College football gets fully underway this weekend, but the high school game is in full swing nationwide.A massive game featuring a handful of Notre Dame recruiting commitments took place this past weekend, and of all things, it was the pregame handshake that drew the most attention.
St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was playing host to DeSoto of Texas, a team also ranked in the top 20 nationally entering the game. Aquinas features three Notre Dame commitments: safety Zayden Gamble, and wide receiver Julius Jones, Jr., both in the 2027 cycle, and safety Andre Jones in the 2028 cycle (both sons of former Notre Dame great Julius Jones).
DeSoto Refuses to Shake Hands During Pregame Coin Toss
After the coin toss, the officials lined the captains up to shake hands before kickoff. It was there that the DeSoto team refused to shake hands, instead ignoring the Aquinas players who attempted to do so.
DeSoto (Texas) captains refused to shake hands with Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas captains.It’s not only poor sportsmanship, it’s poor leadership from the coaches to allow this at this level.St. Thomas took a 38-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 38-14 win.DeSoto…
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) August 31, 2026
What followed was an epic destruction as Aquinas ran up a 38-0 halftime lead before calling off the dogs in the second half, ultimately winning 38-14, with the future Notre Dame players being key reasons why.Jones finished the game with a touchdown and, in the contest, passed Cameron Benson to become the all-time leading receiver in yardage at traditional national powerhouse Aquinas…