Best of the Best round 2: 2005 St. Augustine vs 1996 Bolles | Northeast Florida Sports Jacksonville

We’re in round two and there are some really big matchups in the best of the best championship series. If you’ve haven’t heard, DuvalSports.com is picking the top 32 High School Football teams ever to play in North East Florida. We match them up against one another in a bracket to determine who is the the greatest high school football team of all time. Who is the Best of the Best? DuvalSports.com analyst Andre’ Ellis and Corey Davis debate match ups daily and the fans get to vote on who they believe would win each contest as well. Finally, we will resolve the question that has been on the minds of former players and football fans for nearly a century. Who is The Best of the Best in our area??

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No. 10 1996 Bolles at No. 7 2005 St. Augustine

The case for Bolles: Ranked No. 1 in the country by USA Today, the Bulldogs were heavy favorites to bring home their second straight state title to the list of other trophies. Unfortunately they lost 14-13 to Bartow in the state title game when quarterback Chris Reir and another key starter were injured early in the first quarter. Bolles (14-1) posted shutouts in its first three playoff games and it seemed anti-climatic they would win another state title. In a true wing-t offense, opposing defenses also had to respect the passing game and Reir was just as lethal through the air as the Bulldogs were on the ground. The offense put u big numbers in wins over state power Tampa Jesuit (55-13), 8A Oviedo (49-7 and neighboring rivals Clay (44-16) and Englewood (48-28). As much as the offense gets a lot of credit, the defense was lights out as well as giving up 0 points in four straight games and only 23 total in the playoffs. With the winnigiest coach of all time in the state of Florida on the sidelines, Bolles can never been counted out.

The case for St. Augustine: There is no better public school football coach than Joey Wiles. What Wiles has been able to do with that program is phenomenal. They say everything runs in cycles, I can remember in the early 1990s when St. Augustine was barely .500 but still a scrappy head hunter team. That all changed with the hiring of Wiles, who not only made St. Augustine into a instant winner but a statewide title contender. Beginning in 1999, the Yellow Jackets reeled off 17 straight playoff appearances, culminating with 1 state title, 2 state runner-up finishes, 2 Final Fours and 3 Elite 8 appearances. The lone state title was a special class as the 2005 St. Augustine Yellow Jackets capped a perfect 15-0 season with 31-15 win over Sarasota Booker in the state title game in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. A year after falling in the Final Four to eventual state champion Bolles, with virtually that same team back they were not to be denied their senior season. St. Augustine always has a defense year in and year out and that was the case in 2005 as the Jackets led by cornerback Jacques Rickerson (Tennessee) who racked up 8 interceptions, shutout 5 of their 10 regular season opponents allowing just 61 points in 10 games. The offense wasn’t too shabby either led by quarterback/defensive back Quinterrance Cooper (Western Kentucky) and tailback/kick returner Brandon James (Florida) who scored 23 TDs.

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Tell us who you think would win this matchup!

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Corey Davis

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