By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

It was a textbook homecoming performance as the Osceola Kowboys beat Poinciana Friday, 49-8, even to the point that running back Frank Thomas, who scored a touchdown, was crowned the homecoming king.

Osceola, 4-3, amassed over 500 total yards and led 34-0 at the half.

Plenty of Kowboys crossed the goal line, starting with Defario Phillips’ 3-yard TD run in the first quarter that made it 7-0 after Cody Ausherman’s PAT.

Quarterback Kieron Williams passed 20 yard to Terrance Tatume to up the lead to 13-0, and Reggie Hall raced 52 yards for another score, making it 20-0, still in the first quarter.

“The guys did a good job of coming out and taking care of business,” Kowboys Coach Doug Nichols said.

Nichols began substituting in the second quarter, when freshman Dwight “Scooter” Fagan, who led all runners with 132 yards on 14 carries, ran 30 yards for the first of his two TDs to make it 34-0 with 1:34 left in the half.

Poinciana quarterback Michael Cirino, who rushed for 62 yards and completed 5-of-15 passes for 53 yards, scored from the 1 late in third quarter. He passed to Bryan Gonzalez for two points, making it 34-8.

Fagan scored on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter, and, after C.J. Butler’s interception, Ramone Luciano scored from the 3 to wrap up the scoring.

“We got a chance to put a lot of kids in the game, so that worked out well,” Nichols said. “Poinciana is improving. They’ve got some good athletes there, like the quarterback (Cirino). He’s really quick.”

The Eagles slipped to 0-6.

The Kowboys, winners of four in a row, now turn their attention to a 5A District 4 showdown next Thursday at Kowboys field against Lakeland. A win earns OHS the district championship, heady stuff for a team that started the season 0-3.

“We got on track. We started off slow, it took too long for us to start bringing it,” linebacker D.D. Montgomery said. “Now, we’re coming back to where we should be. We’re starting off fast in the first quarter.”

Thomas said the Kowboys are gaining more confidence by the week.

“After the last big game (at Lakeland George Jenkins last week), against that type of high-caliber team, we accomplished what we needed to. We showed that we can do the job,” he said.

The OHS-Lakeland game was moved up one day at Lakeland's request, Principal Gary Preisser said.

“We don’t have school Friday, and neither do they,” Preisser said. “It’s better to have it on Thursday while the kids are in school, to keep it a normal game day.”

Lakeland, 7-0, is ranked No. 3 in Class 5A after a 41-16 win at Davenport Ridge Community Friday. Steward Butler rushed for four touchdowns.

Poinciana’s home game next week against St. Cloud also has been moved to Thursday, along with Gateway’s home game against Cypress Creek. All games start at 7:30 p.m.