Jacksonville Fl- The highly anticipated matchup between Raines and Ed White lived up to the hype, delivering big hits, hard-nosed rushing attacks, defensive pressure and plenty of drama. Both teams came into the contest undefeated, Raines (2-0) defeating Oakleaf and Baldwin, while White (1-0) defeated Trinity and was coming off a bye week.
In the end, it was Raines that made the bigger plays when it mattered most.
Raines set the tone immediately, delivering a hard hit on the opening kickoff. The Vikings’ defense and special teams came ready to play, but Ed White quickly answered with a powerful ground attack.
Running backs Rontrez Loyd and Tavaris Jones began bludgeoning the Raines front, with Loyd repeatedly moving the chains and Jones finding running room. However, an early bad snap put Ed White behind the sticks and eventually forced a punt.
It proved to be an ominous sign for the Commanders.
Raines marched down the field on its next possession, and Ed White missed opportunities to stop the drive. The Commanders dropped two potential interceptions on their first defensive possession and also missed a wide-open halfback pass on offense.
Raines made them pay.
Quarterback Sa’mon Ellison-Morgan connected with Marquez Hicks for a touchdown, giving the Vikings a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Ed White responded with its running game.
Loyd and Jones continued attacking the Raines defensive front, eventually setting up Loyd for a touchdown run. Ed White attempted a two-point conversion but was flagged for a false start. The ensuing extra point was no good, leaving Raines with a 7-6 advantage.
The Commanders’ defense then turned up the pressure.
Ed White repeatedly blitzed Ellison-Morgan, looking to force the young quarterback into mistakes. Rajon Riley came through with pressure that forced Raines to punt, and Ed White ended the first quarter trailing only 7-6.
The second quarter featured more of the same physical football.
Jones continued to run downhill and helped push Ed White deep into Raines territory. But the Vikings’ defense came up with a huge fourth-down stop. Kyree Beamon and a host of Raines defenders brought down Ed White quarterback King Boylston on a sack, ending the threat.
After Raines was forced to punt, Jones broke loose for a 44-yard run, taking the Commanders all the way to the 1-yard line. One play later, Boylston called his own number and ran untouched into the end zone.
The two-point attempt failed, giving Ed White a 12-7 lead.
Ed White used their signature hurry up to wear down the pass rushers for Raines. It worked early on. They had no answer for the Commanders offensive line and blockers as they steadily churned out 5-yards a rush on their touchdown drive.
Raines, however, responded like the defending champions that they are..
On the ensuing kickoff, Raines produced another huge special-teams play when the returner pitched the ball to Tacori Allen, who raced down the right sideline and deep into Ed White territory.
Raines eventually reached the end zone again, when TJ Williamson found the end zone to put the Vikings back in front, 14-12, with 2:03 remaining in the first half.
Williamson scored his second touchdown of the night.
The Vikings carried a 14-12 lead into halftime after Zion Green intercepted Boylston.
The second half became a defensive battle.
Both secondaries played extremely well, while both defensive coordinators continued sending pressure. The constant blitzing made life difficult for both quarterbacks, who struggled to find open receivers. Ellison-Morgan and Boylston were forced to scramble, tuck the ball and run or take chances that resulted in turnovers.
Ed White nearly regained the lead when Wake Forest commit Jacquari Parks intercepted Ellison-Morgan in the end zone with 8:13 remaining in the third quarter.
Loyd continued making plays on the ground, including a long run that moved Ed White into Raines territory. It seemed like momentum was shifting in the favor of the Commanders. But another fumbled snap and a fourth-down sack ended the possession.
Raines eventually found its offensive rhythm by going hurry up themselves. They pushed the pace of the play-calls capitalizing on the gassed Ed White defense.
Williamson began wearing down an Ed White defense that had spent much of the night on the field defending long drives. He helped move the Vikings down to the 1-yard line, but a fumble gave Ed White possession at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Commanders received another opportunity, but their fifth fumbled snap of the game proved costly. Raines stopped Ed White again.
Then came “Touchdown TJ.”
Williamson scored his third touchdown of the night, giving Raines a 21-12 lead and the Vikings never looked back.
TJ Williamson! @TJ_Williamson3 pic.twitter.com/MYscox0auY
— Duval Sports D1 (@DuvalSports) September 5, 2026
The ensuing possession for Ed White saw them fumble another snap, dousing any hope of a late game comeback that they experienced against Trinity Christian week 1.
Raines shut out Ed White in the second half and finished the game by giving the Commanders a dose of their own medicine—a physical rushing attack that closed out the victory.
The Vikings defeated the Commanders 21-12 after overcoming an impressive performance from the Ed White defense and a physical rushing attack that gave Raines problems throughout the first half.
The win gives Raines another important statement victory as the Vikings continue their 2026 campaign. For Ed White, the loss showed the Commanders can compete physically with one of Northeast Florida’s top teams, but ball security and missed opportunities ultimately proved too costly.
Up next: Both teams now turn their attention to the next challenge on their schedules, with Raines (3-0) looking to build on the momentum from the victory against Terry Parker, and Ed White (1-1) seeking to bounce back against Riverside and clean up the mistakes that kept them from finishing this one.
