and yet again, was capped by an Arndt touchdown, this time from 12 yards out for a 28-7 lead.

St. Thomas Aquinas will play next Friday at Blue Valley, while St. James will play host to Blue Valley Northwest.