JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Raines Vikings have started the 2025 football season with a statement on both sides of the ball.
Scoring over 125 points in just two games is dominant, but that doesn’t go without looking at the defense.
Just 14 points given up in two games for the Vikings defense, but they say they would rather that number be 0.
“We’re feeling great right now, but you know, never satisfied.” Senior linebacker Travis Williams said.
As the Vikings look ahead to their Week 4 matchup against Lake Mary, News4JAX sat down with the leaders of the Raines defense to see what makes them tick.
“Defense is like a chess match,” Travis said. “I’m the floor general. I know where everybody’s supposed to be, and I’m just giving out directions. We gotta execute it.”
His counterpart, senior Tony Williams, brings the energy.
“Sometimes when you get a big hit or a turnover or something, that just sets the tone for the whole defense,” he said. “Everybody, they feed off of that and everybody wants to get a big play. Everybody wants a big hit. It’s contagious.”
Between the two seniors, they said it’s the toughness they want to be a part of their identity. They said they want the opposing team to leave feeling the pressure.
“Defense is always violent,” Tony said.
“We’re fighting or clawing,” Travis said. “We’re pulling hair, ripping jerseys. We’re doing what we can. We wanna win. Everybody wants it.”
And they said that mentality starts at practice. A mental battle that hard work every other day of the week makes Fridays that much easier.
“It takes a lot,” Travis said. “It takes you knowing that today’s practice gonna be hard but how you gonna get through it? If you can get through practice, you can get through a game. That’s why we stand right here.”
And despite the 2-0 start to the season, the Vikings said there is still much to work on in their quest for a state title.
“First game, we jumped offside a lot,” Tony admitted. “Penalties can cost you games.”
Travis agrees, emphasizing constant learning: “We’re learning, We’re practicing. We’re asking questions so we can minimize mistakes.”
Kickoff with Lake Mary is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, and the defense’s mindset is already locked in.
“We came here for one result, and we’re gonna leave with one result,” Travis says. “We’ve got to execute and we’ve got to do everything possible to get it done.”