Miami Fl- Raines High School walked into state championship night knowing they were facing one of the toughest programs in Florida. They remembered the 41-0 state championship defeat last year at the hands of the Bulls, and circled this date on their calendars in the spring. Though Miami Northwestern had the talent, size, and home field advantage, by the end of a wild and unforgettable game, it was the Raines Vikings who proved to be the more physical team. Culminating in a history making performance by more experienced and seasoned play-makers.
The game began with Miami Northwestern setting the tone early. The Bulls marched down the field using short passes from sophomore quarterback Neiman Lawrence and steady runs by Irwin James. They pushed deep into the red zone, but Raines’ defense stiffened when it mattered most. Defensive end Cameron Washington came up with a huge sack that forced Northwestern to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Alex Lima. That stop inside the 10-yard line showed early that Raines was not backing down. With 6:19 left in the first quarter, Northwestern held a 3-0 lead.
Soon after, Raines’ defense stepped up again. Linebacker Tony Williams applied pressure that forced an incomplete pass, giving the Vikings the ball on downs. Still, points were hard to come by, and the first quarter ended with Northwestern clinging to a 3-0 advantage. Whether it was the West’s lack of experience, or Raines knack for creating havoc, or a little bit of both..the Bulls would struggle all night to finish drives.
Illinois signee Linebacker Tony Williams @3kDucie registered a sack, TFL, and crucial pass break-up to help lead the Raines defense in a 23-22 state championship win over Miami Northwestern! pic.twitter.com/rEUU4SY7OY
— Duval Sports (@DuvalSports) December 13, 2025
Early in the second quarter, momentum swung Raines’ way. Travis Williams delivered a big hit on a Northwestern punt return, forcing a fumble that Jonathan Downer-Barrett recovered. The play showed everyone in attendance that Raines could affect the game not only on offense or defense, but also special teams.
However, Northwestern’s defense answered back, as Nick Lennear picked off a Raines pass to stop the drive. Moments later, Jucoby Marion came up with an interception for Raines, but a defensive pass interference flag wiped it away.
Despite the setback, Raines kept fighting. The very next play, Northwestern looked to rumble into the end-zone but fumbled at the 1-yard line, after a jarring hit from Shareef Jackson. Jackson pounced on it in the end zone, giving the Vikings a touch-back and new life. Raines tried to build on that moment with hard runs from Tisean Haynes, who powered through the middle for first downs.
Raines forces a fumble right at the goal line. Wow. pic.twitter.com/1p4mtJxJ1w
— Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) December 13, 2025
Still, Northwestern answered again with an interception by Khavon Gipson, keeping the game tight and tense heading into halftime.The second half opened with more chaos. Raines lost the exchange on a play, and Northwestern recovered at the Vikings’ 18-yard line.
Once again, Raines’ defense bowed up. Cameron Washington dropped Russell behind the line of scrimmage, and Troy Butler added a sack on third down. Northwestern had to settle for another field goal, pushing their lead to 6-0 midway through the third quarter.
Then came one of the biggest swings of the night. Johdeem Jones intercepted a pass and looked like he was headed for a pick-six. He was tackled at the 3-yard line and fumbled into the end zone, where Raines’ Makhel Smith-York recovered it for a stunning touchdown. Just like that, Raines jumped ahead 7-6.
Northwestern responded by leaning on five-star wideout Calvin Russell Jr., the 6’5 Syracuse commit. Using bubble screens and creative looks, the Bulls moved the ball but were once again stopped in the red zone. Another field goal gave Northwestern a 9-7 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Early in the fourth, Northwestern finally broke through. Russell took a direct snap and powered into the end zone, making it 16-7. Raines refused to panic. Tadarius Washington ripped off strong runs, and the Vikings found a weakness up the middle of Northwestern’s front. Dan Duong nailed a 36-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 16-10 with 7:14 left.
With time running down, Northwestern faced a huge decision on fourth-and-one at their own 43-yard line. Raines made them pay. Defensive tackle Ge’Terius Brown intercepted the pass and returned it 13 yards, setting up the Vikings with great field position.
Quarterback Timothy Cole found Zion Green on a big play, then kept it himself on a zone-read keeper for a 10-yard touchdown. With 2:35 left, Raines had taken a 17-16 lead.
The drama was far from over. On the next drive, Northwestern’s Nick Lennear slipped behind the defense for a wide-open 62-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, but the Bulls were back in front, 22-17, with 1:55 left.
Raines needed a miracle drive. Haynes broke off a big run. Cole connected with Boston College commit Kelvin Brown to reach the 28-yard line. On fourth-and-10 with 23 seconds left, Tadarius Washington made a clutch catch to the 16. Two plays later, Cole found Washington again, this time for a 17-yard touchdown with just 10 seconds remaining. Washington pin-balled off a would be tackler and wouldn’t be denied to the end-zone.
The play design was perfect, leaving the running back wide open when it mattered most. It was a clear sign of the preparation and belief built by head coach Donovan Masline and his staff. Said Coach Masline after the win, “we faced adversity, but I’m extremely proud of this team, they had players only meetings this year and were focused on sticking together as a team” final desperation throw by Northwestern fell incomplete, and the celebration was on.
Raines (14-0) claimed its fourth state title, its first since 2018, and became the first school from Jacksonville to defeat the powerhouse Miami Northwestern. The Vikings did it with defense, forcing four turnovers including 2 interceptions and two forced fumbles. Raines was the more physical team and it showed in the end. Against all odds, the Vikings found a way that no one else could versus Northwestern (13-1) this year—and they made history doing it.
