St. Thomas Aquinas' Sherice Newton is the Broward Flag Football Player of the Year
But she hadn't formally been given the keys to St. Thomas Aquinas' offense until this season.
The Raiders valued Newton for her leadership qualities and felt she was the best choice to fill their vacancy at the position.
The decision paid off.
Newton turned into one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the state while leading St. Thomas Aquinas back to the regional finals in Class 3A.
And so, Newton, a senior who is headed to FIU to study biochemistry, is the Miami Herald's Broward County Flag Football Player of the Year.
Newton completed 369 of 469 pass attempts this season for 3,937 yards and threw 73 touchdown passes with only nine interceptions. She also showed off her quickness when she kept the ball, running for 336 yards on 45 carries.
But one of her biggest improvements was her decision-making and patience as a passer.
'I used to just roll out and throw it, but this year I learned to stay in the pocket more and I played much better than I had in the past,' Newton said.
The Raiders graduated all of their quarterbacks after the 2024 season and Newton was one of two possible options to take the reins this season. An injury made Aquinas' decision simple and Newton took it and ran with it, leading the Raiders to one of their best seasons in school history.
'I feel like being a senior they felt like I could be a leader to the younger players,' Newton said. 'I had good timing and I just got the ball to my receivers.'
Aquinas finished 16-2 before losing to Homestead in the playoffs.
Newton feels like it's a matter of time before the Raiders bring home a state championship.
'They just have to stay together and when times get tough not blame each other, just stay together and push through as a team,' Newton said.
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