This page is dedicated to the history of one of the most successful and decorated high school soccer programs in the country and its legendary coach Vince Drake. From the years 1968 to 2002 at St. Thomas Aquinas-Mercy, Drake and his Falcons compiled a record of 588-241-92 and won an unmatched 11 boys Missouri State Championships.

The Falcons won their first State Championship in 1975 compiling a record of 25-3 and defeated Vianney 3-1 in the championship match.

In 1977 Aquinas finished with a record of 22-3-2 and won it second State Championship. The title match finished 2-2 and was actually a shared co-chamionship with DuBourg. The Falcons had seemingly scored the overtime winner as time expired, but the referee had apparently signaled the end of the match before the goal was scored.

In 1985 Aquinas merged with Mercy and became Aquinas-Mercy. A few months later the school won its third State Championship defeating C.B.C. 3-2 in overtime of the Class 4A state final and finished with a record of 20-4-2. The championship match will be most remembered for its dramatic game tying goal with only 17 seconds remaining in regulation.

In 1988 Aquinas-Mercy won the first of 3 consecutive Class 3A State Championships defeating Lutheran South 5-0 in the title match and finishing with a record of 19-4-4. Then in 1989 the Falcons compiled a record of 19-4-5 and again defeated Lutheran South for the State Championship, winning 1-0. And finally in 1990, Aquinas-Mercy finished 18-7-4 defeating Duchesne 2-1 in the state final and completed the 3-peat.

1992 and 1993 saw the Falcons return to the top with back-to-back Class 3A State Championships. The 1992 team defeated St. Mary's 3-1 in the title match and finished with a record of 20-10-3. The 1993 Falcons dismantled Kansas City Center 6-0 in the title match and finished with a record of 25-5-3.

In 1996 Aquinas-Mercy started another 3-peat by beating an undefeated Springfield Greenwood 2-1 in the Class 3A State Championship match and finished with a record of 21-6-3. The 1997 state final was a rematch of the previous year. Again the Falcons prevailed, winning 1-0 and finished with a mark of 22-7-3. Then in 1998 Aquinas-Mercy defeated Kansas City's Park Hill South in one of the greatest comebacks in Missouri State Championship history. Trailing 2-0 at the half, the Falcons scored 3 unanswered second half goals for a thrilling 3-2 victory and finished with a 20-11-1 record.

With 11 State Championships, nearly 600 victories, and scholarships too numerous to count, St. Thomas Aquinas-Mercy was THE most successful soccer program in the state of Missouri! The school closed in 2003, but the program lives on in the memories of all the players who defined it.

- FALCONS FOREVER -