Bolles runner up in state football championship

Posted on January 1, 2020 By Editor Junior Residents

Bolles Football Coach Matt Toblin is surrounded by his team as he holds the state runner-up trophy

Colleges have come knocking for a Bolles junior and wide receiver, even as the team narrowly missed netting their 12th Florida High School Athletic Association title Dec. 11 with a 21-25 loss.

In the semi-final game Nov. 29, Davis Ellis of San Marco, made a right-handed catch on a pass from Bolles Quarterback Jeremiah Johnson, a senior, while covered by Cocoa Cornerback Kiante Curry and then went on to score a touchdown. His mother, Pam Ellis, said Johnson’s throw and Ellis’ catch went on to be listed in the top 10 USA Today plays of the week and even garnered a mention on You Got Mossed on ESPN Dec. 6.

“It was very exciting,” said Ellis’s mother. “He caught the ball even though the other player from Cocoa Beach was blocking him. He caught it right-handed right over the top of that guy’s head.” She said that her son’s skills include catching long passes and speed. “He was missed on two previous passes. In his mind was: I have to catch this ball no matter what it takes. He didn’t intend to catch it with one hand, but the other player bumped him.”

Pam Ellis said Davis loves football and hopes to play it in college, and colleges are reciprocating. “College coaches are calling, and he ended up getting an offer this week,” she said on Dec. 13.

In the meantime, the Bolles football team also concluded an impressive debut season for Head Coach Matt Toblin with an 11-2 overall record and the Class 4A State Runner-up trophy. The Bulldogs came up just short of the program’s 12th Florida High School Athletic Association title in an exciting but disappointing 25-21 loss Wednesday to Miami Booker T. Washington in Daytona Beach Dec. 11.

Bolles reached the state finals for the 18th time in program history and the first time since 2016. The Bulldogs still hold the state record for most championships, along with the most playoff appearances, at 35. The 2019 team will leave a lasting impact on the program and showed that the future is bright for Bolles Football.

“What you’ve done this year and how far you’ve brought this program is nothing short of remarkable,” Toblin told the team in his post-game remarks. “You seniors are an unbelievably special group. Everything we do from here on out is because of you.”