It’s not always a good thing to ask too many questions because sometimes people simply don’t have the answers you would expect them to have. If you were to tell me that Bolles would be your 4A State Champions after falling behind to Booker T. Washington 25-12 in the 3rd Quarter, I would’ve have told you to put your money where your mouth is. At the end of the night you’d be a significantly richer person too. Corky Rogers and his Bolles Bulldogs are State Champions for the 11th time and Rogers has now surpassed St. Thomas Aquinas’ George Smith for most playoff victories in the history of the State of Florida with 70 after watching his Bulldogs score 21 unanswered points in the 4th Quarter to upend the Tornadoes 33-25. It’s Bolles’ 5th title since 2002.
Junior RB/FL Tim Betros led the Bulldogs with 117 yards on 14 carries and a TD. The 6-0, 190lb ran like he was 2 inches taller and 30lbs heavier against a Booker T Defense that was littered with speed and size. The Bulldogs took advantage of Booker T.’s lack of exposure to the Wing-T having only faced it once this season. Bolles finished the night with 224 yards net rushing to the Tornadoes 195. They also clutched up in situations that required it converting 9 of 16 3rd Downs. Although the Bulldogs had the advantage on the ground they still gave up 367 total yards to the Tornadoes. It was their special teams however that responded with the biggest play of the night.
Immediately following the Bulldogs TD pulling them within 25-19, Booker T.’s Nigel Patten let the kickoff drop in front of him then trying to pick the ball up to avoid the tacklers and fumbled a second time. Cody Boswell was johnny-on-the-spot for Bolles scooping and scoring the easiest TD he’s probably ever scored taking it in from less than one yard out. Within a matter of 6 seconds, the Booker T Tornadoes had watched their lead vanish from 25-12 to 33-25. The vast majority of BTW’s issues stemmed from their spread offense downright sputtering when they needed just one drive to kill clock or score points. The Tornadoes were 1-for-10 on 3rd Down,
Without debate the star of the night was a member of the losing team. Defensive End/ILB Matthew Thomas (6-4, 200lbs c/o 2013) was credited with 15 tackles while teammate Kevon Caffey added 12. The Tornadoes forced 4 Bulldogs fumbles while racking up 60 yards in tackles for losses and sacks. It certainly fell back into the laps of the BTW Offense that couldn’t execute. Booker T’s final four possessions ended, punt, punt, fumble, and turnover on downs. The last drive was a 14-play 81yd sequence that ended on the Bolles 5. Sophomore QB Treon Harris took his team down the field, but saw his final two passes tipped and their titles hopes dashed.
Other standouts included Senior DE Max Tejada (6-2, 285) of Bolles who was credited with 12 tackles on the night. The Bulldogs also hopped on the backs of their two D-1 Commits on the Offensive Line Seniors John Theus 6-6, 300lbs (Committed to Georgia) and John Heck 6-7, 285lbs (Committed to North Carolina) clearing the way.
Bolles’ path to the State Championship included wins over South Sumter, Raines, East Gadsden and of course BTW. The Tornadoes had previously defeated Inlet Grove, Gulliver Prep and defending 3A Champs Cocoa. Both teams are blessed with a wealth of talent and underclassmen. Of the 59 players on the current Booker T. Roster only 12 are seniors while Bolles only has 14 on their 60-man roster. Good chance you’ll see this teams playing not once, but possibly twice more for a ring in the next two years at the 4A level.