Northwestern stunned in closing seconds by Jacksonville Raines in 3A state final
Two weeks ago, Miami Northwestern beat Miami Central in a clash between the top two teams in the state in Class 3A.
A second consecutive state championship and 10th overall seemed like a foregone conclusion for many who have watched the Bulls this season.
Even facing an unbeaten Jacksonville Raines, few doubted Northwestern would clear the final hurdle.
But Raines refused to follow the script.
After committing four turnovers, squandering numerous chances to seize control of the game, and letting three second-half leads slip away, the Bulls saw their state title hopes get torn away in the closing seconds of a stunning, 23-22 loss to the Vikings on Friday night at FIU’s Pitbull Stadium.
Raines receiver Ta’darius Washington made a leaping catch at Northwestern’s 6-yard line, shook off Bulls junior Nicholas Lennear, and crossed the goal line for the game-winning score with 10 seconds left.
The Bulls had one final chance after Marcus Dumont returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 42 with five seconds left. Northwestern ran a double reverse that allowed wide receiver Calvin Russell to evade pressure and fire a pass deep downfield. But it was deflected by a Raines defender as time expired.
Vikings players and coaches rushed the field in a wild celebration that led to some words being exchanged between the two sides.
As Raines’ players made their way back to their side of the field, Northwestern’s players and coaches walked off the field and to their locker room. Florida High School Athletic Association officials gave Northwestern athletic director Andre Williams the state runner-up trophy, but the team did not return to the field, and did not take part in the postgame ceremony during which they were to be presented their trophy and medals, nor speak to reporters. Based on past similar occurrences involving other teams, Northwestern could be fined for not participating in the postgame ceremony.
The distraught Bulls (13-1) could have avoided all of it had they come up with a game-clinching stop in the fourth quarter. But Raines (14-0) won the battle of unbeatens and avenged last year’s lopsided, 41-0 loss.
The Bulls needed just two plays to drive 87 yards and take a 22-17 edge when quarterback Neiman Lawrence found Lennear wide open for a 62-yard touchdown pass.
But the Vikings answered with their game-winning drive, which spanned 11 plays and 79 yards and included a 4th and 10 conversion on the play prior to the winning score when Cole found Washington for an 11-yard gain to the Northwestern 17.
Raines erased a 6-0 deficit when linebacker Jahdeem Jones intercepted Bulls’ quarterback Neiman Lawrence and returned it 90 yards. Jones then fumbled when Travail Mathis chased him down to the Northwestern 3-yard line, but Mikhel Smith-York recovered in the end zone to put the Vikings ahead.
The Bulls took a 9-7 lead on a third field goal by kicker Alex Lima, and appeared ready to put the game away when Russell scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 10:27 left in the fourth.
After Raines cut the deficit to 16-10, it took a 17-16 lead on a 9-yard touchdown run by Timothy Cole Jr., a FAMU signee.
The Bulls might have been able to turn Friday’s game into another rout had they executed better in the red zone and protected the ball better overall.
Northwestern moved the ball inside the Raines’ 10-yard line four times in the first half and came away with only a 3-0 lead by halftime.
On one of the red zone trips, Mathis was running into the end zone from 10 yards out when he was hit just before he crossed the goal line by Shareef Jackson, who then recovered it in the end zone for a touchback.
Two more advances by Northwestern into the red zone in the third quarter resulted in field goals.
Lawrence completed 25 of 38 passes for 381 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Russell Jr. finished with eight catches for 136 yards and Lennear caught six passes for 135 yards.
Each played in Northwestern’s secondary as well for most of the game, especially after defensive back Tedarius Hughes left the game with what appeared to be a knee injury in the second quarter.
This story was originally published December 13, 2025 at 1:44 AM.
