Raines gets chance to show it is one of state’s best in Open division playoffs

It’s the first season of the Open division in the Florida High School Athletic Association, the top-tier of the playoff system. It takes the top eight teams in the MaxPreps rankings and puts them into a separate playoff bracket. It has been highly contentious because of the unknown MaxPreps algorithm used to slot the teams. There is no doubt about whether the Raines football team is one of the state’s best. The algorithm agreed and ranked the Vikings seventh in the playoff. That’s both good and bad. Instead of heading into Class 3A to defend their state championship, the Vikings now hit the road for two of their three games in pool play. How does it workThere are two four-team pools in the Open division. That means each team will play three games against the rest of their pool. The top two teams in each pool will then advance to the state semifinals. Watch the gameThe game can be streamed on the NFHS Network. Cost for a monthly pass is $19.99. Other plan options begin at $13.99.More pl