There's something special about winning a state championship on your home turf. For the Raines Vikings, that feeling hadn't been experienced in nearly three decades — until now.
In a performance that left no doubt, Raines captured the FHSAA Class 2A boys team title on May 7 at the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium, bringing home the program's fourth state championship and its first in 28 years. The Vikings, trading their traditional cardinal red for neon green, embodied their school motto "Ichiban" — Japanese for "number one."
"We knew, from the second this season started, that the state series was ours," a Raines senior sprinter declared, and the results backed up that confidence completely.
The Vikings amassed 83 points, blowing past runners-up Palatka and Calvary Christian by a staggering 49-point margin. It was a team effort that showcased depth across every event.
The tone was set early when Iason Williams seized control from the starting blocks in the 110-meter hurdles, winning in 14.21 seconds. "Last year, I kind of fell short of my goal," Williams admitted after also taking third in the 400 hurdles. "I knew I wanted to make history, so I had to come out here and work hard."
Points piled up throughout the day: Hamire Walker's surprise runner-up finish in the long jump from the unseeded flight, a second-place showing in the 4x100 relay, and Raheim Roberts contributing 12 points across three individual events. The exclamation point came when Kaye unleashed a blistering personal-best 20.87 seconds from the unseeded heat of the 200 meters, bounding across the infield in celebration once the final heat confirmed his victory. That moment made Raines mathematically untouchable.
The championship adds to a storied program history that includes titles in 1976 and 1989 under Hall of Fame coach James Day, and 1998 under Kim Anderson. Now, the 2026 Vikings under Steven Bellamy join that elite company.
But Raines wasn't the only Jacksonville school celebrating. The Bolles girls team earned a share of the Class 2A title, finishing in a rare exact tie with Montverde Academy — a testament to their strength in the field events and a reminder that in track and field, every point matters.
For fans of Florida high school track, this was a day to remember: a hometown favorite ending a long drought, and a girls team proving that championships can be shared when the competition is this tight. The Sunshine State's track legacy continues to shine bright.