Osceola next for unbeaten Harmony

By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

An undefeated football team will take the field at Osceola High on Friday.

Unlike previous years, it will reside on the visitor’s side of the field.

Harmony, 3-0 and 1-0 in 4A District 7 after a 42-19 win over Liberty last week, comes calling on the Kowboys at 7:30 p.m. Osceola was at the other end of the ledger before posting its first win over Orlando’s Agape Christian, 34-14, Saturday.

The teams are similar, with a double-wing offensive scheme and speed on defense. It’s not lost on Harmony Coach Dayne Brown.

“(OHS Coach Doug) Nichols knows how to defend what we do,” Brown said. “We have to play very well to even have a chance. It’s our biggest challenge so far.”

The Longhorns ran a bunch formation much of the night against Liberty, making use of a size advantage, and piled up 350 yards of offense. They were led by tailback C.J. Clayton, who carried 24 times for 208 yards and two touchdowns. He caught two passes for another 32 yards in a game delayed 90 minutes by lightning and played mostly in a constant shower.

Christian Acevedo, the other member of Brown’s potent two-man backfield tandem, had 71 yards on just five first-half carries before leaving with an ankle injury suffered returning the second-half kickoff. He visited a doctor on Monday.

“He’ll work this week and we’ll go day-to-day,” Brown said. “We’ll see how ready he is by Friday.”

Harmony, ranked No. 10 in Monday’s Class 4A state poll, is now tied with Edgewater, a 20-17 winner over St. Cloud, and East River, a 41-0 winner over Poinciana, at the top of 4A-7 at 1-0.

Harmony led 28-7 at halftime by taking advantage of its opportunities. The Longhorns scored on their first drive on Acevedo’s 42-yard run, then added to the lead four minutes later when Will Hastings recovered a fumble, and after Acevedo caught a 15-yard pass on fourth-and-5, Clayton scored from 15 yards out on the next play to make it 13-0 eight minutes into the game.

The Longhorns made it 28-7 before the half on some good fortune; Anthony Ocosio stepped in front of a pitch on a Liberty fake punt attempt and took it 44 yards for a back-breaking score.

Zach Williams returned an interception in the fourth quarter for a touchdown.

Osceola (1-3) used a potent ground attack to pile up 316 yards against Agape Christian. Fullback Frank Thomas led with 140 yards and three touchdowns, with sophomore Steffon McRay adding 83 yards and a score.

Harmony’s Brown said Friday’s game will come down to who executes their game plan better.

“We do a lot of the stuff they do, so it’s going to be tough. If you run it right, it’s impossible to stop.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that he’s resigned to watching Kowboys running all over the field.

“You play assignment football. You have to get a tackler on the ball and have a man on the quarterback and a man on the pitch,” Brown said. “What makes Osceola tough is that they’re so fast.”

Osceola has won three of four previous meetings, including a 31-0 win last year  under former Coach Jeff Rolson, now at Springfield Rutherford. Harmony upended the Kowboys in Kissimmee, 20-14, in 2008.

The Longhorns return home for Poinciana in a 4A-7 contest Oct. 8.