Starke FL –Everyone knows the formula for having an elite championship team. You play elite offense, elite defense, and elite special teams in order to be a championship contender. The Raines Vikings have officially made their statement to the entire state, that they are indeed one of those elite teams. After a blow-out victory over the Bradford Tornadoes Friday night, the Vikings players celebrated a win that was truly one not to forget. It was the largest state semifinal victory in Raines football history, as the Vikings traveled to Bradford County and routed them 53-13 to advance to the class 4A state championship.
Its PrimeTime under the Friday Night Lights as the Raines Vikings take on the Bradford Tornadoes! #GameON @DuvalSports pic.twitter.com/mlWsZmI2P3
— BJ Jones (@4everjones90) November 25, 2017
Everything that could go wrong for Bradford seemed to do so in the first half. After getting backed up to their own endzone on the first drive of the game, Bradford would punt and put Raines in key field position to start their offensive drive at the Tornado 45 yard line.
Raines running back Brandon Marshall took the first play 28 yards to start the Viking offensive onslaught. Two plays later, Marshall scored from two yards out to give Raines a 7-0 advantage. Bradford would shoot themselves in the foot, fumbling on their next drive and the Vikings Janorris Robertson would recover. Quarterback Ivory Durham IV would find Marshall on a swing pass where the running back rocketed through the Tornado defense for 25 yards and his second score of the game. Raines led 13-0 with two minutes remaining in the first quarter. It wouldn’t take long for disaster to strike Bradford again. Bradford quarterback Zion Barber tried to find his receiver but instead found Raines defensive back Diop Kee. Kee would return the interception 30 yards for a touchdown. Kee would get another interception to end the first quarter giving him two as Raines led 19-0 after one. The Marshall plan was enacted by Raines again as Brandon Marshall scored his third touchdown of the half on a running play to put Raines up 25-0. On the next Bradford possession, Diop Kee would victimize Barber again for his third interception of the half. The interception set up a Raynell Killian touchdown for Raines who found themselves ahead 32-0 in the second quarter. When the first half was completed, Brandon Marshall totaled five touchdowns as Raines saw themselves with a 46 point lead to the chagrin of the home crowd, and to the chant’s of “Duuuval” from the visiting Raines fans. Bradford continued to fight through adversity, but the slightest crack of hope was immediately slammed shut as the Vikings capitalized on all mistakes early and often.
Bradford offense showed signs of life throughout the game but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the Vikings. The offensive line for the Tornadoes had very good size yet they were not athletic enough to handle the fast, physical and furious defense of Raines. Bradford’s offensive line was a huge problem as Barber faced pressure over and over by the Vikings defensive line.
In the face of pressure, Barber threw three interceptions in the first half to Kee, while often times, needing to take off to elude the pressure from Javon Bonsell and company. As a glimmer of hope, Bradford running back Jeremiah Vaughn ran hard to get extra yardage that the Tornadoes desperately needed. He ran fast and hard for his teammates and his toughness and effort yielded a touchdown in the game. Another notable air mail recipient was wide receiver Chris Cummings who made some key plays catching long throws when Barber wasn’t under duress. He also played snaps as a defensive player laying nasty hits on Vikings ball carriers during the game. Their play would lead to a touchdown pass by Barber to Cummings, yet that would be the only scores of the night for Bradford, tallying just 13 points and the end of their season. As sports writer Larry Savage noted during the game, “Bradford has had an incredible season, but is playing a hungry Raines team that is bigger, more athletic”. The Vikings were indeed the all around better team Friday night. From the moment of the first snap, Raines asserted themselves in every facet of the game. Their play completely overwhelmed Bradford, who looked completely out matched in the contest courtesy of the Raines high powered offense.
The Vikings offense led by Ivory Durham IV, had another great playoff showing in front of a very well attended playoff game. He made decisions quickly, appeared fast rushing the ball, and made excellent reads with the football. Not only that, but Durham had a compliment to his swag in the form of Brandon Marshall.
Marshall was absolutely the best athlete on the field tonight accounting for five touchdowns and 176 yards rushing on the night. He ran with complete power and often made his defenders miss because they just couldn’t wrap the talented junior up. There were several times Bradford fans would believe he was down, but Marshall was still rushing through to the second level of the Bradford defense shedding even more tacklers. The Marshall plan worked to perfection as Bradford could not amend his effects. Finally, special teams was key in the Vikings offense. George Webb, the punt returner positioned the Vikings in the best possible position all night as he almost had one returned for a touchdown. The Vikings defense was fast and suffocating proving to be the most dominant unit on the field on this night. They will be instrumental in their quest for a championship to bring home to the Viking faithful. The (12-1) Raines Vikings now travel to Orlando Florida and Camping World Stadium to face the (12-1) Cocoa Tigers on December 7th to battle for the crown of the Class 4A State Championship at a 7:00 PM kickoff. Cocoa defeated Trinity Christian 24-21 in the first game of the season. they also traveled back to Northeast Florida to defeat Bartram Trail 38-21. Raines will face their toughest test of the season as the Vikings and Head Coach Deran Wiley attempt to avenge their 2015 State Final loss to Booker T Washington.
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