They’re in the hurry up offense.
St. Augustine High School’s army of athletic backers is hustling to raise travel funds ahead of the Jackets titanic Final Four football game in Plantation on Friday.
For the second year in a row, the St. Johns juggernaut (11-1) battled its way to the state semifinals in the 4A classification and will square off against top-seeded Plantation American Heritage (10-2) on the road in South Florida.
Local public school athletic programs are largely dependent on community support to cover their operating costs, Jackets Athletic Boosters vice president Jen Stevenson reminded The Citizen.
“It’s a scramble,” she said, noting that playoff fundraising campaigns can’t begin in earnest until the team advances in each round.
St. Augustine snatched a semifinal spot last Friday in a gutsy 13-6 win against Choctawhatchee, but didn’t know where they would be playing next until the four remaining teams were reseeded Saturday.
Once the pairings were set, the booster club rushed to send out a fundraising letter on Sunday, and are calling on all local residents and businesses to line up alongside the team.
‘We need your help to raise the funds needed to take the football team on the road,” the boosters said in a Facebook post. “We are currently seeking sponsors for buses, team meals, snacks, drinks and other financial needs.”
Stevenson said she hopes enough money can be raised to deploy a full St. Augustine squadron into enemy territory — including band members, cheerleaders, and other key pieces of the program’s infrastructure.
You can do your part by donating here.
St. Johns County Director of School Services David Simpkins said the Jackets’ playoff push galvanizes the entire community — from local children to longtime residents who once listened to games on transistor radios.
“It’s huge,” he said. “To have St. Augustine advance to the semifinals two years in a row is great for the area, it’s great for the kids.”
Athletic Director Quinterrance Cooper — a St Augustine native who led the Jackets to their lone state crown in 2005 as a star quarterback — said the school is blessed with a dedicated fanbase.
“This is built on tradition,” he told The Citizen. “There’s no bigger alumni base in the county. These games aren’t budgeted for because they aren’t a given. But when we need it, our community steps up to the plate.”
