JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It was a night made for mud and grit as the Raines Vikings fought off the Madison County Cowboys 27-14 in a rain-soaked battle at The Graveyard on Friday. With constant rain, mist, and haze blanketing the field, both teams had to fight not just each other—but the elements too.
The wet conditions set the tone early. On the opening kickoff, Madison County silenced the Raines crowd when Jhy Smith took it back to the house, giving the Cowboys a 6-0 lead. From there, things went sideways for Raines. Dropped passes, fumbled snaps, and even a missed field goal plagued the Vikings’ usually high-powered offense.
Even when it looked like Raines had turned the tide—after Shareef Jackson returned a punt for a touchdown—penalties wiped the score off the board. For the first time all season, Raines found itself rattled by sloppy play and a relentless Cowboys defense.
Led by Georgia Tech commit LJ Crumity, who was everywhere in the first half. Crumity made several stops in the backfield and even appeared to snag an interception before offsetting penalties erased the turnover.
Georgia Tech commit LJ Crumity @LjCrumity8 played both ways and showed why he is a 3 star rated 2026 DB!
— Andre' Ellis (@andreellis55) October 11, 2025
Grabbed this INT (nullified by penalty). Ran hard and tough on offense while also showing quickness! @DuvalSports pic.twitter.com/qHa89erqdi
But midway through the second quarter, the momentum changed. The Marching Vikings high-stepped into the stands, and Raines seemed to come alive. Ta’darius Washington powered in for a touchdown to give Raines a 7-6 lead heading into halftime.
Ta'darius Washington TOUCHDOWN VIKINGS! Raines leads Madison County 7-6, 2nd ,3:40 pic.twitter.com/9i7Pp8HFpg
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) October 10, 2025
Coming out of the break, the Vikings wasted no time building on that spark. Washington bulldozed his way through the defense for another score — an angry run that had the Raines sideline erupting. Just like that, Raines led 13-6 in the third quarter.
After Madison fumbled the kickoff return, Raines Tisesn Haynes literally roared his way into the endzone giving Raines a 19-6 advantage. All the momentum had swung in the favor of the home Vikings, however it would no last long.
Tisesn Haynes with the ANGRY RUN for the score fresh off the kickoff return fumble by Madison! Vikings ROARING ahead in the 3rd 19-6! @rainesfootball pic.twitter.com/NpkY9weI5h
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) October 11, 2025
Madison answered with another special teams gem, as Smith returned a kickoff for his second touchdown of the night. The Cowboys’ two-point conversion made it 19-14 and set up a tense fourth quarter.
Jhy Smith with the kickoff return for the TD! Madison County! 2pt conv good! They close the gap on Raines 19-14, 3rd 5:00 pic.twitter.com/OLgaPUyQJq
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) October 11, 2025
That’s when Timothy Cole II and Ziyon Butler delivered the dagger. Cole rolled out and found Butler in stride for a touchdown, then took the two-point conversion himself to extend the lead to 27-14 with five minutes left. Raines controlled time of possession even though the offense ran up tempo for most of the game. The offense adjust from score quick mode, to ground and pound mode.
Timothy Cole II to Ziyon Butler!! The DAGGER to Madison County! Cole takes the 2pt cov himself and Raines @rainesfootball extends their lead 27-14, 4th, 5:00 @spazzout__tj @zflashthetruth pic.twitter.com/U4s0Pbehqx
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) October 11, 2025
Raines’ defense took it from there. Shareef Jackson snagged his second interception of the season to seal the victory, while Tony Williams (Illinois commit), Johdeem Jones, and linemen Geterius Brown and Cameron Washington (both Charleston Southern commits) and other dominated up front.
Shareef Jackson @DREAMSJ23 is the real deal! Sealed the game with an INT! Also a Punt return TD (called back/penalty). Fast, athletic, and extremely versatile! Offers from Ga Tech, Wake Forest and others. Should be rated nationally with the top DBs in our area! @DuvalSports pic.twitter.com/lpMd0o14ud
— Andre' Ellis (@andreellis55) October 11, 2025
Despite Madison County scoring twice on special teams, the Vikings’ defense never allowed an offensive touchdown. “This is the type of game we needed,” said head coach Donovan Masline afterward. “I’m proud of our defense for not giving up a touchdown, and for our offensive line for setting the tone.”
Washington, who finished with two touchdowns, added, “The coaches told me I’d have to carry the rock — and I was ready.” Through rain, mud, and adversity, the Raines Vikings proved why they’re built for championship football, and silenced any critics who questioned their ability to take down a tough opponent.
Raines improved to 6-0 and will welcome Creekside to the Graveyard next week. Madison County fell to 2-5 from one of the toughest schedules in North Florida. They face Florida State High School at home next week.
