Jacksonville Fl- When Raines high school faced Booker high school Friday night in the FHSAA Class 3A state semifinals, it featured two very similar schools, with very similar histories.
The year is 1965, and “William M. Raines Senior High School was erected by the Duval County School Board after the all-white students and staff at neighboring Jean Ribault High School rejected a plan to have black students admitted.
Raines high school was named in honor of William Marion Raines, a prominent black educator in Jacksonville, and principal at Matthew Gilbert High School from 1938 to 1950. Raines was the first school in Duval County to achieve accreditation. The school still serves the predominant black community in Northwest Jacksonville.
Booker is also a Historical Black High School established in Sarasota, Florida graduating it’s first senior class in 1935. The High School was named after prominent black educator Emma Edwina Booker, an educational leader in Sarasota’s black community.
Unlike Raines however, in 1967 Booker High School was closed due to desegregation. Yet, boycotts and protests by the community led to the reopening of the school in 1969. Booker High Schools’ Visual and Performing Arts Program was Sarasota County’s first magnet program, and has attracted different demographics of students. However, Booker continues to serve the predominantly black community of North Sarasota.
Historically, both schools had to battle adversities that society presented through racism, and segregation off the field. But on the field, the two schools found themselves pit for battle against one another, the winner to face another historically black high school in Miami Florida, Northwestern.
It was a battle from the start, as both teams mixed it up during pregame warm-ups and team introductions. The intensity was high, and the game started sky high for Raines as quarterback TJ Cole took off for a 55-yard run on the first play from scrimmage of the game.
The drive ended with a TJ Cole to Kaleb Lampkins touchdown pass. Lampkins made a great adjustment to the ball for the score. Tony Williams scored with the 2-pt conversion as Raines took a 8-0 lead over Booker, in the 1st quarter with ,10:04 to play.
TJ Cole to Kaleb Lampkins!! TOUCHDOWN!! Tony Williams with the 2-pt conversion Raines 8-0 over Booker, 1st ,10:04 @spazzout__tj @KLampkins2025 pic.twitter.com/iwrQfBZrLp
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) December 6, 2024
Booker weathered the storm and responded on a drive that culminated in a touchdown by Rashawn Peterson up the middle for a quick dive. Early on, Booker capitalized on misdirection, confusing the linebackers of Raines which resulted in the early score. Booker tied the game 8-8 after their successful 2-point conversion by Dylan Wester.
Rashawn Peterson Touchdown! Booker gets the 2-point conversion! By Dylan Wester 8-8, 8:09 1st pic.twitter.com/8HqQzo6Sg4
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) December 6, 2024
The game went back and forth, typical of most state semifinals. Ziyon Butler had a long kickoff return for Raines, but the Vikings couldn’t turn it into points in the red-zone. Booker’s 6’2, 240 pound 3-star linebacker Kevontay Hugan sacked Cole as the quarter ended knotted 8-8 all.
Kevontay Hugan Sack!! @kevontayhugan31 pic.twitter.com/hyJOmjkwXu
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) December 7, 2024
Raine’s red-zone woes continued in the second quarter. In scoring position, TJ Cole was flushed to his right by Hugan, throwing a pass to the corner of the endzone but was picked off by Booker’s Chauncey Kennon who raced 99-yards for a pick-6. A cold night, got even more frigid for Raines as the play flipped momentum. Booker led 15-8. in the second.
Raines would rally in the second. Cole drove his team down the field He then tossed a beautiful floater to the same corner of the end-zone of the pick-6, but this time it came down in the hands of his receiver Ziyon Butler for a touchdown. The 2-point conversion failed and Raines still trailed 15-14. On the play Cole absorbed a hit by Hugan and still delivered the perfect pass.
TJ Cole to Ziyon Butler! Touchdown!! 2-point conversion No Good! Booker 15 Raines 14 2nd , 1:15 @spazzout__tj @rainesfootball pic.twitter.com/1M4uvgCSlS
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) December 7, 2024
Raines would take a hit of their own on the next possession. On the first play after the touchdown, Booker’s Tyren Wortham made a spectacular catch, twirled around and lost two Raines defenders for a touchdown. Booker was successful on the 2-point conversion when Wortham put a move on the defenders as the Tornadoes extended the lead to 23-14 going into halftime.
Raines head Coach Donvoan Masline said after the game, “at halftime we preached to the team get it back, one play at a time”. So when Ziyon Butler intercepted Booker quarterback Ryan Downes on the first drive of the second half, it spoke to one of the plays coach Masline was talking about.
Interception Raines! First play in the second half!!!! pic.twitter.com/WMyh6jtXgz
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) December 7, 2024
The turnover led to a Raines quick score when TJ Cole found Adron Walker for the catch of the night in the endzone. Cole zipped the pass over the linebackers and between the defensive backs, while Walker turned his body in mid-air to catch the touchdown. The missed PAT made he score 23-20 Booker in the third.
@duvalsports Raines WR Adron Walker skies for the touchdown vs Booker innthe FHSAA state semifinals!
♬ original sound – therealnevv
Raines defense would then step up. Jayshaun Wanton would make a crucial tackle on a fake punt, setting up Raines in prime position at the Booker 14-yard line. Next, the score would occur when Cole tossed his fourth touchdown pass of the night. Adron Walker down the left sideline watch catch the pass and waltz into the end-zone. The 2-pt conversion by Tony Williams (4-star LB) put Raines up 28-23.
The 2-pt conversion by Tony Williams 4-star LB @3kDucie RAINES IS ROLLING! 28-23, 4:51 pic.twitter.com/HucDFNIgfZ
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) December 7, 2024
Already holding Booker without a point in the third quarter, the Vikings defense would hold the Tornadoes scoreless the rest of the game. Jyon Simon (3-star DT Rutgers commit), defensive tackle Ge’Terius Brown, along with defensive ends Troy Butler and King Massey completely shut down the run up the middle and pressured Booker’s passing attack with sacks.
The pressure resulted in an interception by defensive back Jucoby Marion, his third pick of the year. The pressure also got to the Booker coaching staff. The Tornadoes head coach Scottie Littles and another man on their sideline was ejected in the third quarter. Littles complained about a pass interference call, and several other calls he felt didn’t go in his team’s favor. The referee took exception to the language used by Littles, and felt threatened by the other man who he said “walked up on him”.
By this time temperatures had dropped to 39 degrees on the field, freezing temperatures for a game that saw the Raines defense put on ice in the fourth quarter. On Booker’s final drive of the night, Raine’s Troy Butler and Jyon Simon forced a fumble on a sack, and it was recovered by linebacker Micah Merritt as Raines began to celebrate.
Tornado players were seen congratulating the Vikings as the clock clicked down to end the game. A sign of mutual respect from two teams and two schools that have battled adversity. The Raines Vikings advanced to play in their fourth state championship game in 10 years. It’s only the second time Raines goes into the championship game with an undefeated record at 13-0. The first was the Wellton Coffey led Vikings in 1997 where that team won the team’s first title with a 14-0 record.
Raines will face 11-2 Miami Northwestern led by former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The Bulls have shutout two previous opponents Cypress Lake 48-0 and Eau Gallie 40-0 in the state playoffs. It will be the first time that these two historically black high schools have met in the championship game.
Northwestern, established in 1955 serves the area known as Liberty City, a predominately black area of Miami. Northwestern defeated Raines 8-7 in 2014, and 25-7 in 2013 in regular season matchups.
