The unthinkable happened Saturday night: Raines, with their mind-blowing 24-game winning streak, fell hard in the inaugural Open Division playoff round. West Boca, ranked No. 3, rolled into town and handed the Vikings a brutal 28-7 defeat, completely blowing open the division and leaving everyone stunned. This wasn’t just a loss; it was the end of an era, and it kicked off the high school football playoffs with an absolute shockwave.
The Streak is Snapped, The Division Reacts
Nobody expected Raines (10-1) to go down like this, especially not after they grabbed an early lead. Sa’Mon Ellison-Morgan powered into the end zone for a touchdown run, set up perfectly by a Johdeem Jones fumble recovery. You thought, “Okay, here we go, Raines is gonna do what Raines does.” But then West Boca’s Trey Moran took over, slinging two touchdown passes that completely flipped the script. The Vikings, who hadn’t lost a game in what felt like forever, just couldn’t recover. It’s a tough pill to swallow for a team that has dominated for so long, and it definitely puts a target on West Boca’s back as the team that knocked off the reigning giants.
Dominance Elsewhere: Who’s Moving On?
While Raines saw their season crash and burn, other top squads wasted no time showing why they’re contenders. St. Augustine (10-1) absolutely steamrolled Lincoln with a dominant 42-7 victory. Cash Downey was lights out, throwing two first-half touchdowns to Ray’shawn Jeffries. The Jackets’ defense was just as savage, with Anthony Washington scooping a fumble for a touchdown and Chance Carter taking a return to the house, thanks to a Ma’kari Spencer interception. That’s a complete team firing on all cylinders.
Over in their own bracket, the No. 1-seeded Bolles Bulldogs (8-2) left no doubt, delivering a crushing 49-7 first-round blowout against Freeport. When a top seed plays like that, you know they mean business. Trinity Christian, also a top seed, put on a clinic too, blanking Father Lopez 41-0. Terel Dallas punched in two early rushing touchdowns, and Micah Anderson and CJ Washington added more first-half scores on the ground, just dismantling the Green Wave from the jump. And let’s not forget West Nassau, who clinched their Sunshine State Athletic Association Atlantic League North bracket victory, beating Union County 15-6, thanks to two more Smo Green touchdown runs and a clutch fumble recovery by Drake Cole.
What’s Next for the Playoff Contenders
With the first round in the books, the stakes are only climbing higher. Bolles, fresh off their blowout win, is set to play at home on November 20 against Florida High. You know they’ll be bringing that same intensity as they push deeper into the playoffs. For everyone else, it’s about building on those wins, tightening up anything loose, and getting ready for the next challenge. The Open Division especially just got a whole lot more interesting now that the biggest streak in the state is gone. It’s going to be a wild ride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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