5 reasons why Bolles can get to Florida Class 2M state championship

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA- A couple years away from the state championship scene for the Bolles Bulldogs seems kind of out of the norm doesn’t it?

For a football program that has won 11 state championships, only second to St. Thomas Aquinas (14), the Bulldogs haven’t won a title since 2011 (Class 4A) and last time they were in the big dance was 2020. Might not seem like a long time away from the big dance, but for a program like the Bulldogs, it is.

It’s been a long time since they last won state championship, as it seems like the teams down in South Florida have had a stranglehold of making appearances in the big game and winning it all.

Last year’s Class 2M state championship game was an all-South Florida affair between Miami Central and Plantation American Heritage, with the former coming out on top.

It’s time for the 904 to get back into the state championship game and last year, Bolles showed signs why they’re not too far off whatsoever. We give five reasons why we think the Bulldogs can make it to the Class 2M championship game.

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5. The ascension of wide receiver Naeem Burroughs

Not many players in Northeast Florida made quite the name for themselves like Naeem Burroughs did as a freshman. The wide receiver is coming off a strong first campaign on the scene in the Sunshine State as Burroughs caught 36 passes, 659 yards and seven touchdowns. Burroughs is already being chased by the top universities in the southeast, with offers from Alabama, Florida and Florida State. Having Burroughs on your side always makes things a little easier on offense and he will be one of the best in 2023 out of 2M.

4. Plenty of talent coming back on defense

All the talk surrounding the offense leaves the defense less under the microscope, but make no mistake that the Bulldogs will be stout on that side of the ball. Leading the defensive unit will be Louisville commitment Trent Carter at linebacker. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound hard hitting backer racked up over 100 tackles from a year ago and he’s joined by a slew of returners like defensive back Jacob Campen, defensive linemen Martin Geary and Garrison Butler. The old adage defense wins championships maybe doesn’t exactly relate to Bolles, but this unit will need to be better than good this fall.

3. Playmaking abilities of DJ Moore and Tyrone Neal

Having a dynamic passer within your offense will help make head coach Matt Toblin’s life a little easier and Moore returns as the focal point. The Coastal Carolina commitment is coming off a solid junior campaign in which Moore completed 73-of-139 passes for 1,101 yards and 11 touchdowns. What also makes Bolles that more explosive on offense is returning running back Tyrone Neal to the backfield. Neal’s ability to break a big run at any given moment makes the Bulldogs that much more dynamic offensively. The tailback rushed for 1,263 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. This duo of Moore and Neal could be what makes the difference in reaching the final in 2M.

2. Matt Toblin’s experience

The Bolles head coach heads into his fifth season at the helm and his experience at his many stops made him the perfect fit for the Bulldogs back when he was hired in the spring of 2019. Formerly the head coach at Clay and Ponte Vedra previously, Toblin’s experience as a head coach makes it possible to make a deep run and reach the Class 2M state championship game. Having led Ponte Vedra to the state title appearance in 2016, Toblin has now been in three championship games as a head coach. Also has experience on the collegiate side of things as he was a defensive coordinator at Southern Oregon University for two seasons. There’s no shortage of knowledge and experience when it comes to Toblin.

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1. Championship pedigree

The Bolles School are no strangers to winning state championships whatsoever as they’ve won 11 titles, which is only second to St. Thomas Aquinas’ 14. Having not won a state championship since 2011 is quite a long time for the Bulldogs, who were accustomed to being at states on an annual basis. The last time Toblin and crew were in the big dance was in 2020 when they fell 35-21 to Cardinal Gibbons. Toblin is still in search of his first state title as a head coach, but the championship pedigree and tradition of winning championships still remains at Bolles. Expectations remain the same and never change when it comes to the Bulldogs.

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.