JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the Raines High School football team prepares to play Miami Northwestern in the 3A state title game in Miami, alumni, including some famous names you might recognize, are excited about the game and showing their support.
Tony Washington graduated in 2000.
“When I was there, we had gone the first time, being the first public high school to win the state championship when I was there and to see them make it back and undefeated was amazing,” Washington said.
As the team gets ready for the game this weekend, it is asking the community for help.
It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and so the school is fundraising, with this donation page for the team and this page for the band. They are trying to raise $50,000 before they leave on Friday. As of Tuesday afternoon, the band had already raised more than $6,000.
And this is not the first time the team has gone to the championship. The Vikings have a history of turning out great players who made it to the game, and a select few have gone on to the NFL.
Alumnus Michael Pinkney played for the Patriots and the Bears. Lito Sheppard played for the Eagles, Jets, Vikings and Raiders.
Kion Wilson played for the Chargers, Panthers, Steelers, 49ers and Cardinals.
Jabar Gaffney, who graduated from the University of Florida, played for the Texans, Eagles, Patriots, Broncos, Redskins and Dolphins.
He also won the state championship in 1997 while at Raines.
“It was the happiest news I could hear,” Gaffney said about hearing the news his high school was going back to the title game.
The team’s win is bringing the entire community together.
Gaffney is among the alumni that hope to help the team.
“Yes a lot of the alumni have been coming together to see what we can do to help the team, the cheerleaders and the band to get down there and have a successful day and bring home the championship,” Gaffney said.