A year after winning Kansas Class 4A, St. Thomas Aquinas looks to win back-to-back state titles – this time in Class 5A.

The Saints overcame a 10-0 deficit to Eastern Kansas League rival St. James Academy, and topped the Thunder, 24-17, in the Class 5A semifinals.

St. James Academy, which entered the postseason at 3-5, took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter after a Tyson Beashore 4-yard touchdown run and a 34-yard Jack Bevitt field goal with 6:00 left in the first period.

Then the Saints (11-0) got rolling when Will Callahan broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown run with 4:40 left, then a stop triggered a 17-play drive leading to a 32-yard field goal by Michael Doerfler as the clock sounded for a 10-10 halftime tie.

Quarterback Elzie Slaughter then capped Aquinas drives with two-yard scores for a 24-10 cushion.

St. Thomas Aquinas will face Hays in the Kansas Class 5A state final at 7 pm on Saturday, November 30 in Emporia.