High school football championship pick: Can Raines cap dream season with title?
Raines quarterback TJ Cole carries the ball during a game against Atlantic Coast. (Provided by Cole family)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4JAX sports editor Justin Barney reveals his prediction for the high school football championship. The game is Saturday night at 7:30 at FIU’s Pitbull Stadium in Miami.
Last week: 3-0. Season: 357-88 (.802).
Class 3A state championship Miami Northwestern (11-2) vs. Raines (13-0), 7:30 p.m. This is such a difficult game to pick. The Bulls have played a tough Miami-centric schedule which trumps anything Jacksonville-area teams see during the regular season. Northwestern has faced Venice, Columbus, Miami Norland and Miami Central. That is a gauntlet. Central would have likely been in this game had it not been for use of ineligible players that caused its season to be forfeited. The Vikings haven’t seen that type of firepower. It doesn’t exist in this area. That gives me a bit of pause. The Vikings are 3-2 in state championship games but 0-2 in games against schools from Dade County. I picked against Raines in Week 1 against Bolles and that bit me. It’s felt like this Vikings team has a bit of destiny to it. Head says Northwestern but gut says Raines, which, to me, would be an upset. Can the Vikings beat the Bulls in their own backyard? N4J pick: Raines 38, Northwestern 32.
Copyright 2023 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.
About the Author Justin Barney headshot
Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.
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