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The final week of the regular season had a wild finish, including a chaotic OT ending in St. Augustine-Mandarin that came with its own controversy. And Raines hammered Ribault in the Northwest Classic to win its 24th consecutive game. That win helped push the Vikings into the newly formed Open division, at least for the time being. Plus, there's got to be a better way to determine playoff teams besides MaxPreps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a longshot for local teams to make the newly formed Open division, and that's perfectly fine. Schools like Bolles, Columbia and Raines will have good opportunities to win state championships in classifications that suit them better. Let the all-star teams of South Florida have their own tournament. Plus, a huge Week 11 on deck and some must-win games for teams like Ponte Vedra, Fletcher, Clay and Jackson. Justin Barney and Sponge Franklin make the rounds as the season winds down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Columbia drove home the point in Week 9 that remains one of the best teams in the state. We've known that all season about Raines. If the season ended today, the Vikings would be in the new Open division as one of the top eight teams. How will that look the rest of the way? Plus, Trinity Christian's wild OT win over Bolles and Ed White has to end the season strong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Week 9 has no shortage of huge games including three Super 10 matchups (Bolles-Trinity Christian; University Christian-Bradford; Ed White-Columbia). Plus, are the 7-0 Tigers from Lake City now the area's top contender for the newly created and somewhat controversial Open division? They enter this week ranked ninth as Raines dropped to 13th somehow. Justin Barney and Sponge Franklin make the trip around the 904 and 386 in the Varsity 4 podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ed White and Raines locked in huge wins in Week 7, including the Vikings' 20-17 W over Venice that stretched their winning streak to 20 games. But did those wins do anything for the Commanders and Vikings in the MaxPreps rankings? The MaxPreps rankings have been one of the most confusing metrics around. They'll be used to determine the state's inaugural Open division playoffs. Justin Barney and Sponge Franklin weigh in on the week and the confusion of the MaxPreps rankings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State powers Raines and Venice headline the Week 7 high school football slate in what is a huge clash with Open division implications. The Vikings have won 30 consecutive regular season games. Ed White and Oakleaf lock up in the Varsity 4 Game of the Week. Plus, is MaxPreps really the best way to determine the playoff field in Florida? Justin Barney and Sponge Franklin make the rounds in the Varsity 4 podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're past the midway point of the high school football regular season, with top-ranked Raines unequivocally the area's top team. The Vikings used their relentless defense to lower the boom on No. 2 Mandarin in a 31-13 romp in Week 5. Just how good are the Vikings this year? Troy Butler, Chenaniah Doran, Zion Green and Co. have answered all questions on defense. Plus, Columbia, St. Augustine and West Nassau stay perfect and Ed White with a major win in the Peach State. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raines and Mandarin haven't met on the football field since both brought home state championships in 2018. There have been insinuations among fans about the schools ducking each other since then. Well, they square off in Week 5 with years-long Gateway Conference winning streaks (Mandarin is unbeaten against DCPS teams since 2021 and Raines since mid-2022) and a lot to prove. Justin Barney and Sponge Franklin on who has the edge in this colossal clash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raines made a statement last week in running its Gateway Conference winning streak to nearly four years in a 21-12 win over Ed White. Why you should never count out the Vikings in a local game of that magnitude. Plus, Stanton and Paxon are surging as the Brain Bowl arrives. Sandalwood is on a winning streak. And Fletcher with a huge win over Creekside. Justin Barney and Sponge Franklin make the rounds in Week 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Game of the Week is a big one between Ed White and Raines. Plus, Mandarin receiver Brysen Wright is one of the most well-known high school football players in the country. He reached rare air last week when Battle released a signature BFye custom cleats. Where does Wright rank in terms of the top recruits of the 2000s? Justin Barney and Sponge Franklin make the rounds in the Varsity 4 podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The opening week of the high school football regular season was a wild one. Top-ranked Raines battled past Oakleaf in a defensive slugfest. Farther down the Super 10, Columbia clipped Bolles and Creekside upset Nease. Those two games featured blowouts a year ago to the tune of 81-8 in wins for the Tigers and Panthers. Justin Barney and Sponge Franklin look over a wild week and ahead to Week 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Week 1 of the high school football season and the kickoff classics are behind us. How seriously should you take those Week 0 games? Always take 'em with a grain of salt. The Week 1 slate includes some bangers, including our Game of the Week, Raines and Oakleaf. Plus, our early season look at top players and how Ed White could be this year's breakout team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2026 high school football season is right around the corner with a handful of regular season independent teams kicking things off this week. There's some big changes this year, including the introduction of the eight-team Open division in the playoffs. Do teams like Raines, Mandarin and Bolles have a chance to make it? Plus, our top 25 players list continues and the team we're tracking all season long. Justin Barney and Sponge Franklin kick off the march to the regular season in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A blowout loss in the 2024 state title game was a dose of humility for Raines. The Vikings could have easily let that loss define them. Instead, head coach Donovan Masline, the Raines staff and players, set out on a revenge tour and stamped it with a 23-22 win over the same Miami Northwestern team that it lost to a year earlier. In terms of redemption stories, they don't get much better than that. What a team. What a coach. What a season for the 14-0 Vikings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's state championship game week and Bolles and Raines are the last area teams still standing. The Bulldogs face Cardinal Mooney on Wednesday night in Miami and Raines gets its rematch against Miami Northwestern. Do our local teams have a chance to bring home titles? Why Justin Barney and Sponge Franklin think it could be a great week in Miami for Bolles and Raines in this Varsity 4 podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices