We’re in round 2!! DuvalSports.com picks 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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1997 Raines vs 2011 First Coast
Talk about a shootout! This game would have fireworks unlike we’ve never seen before in the best of the best tournament. Quarterback Mack Frazier with athletes Jabar Gaffney, Maurice Harris and Reshawn Lattimer of Raines take on Mr. Football DeAndre Johnson and his posse Justin Osborne, Brandon Brooks, and Chris Black of First Coast! This game would not have a dull moment.
Raines had a very good running game in the late 90’s and Coach Coffey may try to slow the tempo of the game down by running the ball with running backs Curtis Lee and Dejuan Green. However Coach Marty Lee’s defense featured LB Daniel McMillian who had 12 sacks and nine forced fumbles, and LB Reggie Northrup who totaled 165 tackles, 39.5 of which were TFL plus 10 sacks in 2011. This group of defenders beat Heisman Trophy Winner Derrick Henry and Yulee that year by 20 points! So the Raines running game versus the First Coast run defense seems to be a wash as far as advantages.
So now we go to the air where Frazier will square off with Johnson. Everyone knows how DeAndre Johnson broke state high school passing records by Tim Tebow his senior year, and it all started in 2011 his freshman year. Johnson passed for 2,895 yards and 24 touchdowns that year. He showed the ability to will his team to victory including a last second touchdown to Chris Black to defeat Ed White in 2011. Frazier also orchestrated many comebacks in his career. The last game of the regular season Raines was able to come from behind to beat Ed White ( a team that is listed in our top Best of the Best 32). Frazier also guided Raines to come from behind victories against Madison County in the playoffs and Glades Central in the State Championship game. Frazier would break a state championship passing record with a 349 yard passing performance. Looks like the passing game is a stalemate as well.
If there is an advantage in this contest it would have to be Raine’s ability to make big plays in big situations. In a state championship game that featured 746 yards of total offense between Glades Central and Raines, the Vikings knew how to get it done against another high powered offense. In the biggest game of their careers they didn’t buckle under the pressure of the big crowds and bright lights, they simply did what they were accustomed to doing all season. It’s the reason they came away with another come from behind victory 32-27 in the championship. The same can’t be said for First Coast. Their wild ride led by a freshman quarterbck ended 40-0 at the hands of Manatee. In that game Johnson was constantly pressured and forced into tough throws, Corey Brown and the Raines defense does the same. A pick by Lito Sheppard seals the win for the Vikings they move on.
Tell us what you think? Can De’Andre Johnson and First Coast avenge their state title defeat by beating the only Duval County Public school to do it Raines??
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