MIAMI, Fla. – The push to add another state championship to its storied history will have to wait for the Bolles football team.
Bolles had no answer for Cardinal Mooney in the Class 2A title game on Wednesday night at Pitbull Stadium at Florida International University, run over by the Cougars in a 52-28 rout.
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Raines, which faces Miami Northwestern on Friday night (7:30) will try and put an end to the area’s drought in championship games. Trinity Christian is the last area team to win a title (2021).
The Bulldogs (13-2) have 11 state championships, second most in Florida history behind St. Thomas Aquinas (16). But they’ve hit a wall since their last title behind iconic head coach Corky Rogers.
Bolles reached four more championship games under Rogers (2012, ’13, ’14 and ’16) and now three under head coach Matt Toblin (2019, ’20).
This seemed like Toblin’s best opportunity to get it at Bolles. An offense built on a strong line and rugged running of Xander Edwards had plowed through every playoff challenge with barely a test. A defense that had bent early in the season had toughened up and played to its strengths on the defensive front.
Cardinal Mooney exploited every hole it could find. It picked apart Bolles’ secondary, with quarterbacks David Davidson and Devin Mignerey throwing three touchdown passes, all to Bo O’Daniel. Running back Connail Jackson found the end zone four times, outshining Bolles’ sensational sophomore Edwards.
Cardinal Mooney didn’t punt once and faced just one fourth down in the first three quarters, which is easily converted. It was methodical execution and flat out dominance, the same kind that the Bulldogs were accustomed to having against opponents.
Even when Bolles found a flicker of hope in the second half, the Cougars calmly and decisively answered. Naeem Burroughs hauled in his second touchdown catch of the game on a 15-yarder, but the Cougars answered in nine plays. A 71-yard touchdown on a fake punt by Simeon Caldwell to get Bolles within 34-21 was washed out by a six-play, 83-yard touchdown drive by the Cougars.
Cardinal Mooney dominated the Bulldogs along both lines and imposed its will from the outset. The Cougars drove 96 yards on their opening drive of the game and put it in the end zone without much resistance. Bolles countered with a perfect throw from Jaden Weatherly to Naeem Burroughs on a 41-yard strike that briefly tied things at 7-all.
There were few, if any, bright spots after that for the Bulldogs.
The Cougars moved the Bolles defense with little issue, racking up nearly yards of offense in the opening half and stretching its lead to 27-7 at the break with an 8-yard touchdown by Jackson with 18 seconds. Cardinal Mooney faced one fourth down in the opening half and converted easily.
Bolles had to fight for everything and nothing came easily. The Bulldogs had a chip shot 31-yard field goal attempt that would have trimmed the deficit to 3, but it was wide right. The Cougars responded by marching 80 yards in 12 plays, capped by a 16-yard touchdown from Mignerey to O’Daniel and a 20-7 lead.