Northwestern, Raines Playing Their Best Football

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>STATE FINALS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 3 Miami Northwestern (11-2) vs. No. 1 Jacksonville Raines (13-0), Saturday, Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m. </strong>Here are two teams that certainly traveled a different road to get to this final game of the 2024 high school football championships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During the off-season when you saw a list of the programs who were returning for the 2024 season, the Vikings certainly were a team that everyone talked about.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With a few quality seniors coming back from a successful 2023 season, and plenty of elite underclassmen, there are those who expected this team to end up in the 3A finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While their opponent comes in unbeaten, there was no way anyone could have predicted that the Bulls and first year head coach <strong>Teddy Bridgewater</strong> would be here. But that is what makes this game so great.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the first game against Coconut Creek in the Broward County National Football Showcase, to losses in overtime against national power Venice and rival Miami Central, all the way until an impressive four playoff game run (261-12), this is a team that surprised many.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Make no mistake, this team belongs to be here and perhaps brought more talent – in all classes – than any of the 14 teams who took part in the state championships over the past four days.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MIAMI NORTHWESTERN BULLS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HEAD COACH:</strong><a><strong> </strong></a>Teddy Bridgewater</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>10 PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 – Antonio Branch, DB (Colorado signee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 – Tywan Cox, DB (Illinois signee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 – [player_tooltip player_id='1247438' first='J'Vari' last='Flowers'], DB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 – [player_tooltip player_id='1575228' first='Desmond' last='Johnson'], LB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 – Nicholas Lennear, WR</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 – [player_tooltip player_id='1224143' first='Ethan' last='Rowe'], OL</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 – [player_tooltip player_id='1206215' first='Calvin' last='Russell'], WR</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 – [player_tooltip player_id='212281' first='Leon' last='Strawder'], QB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 – [player_tooltip player_id='833582' first='Wilnerson' last='Telemaque'], DL (West Virginia signee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>ROAD TO MIAMI</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coconut Creek, W 45-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Venice, L 48-42 (OT)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miami Carol City, W 42-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miami Norland, L 21-17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miami Jackson, W 48-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miami Central, W Forfeit</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miami Christopher Columbus, W 23-18</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miami St. Brendan, W 57-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*Naples Barron Collier, W 69-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*Naples Lely, W 64-12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*Fort Myers Cypress Lake, W 48-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*Melbourne Eau Gallie, W 40-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>JACKSONVILLE RAINES VIKINGS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HEAD COACH: Donovan Masline</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>10 PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 - GeTerius Brown, DT</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 - [player_tooltip player_id='1581874' first='Ziyon' last='Butler'], WR</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 - Timothy Cole, QB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 - [player_tooltip player_id='1581888' first='Eddie' last='Hinton'], FS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 - King Massey, DE</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 - [player_tooltip player_id='1130676' first='Jyon' last='Simon'], DL (Rutgers signee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 – [player_tooltip player_id='749031' first='Solomon' last='Thomas'], OL (FSU signee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 - [player_tooltip player_id='1132504' first='Adron' last='Walker'], WR</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 - Ta'darius Washington, RB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 - [player_tooltip player_id='1249050' first='Tony' last='Williams'], LB/RB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>ROAD TO MIAMI</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacksonville Bolles, W 32-23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacksonville Sandalwood, W 43-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacksonville Trinity Christian, W 48-23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Daytona Beach Mainland, W 35-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacksonville Riverside, W 62-42</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacksonville Ribault, W 52-12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Johns Creekside, W 44-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yulee, W 47-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacksonville Atlantic Coast, W 48-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*Panama City Bay, W 53-14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*Crawfordville Wakulla, W 63-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*Jacksonville Bishop Kenny, W 44-15</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*Sarasota Booker, W 28-23</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Statewide Coverage Daily.</strong> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/florida/">https://prepredzone.com/florida/</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>You Can Contact Larry Blustein with prospect or team information at:</strong> Floridakids1@aol.com.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>COACHES, PLAYERS: Do You Have A Subscription? Contact us for a savings code so you can see what everyone has been talking about! </strong><a href="mailto:Floridakids1@aol.com">Floridakids1@aol.com</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->