Raines extends win streak to 24, downs Ribault in Northwest Classic

Maybe it was the blocked punt that Travis Dixon Jr. carried back to the green grass of the Graveyard end zone.Or the loose ball that Andre Flowers toted across the goal line 75 seconds later.Or the interception that sent Tysen Marsh racing 60 yards up the sideline to paydirt.Maybe there wasn't just one moment but a whole game that underscored once more the familiar theme: Raines is Ichiban, number one, in Jacksonville high school football.Taking four return touchdowns to the house before halftime, Raines added one more year of dominance over their Northwest Jacksonville rivals, downing Ribault 52-13 in the city's storied gridiron rivalry on Oct. 31 at the Graveyard."We see ball, go get ball, and just have fun," linebacker Johdeem Jones said.Mark it down as 10 consecutive victories in the Northwest Classic series, and 24 games without defeat overall, for a Vikings (10-0) team that's ready to mix it up with the Florida High School Athletic Association's best.On a day of pageantry, tradition and celebration, Raines' defense — with four sacks, four return touchdowns and innumerable crushing hits — showed once more why it's the most feared unit in Duval County."It's fun to watch, fun to see and they make the game exciting for the fans," Vikings coach Donovan Masline said.Got a great play? How to submit your high school sports highlights to the Times-UnionWatch Florida high school sports live on NFHS NetworkDEFENSIVE FRONT DELIVERS FOR RAINESNothing symbolizes the spirit of the reigning champions' defense quite like an unlikely touchdown in the second quarter."The guy's getting tackled, so they pitch it back for their brother to go score," Masline said. "That's what it's all about."It all happened when Nate Bennett burst off the edge, blew up a Ribault run and jarred the ball free. As Trojans converged on him, defensive tackle Willie Tindal was ready to take a lateral and finish off a highlight to remember."We play unselfish football here at Raines," said Tindal, among more than 20 seniors honored on the field before kickoff.Saturday brought a parade of takeaways up and down Moncrief Road, starting when Troy Butler and Jones converged on Ribault quarterback Ashton Wiggins for a strip-sack that Flowers scored. Marsh took his interception straight down the Ribault sideline to score. Flowers took his own interception back to the Trojan 3.Though Ribault (5-5) averted the shutout thanks to two late touchdown passes from Wiggins to Javion Willis, Raines' stranglehold on the series has grown tighter than ever. Only one meeting this decade, in 2022, finished with a margin of fewer than 20 points.With all those return scores, Raines' offense didn't get many snaps. They didn't really need them. TJ Williamson did run for two touchdowns, and Sa'Mon Ellison-Morgan connected with Kiran Jackson for another. But this was the defense's show.Ribault is just the latest team to find the Vikings' defensive front, even without injured defensive end Chenaniah Doran, next to unblockable."Our D-line holds it down," Flowers said. "And as our D-line cranked it up, our whole team cranked it up."WHAT'S NEXT FOR VIKINGS?Is Raines' destination the Open Division, or Class 3A regionals?As the Vikings creep ever closer to Trinity Christian's Jacksonville-record winning streak of 27 games, achieved a quarter-century ago, Raines now awaits the number-crunching of the MaxPreps rating formula leading up to the FHSAA's Nov. 6 bracket release.If the volatile and often-puzzling MaxPreps rankings place Raines in the top eight by that time, they'll enter the state's new eight-team Open Division of Sunshine State superpowers. If not, they'll take aim at the Class 3A repeat, just as they did in 2017 and 2018.As of game time, the rating formula listed Raines 14th in the state, 12th among playoff-eligible teams, but those figures could swing considerably during the coming week after several major results elsewhere in Florida. Masline said he's focused on "controlling the controllables.""We can't worry about where they put us," he said. "The only thing we can worry about is how we practice, how we prepare and how we come out on Friday nights."Whatever the division, the Vikings' postseason is on course to begin Nov. 13. Maybe against a nationally-renowned superpower like St. Thomas Aquinas. Maybe against an area program like Palatka. Either way, with 15 months of winning momentum."We're coming out strong," Flowers said, "and we're coming into the playoffs strong."This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Raines extends win streak to 24, downs Ribault in Northwest ClassicOur editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.