JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The scoreboard at “The Graveyard” has seen plenty of action this season, so much that Raines High School’s touchdown sign needed replacement from wear and tear.
Senior wide receiver Ethan Sherman, a key contributor to that offensive explosion, is proving his transfer to Raines was worth every moment of the difficult decision.
“I just love competing. I love coming out here on the field and just run around and score touchdowns. It’s fun. I love the game,” Sherman said.
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In his final year of high school football, Sherman made a tough decision. He chose to transfer from the school where he spent his first three seasons and leave Mandarin High School.
“It was tough just going out there three years every day with my brothers and then coming over here to a different culture,” Sherman said. “It was a tough decision, but I feel like it was the best decision.”
That decision is paying dividends for both Sherman and the undefeated Vikings. Now committed to Middle Tennessee State University, Sherman has formed a dynamic receiving duo with Ziyon Butler, creating matchup problems for opposing defenses.
“It’s been special,” said Raines head coach Donovan Masline. “Ziyon, he’s about the best route runner that we have. Ethan is that deep threat guy, and they work very hard.”
The partnership between Sherman and Butler extends beyond the field.
“We’re with each other every day. We push each other not just on the field, but in the classroom – we have class together,” Sherman explained. “We know we’re competing every day to get better, and we just know our time is gonna come.”
Sherman is already up to six touchdowns on the year. A large part of those numbers are from the contributions of TJ Cole. A relationship between quarterback and receiver that goes back to little league baseball.
“TJ Cole, he’s one of the guys I knew growing up. We played baseball and we just brought that same brotherhood over the years. We brought it here and we’ve been tearing up the field,” Sherman said.
That familiarity with players across Jacksonville is part of what makes the city’s football culture unique, according to Sherman.
“I feel like everyone knows everyone. We’re competing with people we’ve grown up with over the years and coming up seeing everyone go in their different ways,” he said.
And that makes for a rich football community. One Sherman said has embraced him after his move to Raines.
“The fans are interactive with you,” he said. “They love you. They embrace you like their own. It’s been great just feeling that love, that heartwarming love.”
Despite the undefeated start and his personal success, Sherman maintains that bigger goals lie ahead. “I feel good. We put in the work day in and day out, and I feel like the results are just peaking, but we’re not finished yet.”
What would make his senior season even more special?
Sherman doesn’t hesitate: “A state championship – just coming out with a bang with my brothers for my senior year, definitely.”