OHS over Bulldogs; shares 7A-6 lead

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Six games into the 2011 football season and it’s hard to imagine a better scenario for the Osceola Kowboys, who are off Friday.

After last week’s 42-27 win against St. Cloud, the Kowboys stand 5-1 overall and 2-0 in 7A District 6.

Osceola expanded its series lead against St. Cloud, which dates to 1925, to 57-27-4.

The Kowboys can clinch the district championship for the first time since 2007 by winning their three upcoming district games at Harmony (Oct. 20), Liberty (Oct. 28) and against Gateway at home (Nov. 4).

For now, OHS Coach Doug Nichols can take satisfaction after watching his team click in all aspects of the game against St. Cloud.

The Kowboys totaled 354 yards of offense, threw for a pair of touchdowns, scored twice on special teams and mostly contained the high-octane Bulldogs offense.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, because no matter what, it’s still St. Cloud and Osceola and I knew their kids were going to play hard,” Nichols said. “Give (interim coach) Chad (Ansbaugh) a ton of credit for having those cats ready to play.”

Sophomore Dwight “Scooter” Fagan returned two punts 53 and 55 yards for touchdowns, and senior quarterback Kieron Williams passed for 60  yards and pair of TDs as Osceola built a 28-7 lead in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs, behind quarterback Phillip Steinmetz, rallied to twice cut the margin to eight points in the second half before the Kowboys finally put the game away when Stafon McCray (25-191, 2 TDs) scored on a 30-yard run with 2:34 to play.

Nichols said McCray, a junior, has become a solid all-around back.

“He can do a little of everything. He can run with power and he’s got some speed,” Nichols said.

McCray’s 58-yard scoring dash in the third period expanded Osceola’s 21-7 halftime lead which was built on the throwing of Williams (2-5-60, 2 TDs), who hit Daequan Harrison on a 23-yard play-action TD pass for the first score of the game, and later capped a rain-drenched 65-yard drive just before the end of the half with a 37-yard toss to Josh Antoine.

Antoine returned after dislocating his elbow at Palm Bay three weeks ago. He made the catch despite rain and the ball being tipped by St. Cloud’s 6-foot-6 receiver Cole Harvey, who was inserted at defensive back for that play.

“For  him to come back and make a catch like that in that situation was huge for us,” Nichols said.

Fagan’s first TD return, 53 yards, made it 14-0 after Cristano Nogureras added the PAT, one of six.

Fagan brought another punt back 55 yards in the third quarter after St. Cloud closed the deficit to 28-20.

Fagan fielded both kicks off the turf and ad libbed the returns.

“I just looked to see where it was open,” he said. “It wasn’t where it was supposed to go. I just ran to the open spot.”

Fagan said the punt returns were his first at the high school level.

Osceola Coach Doug Nichols said special teams have played a major role in Osceola’s five victories this year.

“We spend a lot of time on our special teams. We come back out every day for 20 or 30 or minutes to work on special teams, and it’s paying off,” he said.

Williams’ success through the air was equally surprising. The Kowboys had attempted just 18 passes all season, completing four. In addition to the two completions for Williams Friday, two more passes were dropped, one that potentially could have been a touchdown.

“It’s just repetitions, just a matter of getting better,” Williams said.

Steinmetz was under siege all night, sacked nine times and hit just about every time he dropped back by a blitzing Kowboys defense that held the Bulldogs to -47 yards rushing, counting the sacks.

“We decided we weren’t going to sit back and let him pick us apart. They’re too good for that,” Kowboys defensive coordinator Scott Spencer said. “We thought our kids played well. We gave up some big plays that hurt us, but we were able to make some plays and get some big stops.”

Steinmetz threw for three touchdowns, including a pair of throws to Harvey for scores of 80 and 31 yards.

“He’s big, strong kid who is capable of making those plays,” Nichols said. “I thought we did a pretty good job of shutting down their running game and getting pressure on them.”

Senior lineman Bryan Hurtado returned to the lineup after missing several games because of illness.

The Kowboys received a 2010 forfeit from Lakeland  for using an ineligible player. That raises Osceola’s record for that season to 7-4. OHS also received forfeits from Dr. Phillips and St. Cloud.

Liberty and OHS are 2-0 in the district. Gateway (1-1), Harmony (1-1), St. Cloud (0-2) and Celebration (0-2) follow.