Mandarin-Raines, Gateway Conference clash of football titans, already sold out

The state's reigning champion against the nation's No. 1 high school football recruit.

Northside against Southside.

Old school (opened 1965) against new school (opened 1990).

Four-year Gateway Conference winning streak against five-year Gateway Conference winning streak.

And it's already sold out.

Friday night's battle of Raines (4-0) and Mandarin (3-0) at the Graveyard isn't just Northeast Florida's biggest game of the week. It's the most anticipated public-school gridiron matchup in Jacksonville for many years, likely decades, so big that tickets sold out a week before kickoff, an extreme rarity for high school sports on the First Coast. School administrators even announced Sept. 11 that media credentials had reached full capacity.

In the bygone

days of Jacksonville football, the Gator Bowl typically opened up for the city's biggest matchups. That included Jackson-Lee, often as part of a Thanksgiving Day tripleheader — the exact rivalry lineup varied over the years, including the likes of Stanton vs. Gilbert and Wolfson vs. Englewood — as well as numerous other contests over the years. That won't happen this time, but Friday night's energy will resonate far beyond 3663 Raines Avenue.

There's the potential matchup of Mandarin five-star receiver Brysen Wright — rated No. 1 in the 2028 class by USA TODAY — and Raines four-star receiver/DB Zion Green. There's the chance to see high-rated young quarterbacks, Mandarin's Miami commit Knox Annis and Raines sophomore Sa'Mon Ellison-Morgan. There's the ground battle of breakaway running backs Shaunqueze Foster for Mandarin and TJ Williamson for Raines.

And looming over everything is the first meeting in eight years between Class 3A champion and established power Raines, winner of 18 consecutive games overall, and the Mandarin squad that's been building momentum for much of the past decade to challenge the Vikings' reign.

Mandarin and Raines last met Sept. 21, 2018, when the Vikings broke up a Carson Beck-to-DeMario Douglas pass as time expired and won 27-24 on the way to Florida High School Athletic Association titles for both teams, Raines in Class 4A and Mandarin in Class 8A.

Since then, both teams have returned to the state finals, Raines first losing to Miami Northwestern and then winning the Class 3A rematch in 2025, and Mandarin placing runner-up to Miami Columbus in 2023. But they haven't faced each other.

Until now.

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Robinson shatters records at CCA

It's time to rewrite the football record book at Christ's Church Academy.

That's because of the dizzying Friday night performance from running back Jaylin Robinson, who carried the Eagles to a 49-20 victory over Duval Charter on Sept. 11.

The senior set school rushing records for touchdowns (seven) and yards (403) on only 14 carries, a staggering average of 28.8 yards per rush. He broke away for scoring runs of 2, 55, 4, 45, 60, 58 and 22 yards on the night.

The most recent Northeast Florida running back to tally seven touchdowns in a game was Hilliard's DJ Alderman, who achieved the feat twice in 2025. Bolles' Xander Edwards ran for eight TDs, as well as aJacksonville-record 522 yards,against Baldwin on Sept. 26, 2025.

Along with Edwards' 522-yard night, other rushers on record within Jacksonville city limits to run for 400 or more yards in a game are Providence's Jamauri Wakefield (games of 469 and 401 against Village Academy and Crescent City in 2014), Sandalwood's Maurice Wells (429 against Stanton in 2003) and White's Isaiah Flowers (412 against Middleburg in 2018).

Robinson, who already had nine rushing touchdowns on the year, now ranks fourth on the latest MaxPreps national list behind Kingston Allen's 21 for Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame Academy, Dawaun Moody's 18 for Youngstown (Ohio) Liberty and Teo McPhatter's 17 for Princeton (N.C.).

Bolles makes splash at Plapp Invitational

Bolles swimming is a little younger in 2026 but keeps on reloading, and the reigning state swimming champion for more than 30 consecutive years took the first step toward a repeat inside their home Tarver Pool at the Byron Plapp Invitational.

Placing first on the boys side were Camp Hartman in the 100-yard butterfly (50.36) and Kealan Tupper in the 200 individual medley (1:54.51), as well as diver Ben Goodman and the 400 free relay team of Hartman, Tupper, Lev Fahy and Tommy Lussier.

Allison Kelly won the girls 100 and 200 freestyle for Bolles, which also celebrated wins for Juliana Costantini in the 200 IM and the 200 free relay (Heidi Stoute, Kaija Eastmond, Sofia Gil-Cerdan and Ali Canada) and 400 free relay (Kelly, Decker Stedman, Stoute and Gil-Cerdan).

Fleming Island's William Shoesmith captured double wins in the boys 200 and 500 free, as did Episcopal's Blakely Hammel in the girls 50 and 500 free. The latter time set a new Episcopal record of 4:48.11. Nease also had a winner with Kamiyah Hill in girls diving.

Creekside also collected multiple first-place finishes with Ian Foulk in the boys 100 backstroke, Sophie Oldham in the girls 100 fly, Makayla Taggart in the girls 100 breaststroke and the girls 200 medley relay of Makayla Davies, Taggart, Oldham and Emmie Lewis.

Meanwhile, in Ocala, Bishop Kenny took first place in the girls standings and third place in the boys results at the Florida Catholic Swimming Invitational.

First-place finishers for the Crusaders were Lukas Morrell in the boys 100 fly, Nik Morrell in the boys 100 breast and the boys 200 medley relay of Miguel Aguilar, Nik Morrell, Lukas Morrell and Eddy Naspolini.

On deck Saturday is the Frank Holleman Invitational at Planet Swim in Ponte Vedra, which traditionally draws the leading area swimmers from both inside and outside St. Johns County.

Bishop Kenny runners lead Gainesville pack

Just in time for Katie Caples Invitational week, the cross-country meet's host school is turning on the speed.

Bishop Kenny captured first place at the Buchholz Bobcat Classic at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, scoring 138 points to edge Buchholz and Mandarin in the boys race and dominating the girls race with 29 points ahead of Gainesville Oak Hall and Buchholz.

Dayne Kimball (seventh place, 16:46) and Quinn Mullaney (eighth place, 16:48) led the way for the Bishop Kenny boys. Fletcher's Evan Kirby led locals in second at 16:27.3, nine seconds behind Branford junior Logan Haley, while Atlantic Coast freshman Peter Curet placed a strong fourth.

In the girls race, Bishop Kenny placed four of the top seven with Camila Giles (winner, 18:37.2), Jillian Jakab (third, 19:20.4), Taylor Lawhon (sixth, 19:57.7) and Rebecca McEnany (seventh, 20:00.6). Atlantic Coast's Allison Austin came in second at 19:10.4.

In Lake City, Columbia's Timothy Todd (18:20) and Baker County's Braylen Lee (23:13) took first place at the Tiger Open Meet.

At the Coach Hope Memorial Invitational in Fernandina Beach, Providence senior Sean Cunningham ran away with the boys race in 16:42 and Fernandina Beach's Maya Kovalcik topped the girls event in 20:22.

Next up is the Sept. 19 Katie Caples Invitational, a traditional highlight on the Northeast Florida cross-country calendar with hundreds of runners from dozens of schools taking to the 5K course along the St. Johns River. Bishop Kenny has installed a new schedule for this year's meet, with middle school races and a high school event in the morning, followed by the junior varsity, main varsity and elite races in the late afternoon.

Shooting aces Gornto, Norman announce plans

Two of Northeast Florida's premier outside shooters committed to college basketball programs only a few days apart.

Providence senior Ryan Gornto, who drained several crucial threes in the Stallions' run to the FHSAA Class 2A championship in March, announced his commitment to Saint Leo men's basketball. Through three seasons, he has hit 265 of 670 (40 percent) from 3-point range, averaging double-digit points each year.

On the girls side, Bolles senior guard Presley Norman announced her commitment to Embry-Riddle. She has converted 275 of 660 (42 percent) from 3-point distance in a Bulldogs varsity career that began in seventh grade during the 2021-22 season.

Locals chosen for FHSAA committee

The FHSAA named Kate Staten of St. Johns Country Day and Ryder Thomas of Keystone Heights to the student-athlete advisory committee for the 2026-27 season.

Staten, a cross country captain for the Spartans, also competes in track and weightlifting and qualified for the FHSAA championship races while still in sixth grade.

Thomas competes as the kicker for Keystone football and has also represented the school in cross country, soccer and track and field.

The committee, which includes 16 students selected from all around Florida, holds three annual meetings to discuss issues and initiatives supporting the high school athletic experience for students across the state.

Around the area

Beachside midfielder Stormi Boles committed to Ferrum women's soccer. … Creekside infielder Brady Watson committed to Gardner-Webb baseball. … Episcopal pitcher Austin Smith committed to Florida Southern baseball. … Ponte Vedra defenseman Vincent Riccio committed to North Carolina men's lacrosse. … Gaige Jackson swam 48.42 to break the St. Johns Country Day school record in the boys 100 free. … The Sunshine State Athletic Association announced that The Villages will hold its football championships on Nov. 20-21. … Fletcher named Mary Garrard head softball coach. … Former Ponte Vedra midfielder Mark Romano was named ASUN men's soccer player of the week at North Florida. … Former Clay midfielder Brooke Bunton netted her first women's college soccer hat trick for SMU against Idaho State. … The annual High School 9:12/Baker's Sports Fall Sports Media Day is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17. … The FHSAA board of directors is scheduled to hold its first meeting of 2026-27 on Sept. 20 and 21 in Gainesville.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Mandarin-Raines, Gateway Conference clash of football titans, already sold out

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