JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Then there were two.
Raines and Bolles are the area’s last teams left standing in the high school football playoffs.
The Bulldogs used five rushing touchdowns from sophomore phenom Xander Edwards to shellack visiting Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons 42-20. Edwards scored four of his touchdowns in the opening half to help Bolles build a 35-6 lead at the break.
Jaden Weatherly tossed a long touchdown pass to Cam Tietze and Bolles cruised to its first state championship game appearance since 2020. Ironically, the last time the Bulldogs played for a title was against Cardinal Gibbons.
Bolles (13-1) will face Sarasota Cardinal Mooney (13-1) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Pitbull Stadium in Miami for the 2A state championship.
Raines will get its rematch against Miami Northwestern after handling Sarasota Booker 28-8. The Vikings will face the Bulls (13-0) on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
The road ended in the state semifinals for both Ponte Vedra and Trinity Christian.
The Conquerors (9-5) had no luck in stopping Chaminade-Madonna in a 35-0 loss in the Class 1A state semifinals.
In Class 5A, Ponte Vedra’s run ended with a 40-13 loss to Lakeland. The Sharks ended their season at 11-3, the second-best run in program history.
State semifinals
Friday’s results
Class 5A
Class 3A
Class 2A
Bolles 42, Cardinal Gibbons 20
Class 1A
Chaminade Madonna 35, Trinity Christian 0
State championship games
Pitbull Stadium, Miami
Class 2A, Wednesday
Bolles (13-1) vs. Sarasota Cardinal Mooney (13-1), 7:30 p.m.
Class 3A, Friday
Raines (13-0) vs. Miami Northwestern (13-0)