Neptune Beach Fl- When Fletcher dominated Raines in their spring football contest many believed the reign of Raines was ready to rest. I mean they didn’t look good against the Senators giving up several scores in just a quarter of football. Head Coach Deran Wiley’s horsed voice boomed with frustration and anger after the showing saying ” As far as I’m concerned, we don’t have a quarterback”. That’s because the Vikings were unable to move the ball down the field as they were accustomed to doing during last year’s championship run. It sent in motion a search for a quarterback, and quite frankly it sent quarterbacks in search of a tryout. When the curtain would finally fall, the man that stood center stage ready to lead the Vikings would be none other than Barron Coates.
With Coates Raines looked different. They were able to get the ball down field more effectively, and he looked more decisive in his reads than Cobie Bates. Taking nothing away from the extremely talented rising sophomore in Bates (who has since moved on to Lee), Coates ( a senior) was more experienced and physically equipped to run the Raines offense. Yet no one would know quite sure until the first regular season game, a big one against Lee. The Vikings would fall in the contest by one point, but after seeing Coate’s fight till the end, even on his last desperation scramble that came up short of a touchdown, the Vikings knew they had their man. Yet Coates and company had yet to prove it in the win column against a vaunted opponent.
@DuvalSports Raines #6 Barren Coats with the 3rd & long competition to Raines #14 Davian Holliman for a 1st pic.twitter.com/uMaMA0FqYx
— KingDeWitt (@DeWitt2fye) September 14, 2018
Fast forward to last Friday night, as Raines traveled to the beach to face undefeated Fletcher. A team that had previously averaged 38.6 points per game thus far in the regular season. Coates and company showed the entire area that Raines is still Raines. Dealing them a 47-14 shellacking, and showcasing everything that continues to make them a dangerous team.
@DuvalSports Raines #1 Brandon Marshall with his 3rd TD run!! pic.twitter.com/1lte3um00i
— KingDeWitt (@DeWitt2fye) September 15, 2018
First thing that makes Raines a dangerous team is their running game. Brandon Marshall bust onto the scene last year in spectacular fashion running over playoff opponents and running through Cocoa in the first half of the Class 4A championship game. Marshall has continued where he left off, running over and through people. Against Fletcher, Marshall tallied 5 rushing touchdowns in just three quarters of play.
Raines #1 Brandon Marshall did it with another TD run! @DuvalSports pic.twitter.com/wrRuTh7Ocg
— KingDeWitt (@DeWitt2fye) September 15, 2018
What also makes Raines dangerous is their defense. The Vikings defense has only given up an average of 11 points per game. They held Fletcher to an abysmal 14 points, which is 24 points below their season average. The unit flustered and frustrated top wide receiver and University of Miami commit Jerimiah Payton. They bracketed him, bumped him and pressured quarterback Devon Lingle into untimely throws.
@DuvalSports Raines #6 Barren Coats with the TD pass to Raines #7 jaquez Griffin. pic.twitter.com/oQbsfOyunS
— KingDeWitt (@DeWitt2fye) September 14, 2018
Finally what makes Raines dangerous is their quarterback. As we revisit Barron Coates, we discover a play maker who has the ability to find the open receiver when defenses stack the box to to stop Marshall. Against Fletcher, Coates threw two touchdowns including one to #7 Jaquez Griffin that set the tone for the evening. With a quarterback who can make the throws and the plays with his legs, the Vikings are proving to everyone that they’re getting stronger and stronger by the passing week. Today we’ll see how Mandarin handles the juggernaut that reeled off 13 straight wins last year to win a state title. One thing is for certain, the stronger Raines get the more dangerous they become.
