St. Thomas Academy players, sporting the word “brotherhood’’ on the backs of their jerseys, played like a unified group Friday in a 38-0 victory over Mahtomedi.

The Cadets (3-0) began wearing the slogan this season.
“It’s one of the mottos of our school,” Cadets junior running back Danny McFadden said. “That’s the kind of attitude we want for our team — just a tight brotherhood [and] stick together.”

McFadden gave the Zephyrs trouble all game with 151 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 17 carries. That included a 60-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

“It wasn’t me. It was all my O-line,” McFadden said. “I feel like we were just kind of wearing them out.”

With his team trailing 17-0 in the second quarter, Zephyrs sophomore defensive back Ethan Loss intercepted a Cadets pass. But the Zephyrs (1-2) couldn’t score after the turnover.

“We could have played a lot better,” Loss said. “We made some mistakes, but we’re going to come back stronger.”

St. Thomas Academy capitalized on five Mahtomedi turnovers, including two fumbles and three interceptions. Cadets junior linebacker Jamie Smith ran 39 yards for a touchdown on one of those interceptions and a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.

His team’s defensive effort reflects their motto, Smith said. “We play as one, like brothers.”

St. Thomas Academy took advantage of five turnovers by host Mahtomedi in a 38-0 victory Friday.