It’s finally Championship time with the Best of the Best! The top 32 Best High School Football teams to ever play on the first coast. We’ve highlighted some great teams that many have never heard of. We’ve met some incredible fans who still feel just as passionate about their teams now as they did when those teams hoisted their various trophy’s. But as we’ve always said since the first round in the Best of the Best, there can only be one champion. Today we reveal the final two teams in our tournament. Join us Tuesday night 8pm at Gator’s Dockside Baymeadows (8650 Baymeadows Road Jacksonville, FL 32256 ) as we announce the winner of our Best of the Best Tournament and talk about the results. Now lets get to the two best teams and there is little shock which two schools they are.
1993 Bolles
1993 Bolles advances over 1995 Sandalwood in the final 4 via the closest of margins. Bolles has always been able to execute flawlessly in the big game, something that Sandalwood failed to do in their state title game. Bolles out executes Sandalwood in their matchup on Best of the Best.
Maybe Corky Roger’s most talented Bolles team, the 15-0 1993 Bulldogs were led by Robert Pollard and Charon Dorsey. The Bulldogs were unstoppable and virtually unchallenged the whole season. Their closest’s games were to Santa Fe, whom they defeated once 28-22 in the regular season, and 21-17 in the state semifinals. With a defense that held opponents under 7 points six times, and an offense that scored 30 points a game the Bulldogs were to much for everyone.
Try to stop them on offense and you literally have to pick your poison they say. It started at center with All-American Jon Spicklemier (Notre Dame), quarterback Kendal Francis (Tulane), fullback William McCray (FSU), tailback Matt Deorio (Duke), tailback Michael Grant (UCF), wingback Robert Pollard (Nebraska) and wide out Dez White (Georgia Tech). The offense scored 515 points in 15 games (34.3 ppg), scoring 30 or more 10 of the 15 games, including the state championship game. The defense was stingy giving up 11.9 ppg while giving up 7 points or less in 6 of the 15 games. They dared you to kick or punt the ball to the most dangerous kick returner in the state freshman Robert Pollard and if a team did they were usually punished with a return for a touchdown. The road to the perfect season and another state title in the postseason went through Bolles with wins over Lee (42-6), Suwannee (35-7), South Sumter (34-19), at defending state champion Santa Fe (21-19) and Lake Wales (42-21) in the championship game.
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1997 Raines
The 1997 Raines Vikings advanced over the 1996 Union County Tigers in the final 4. Many believe that match up should’ve been the championship as both teams are known for being two of the best championship squads ever. Yet Raines gets the victory over Union County with their speed. Just to much of it for the 96 Tigers to handle.
The 1997 Raines Vikings finished 15-0 on its way to becoming the first and only to date public school state champion in Duval County. First year coach Welton Coffey guided the Vikings to a perfect regular season with wins over Mandarin 40-7, Englewood 55-0, Wolfson 55-6, Jackson 60-0, Fernandina Beach 36-0, Sandalwood 20-14, Lee 47-6, First Coast 27-11, Ribault 38-0 and Ed White 51-21. The Vikings continued their path with playoff wins over Englewood 47-8, Pace 21-0, Eastside 20-17, Madison County 34-12 and Glades Central 32-27 in the Class 4A state championship game at the University of Florida. Lito Sheppard and Derrick Jabar Gaffney who both starred at Florida and went on to the NFL were among the many players who went on to star in college.
We recently spoke with wide receiver Jabar Gaffney at the Raines vs Lee game and asked him about the team many believe to be the best to ever grace a sideline in Jacksonville. ” That team was special, we had a lot of play makers during those years.” You’d think after 19 years that included a stellar college career at Florida and a Pro career in the NFL that he may have forgotten some things about that team and season, but not Gaffney. He recalled almost every game like it was yesterday. ” Nobody could touch us that year in the city (1997). The closest was Sandalwood I think we won like 20-13 or something. Everybody talks about our offense but nobody was getting over on our defense either” said Gaffney. ” We are definitely the best team on the list in my opinion.”.
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So there you have it, two of the most decorated schools in our area pitting two of their finest teams against one another. Ironically these two teams have something in common. In 1993 Bolles defeated Lake Whales to win the championship. That year Lake Whales defeated Glades Central High School to advance to play Bolles. Four years later the 1997 Raines Vikings would defeat Glades Central in their title game to be crowned champions. Both teams beat the best to become the best.
The Bolles School is tied for second all time behind St. Thomas Aquinas for the most consecutive playoff appearances (22). It’s not a coincidence that the streak began with the 1993 team’s championship run. William M. Raines is tied for 6th all time with 31 total playoff appearances. Of the 30 teams to navigate the tournament only the 1997 team came away with a title, the first in Jacksonville public school history. Bolles is number one with 34 total playoff appearances.
We’ll announce who we believe wins this matchup Tuesday at Gators Dockside Baymeadows 8pm for the Duval Sports show, so come out and participate in the debate. Yet for now, tell us who you think would win by voting below.
