- December 13, 2025
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The pressure on quarterbacks induces perpetual panic. Running backs hit a brick wall, struggling to find paths past the line of scrimmage.
Pass-catchers fight for inches of separation and get none. Even offensive linemen become overwhelmed in the trenches.
This is how the hopes and dreams of opposing offenses die.
Booker football just has that effect — proven time and again as weeks have turned into months. Its defensive unit routinely rips gameplans to shreds.
“They’re an extremely prideful bunch. All those guys, they know that you win championships based on your defense,” said coach Carlos Woods. “If a team beats us, they have to beat us going left-handed if they’re a right-handed team.”
The Tornadoes made mincemeat of their regional foes in the FHSAA Class 3A state tournament. After shutting out No. 8 seed Mulberry, 75-0, and No. 5 seed Bayshore, 68-0, on Nov. 13 and 21, respectively, the squad steamrolled No. 2 seed Nature Coast Tech, 50-14, on Nov. 28.
Across those displays of dominance, Booker assembled a cumulative plus-179 margin of victory, claiming Region 3 in decisive fashion and securing its spot in a third consecutive state semifinal.
That mark isn’t just better than any other remaining team in 3A. It’s the best in the state across eight classifications.
“Week in and week out, we’ve got the same goal,” said senior cornerback Chauncey Kennon. “We don’t show any slack. We don’t play down to anybody’s level.”
Overall in 2025, the Tornadoes have allowed a miniscule 9.6 points per game. Remove a season-opening loss to Auburn (AL) from the equation and that number shrinks to 8.4 against in-state competition.
They’ve registered six shutouts compared to four in 2024 and two in 2023. Opponents have managed to score only three touchdowns against them across the last six games.
A lights-out level of play on defense has allowed Booker’s offense to feast — averaging 40.7 points in their own right. And that constitutes a winning formula, which has the team at 12-1.
“We take a lot of pride in (defense),” said senior defensive end Kevontay Hugan. “Whenever someone scores, we’re going to feel some type of way about it.”
Sheer and utter dominance stems from the coaching staff’s vision, installed well before the season began.
Woods was previously the team’s defensive coordinator before stepping into the role of head coach this season. His expertise was largely molded by Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Tony Dungy and Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
The schemes which his players have mastered, though, aren’t his alone. They’re an amalgamation of assistants Corey Williams, Shavion Howell and Anthony Hubbard. When it comes down to crunch time, each of them look to Woods for the final say.
The Tornadoes are built to slow the up-tempo offenses of today’s high school landscape. Automatic formational checks are instrumental to that approach — relying on senior safety Karaijus Hayes and junior defensive back Jordan Booker to make on-field calls in real time.
Although presenting different challenges, the spread offenses of fellow 3A state semifinalists Miami Northwestern, Orlando Bishop Moore and Jacksonville Raines won’t catch Booker off guard. Woods and Co. are built to handle those, too.
“We have guys that can run with those other teams,” Woods said. “That’s going to put us at an advantage, because a lot of the defenses that we play, they’ve never seen before. And it’s hard to prepare for all the things that we throw at you.”
Coaching is one thing. Execution is another.
This team is wealthy in both respects, creating a nightmare for offensive playmakers to try and shake.
Up front, Hugan is a monstrous presence. The Indiana commit currently leads Booker with 13.0 sacks and 32.0 tackles for loss. He’s joined by fellow four-star recruit Maleek Lee, a junior defensive lineman with a team-high 46 solo tackles, and now, as of Nov. 22, has an offer from Ohio State.
“I wanted to be a better leader (this season). Our coach has been saying it’s a player-led team,” Hugan said. “He was basically talking straight to me when he said that.”
But there isn’t much refuge to be found for opponents in the passing game. If anything, that’s an even riskier venture.
Kennon is a Florida State commit ranked No. 48 in the Class of 2026, per ESPN. Hayes is a three-star recruit who, on Oct. 1, decommitted from Vanderbilt.
Then there’s Jordan Booker — someone Woods has heaped praise upon — who boasts four interceptions and a fourth-best 32 solo tackles.
These are the faces offenses have learned to fear.
In the regional quarterfinals, Mulberry quarterback Tayron Grant was held to 4-for-9 passing for 29 yards and an interception. The Panthers' running game gained 107 yards in total.
Nature Coast Tech signal-caller Cashis Williams had an even rougher outing. He threw for just 5 yards on a mere 1-for-9 clip while the Sharks mustered an anemic 46 rushing yards.
“We want to take away what they do best. We want to limit their possessions as much as we possibly can,” Woods said. “We have a bunch of hungry, relentless guys who play selfless — they play for each other.”
The Tornadoes’ offense has provided a steady stream of scoring, but it's their defense which is on a truly remarkable run.
A first state title lies only two wins away. One more victory, though, will ensure the first championship appearance since 2005, the only time they’ve gotten that far.
Booker will battle Raines — a rematch of last year’s state semifinal — at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, staged at William M. Raines High School. The Vikings won their previous meeting, 28-23, and remain undefeated this season at 12-0.
“Last year, we lacked a little bit in situational football,” Kennon said. “This year, we’ve been practicing hard, and we’ve gotten better in those close-game situations to be able to get over the top.”
This is not the defense Raines saw in 2024. Many of the same characters are present, but they’re hungrier now. A regional run for the ages made that much crystal clear.
Booker’s defense is well on its way to being the greatest in school history.
