Raines HS- It was billed as the game of the week, 8-time defending 3A champions Trinity Christian visiting 3-time state champion Raines. Anticipation from both teams all week culminated in big plays from big playmakers on both sides of the ball leading to a game with lots of action.
The action began early for Raines as their defense started off hot. Raines defensive lineman Alonzo Meeks would intercept quarterback Colin Hurley and return the football for the first score of the game. Minutes into the first quarter, Raines held a 6-0 lead after a blocked extra point.
Trinity would start their second drive but would continue to be plagued by the turnover monster. A fumble on their own 20 yard line resulted in Raines recovering on their onw 15 yard line. Raines wouldn’t be able to do anything with the football, and the Vikings defense would enter the field again.
Raines would get a sack by linebacker Craig Jenkins forcing Trinity to punt the football. The Raines offense would finally get on the board when Darnell Cummings rumbled down the middle of the Trinity defense for 31-yard touchdown. The score put the Vikings up 12-0.
Trinity finally got the play they needed and it came from newcomer Cam Miller. Miller came over this summer from Fernandina Beach. The talented Penn State commit lined up as a kick returner and received the kickoff, rocketing through the Raines kickoff team and outracing the last defenders for a touchdown. The 92-yard return made the score 12-7 with 4:22 to go in the 1st quarter.
Raines would respond. Wide Receiver Kareem Burke ( UConn Commit) missed out on making the Super 11 this week and took his frustrations out on the Trinity defense. He released down field and his quarterback Carleton Butler hit him in stride for a 70 -yard touchdown pass play. The Butler to Burke hook up put Raines up 18-7 with 4:07 to go in the first.
A crazy action packed first quarter finally ended with Raines ahead, but Trinity began to settle down and change the game plan. Playing without Oklahoma commit 2023 Treyaun Webb, Trinity deployed 2024 running back Darnell Rogers to power the running game. “Unc” as they affectionately call him, would step up big, first with a 2-yard touchdown run to bring Trinity to within 4 points in the game 18-14. Rogers 31-yard run set up the score.
The second half saw Trinity enforce their will over Raines in the running game. First wide receiver Xander Ross would return a punt 49-yards to the Vikings 1-yard line. Rogers would cement the scoring play on a 1-yard touchdown run. Trinity led 21-18. Finally, Rogers would put the nail in the coffin at the graveyard, gashing the Vikings for a 60-yard scamper in the third quarter. The run would lead to a field goal by Seth Bialek as Trinity increased their lead 24-18.
Trinity’s defense would do the rest keeping the talented Raiens playmakers out of the endzone for the rest of the half. Cam Anderson registered a sack. TJ Jackson knocked away a potential touchdown pass in the end zone. Keaton Thomas knifed in for a sack. Caden Morell forced a fumble and defensive back Taye Brown intercepted Carleton Butler to stave off a potential Raines comeback. Trinity 24 Raines 18 Final
Trinity (1-0) hosts Ribault (0-0) next week while Raines (0-1) visits First Coast (0-1).
