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Wednesday, 20 October 2010 11:36

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Photo/Bruce Wilson Photography

Osceola assistant coach James Delgado talks to the offensive linemen during the second half of the Kowboys 49-8 win over Poinciana last week at Kowboys field.

Can OHS  take 5A-4 title from Lakeland?

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
Less than a month ago, Osceola was 0-3 and had gone seven straight quarters without scoring a point.
Winning a game, much less a district championship, seemed to be an enormous challenge.
But, today, when Lakeland High visits Kowboys field at 7:30 p.m., the Kowboys, 4-3 and 1-0, will play for the 5A District 4 championship.
That’s what happens when you win four games in a row as previously injured players return to the lineup and first-year starters adjust to their roles.


The Kowboys easily defeated Poinciana, 49-8, for homecoming last week, setting the stage for today’s showdown against the No. 3-ranked Dreadnaughts.
Osceola amassed 512 total yards as freshman Dwight “Scooter” Fagan scored twice and led all rushers with 142 yards.
Homecoming King Frank Thomas, Reggie Hall, Defario Phillips and Ramone Luciano also rushed for scores, and quarterback Kieron Williams hit Terrance Tatume on a 20-yard TD connection. Cody Ausherman added six PATs.
“The guys did a good job of coming out and taking care of business,” Kowboys Coach Doug Nichols said.
Fagan scored on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter, and, after C.J. Butler’s interception, 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.
The Eagles slipped to 0-6.
After their early-season problems, linebacker D.D. Montgomery said the Kowboys have learned to start games with more energy.
“We got on track. We started off slow, it took too long for us to start bringing it,” he 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 (a district win at Lakeland George Jenkins two weeks ago), against that type of high-caliber team, we accomplished what we needed to. We showed that we can do the job,” he said.
Lakeland, 6-0, will be the toughest foe the Kowboys have seen since a Week 2 game at unbeaten Dr. Phillips. The Dreadnaughts have won four in a row against OHS, two in the playoffs, since the Kowboys beat Lakeland twice in 2007.
Nichols said the Dreadnaughts look about as good as the state-champion 2005 team he coached against as an OHS assistant.
“They’re a pretty talented group. They’ve got the (receiver Javares) McCroy kid back, and the (running back Steward) Butler kid is back from Oviedo. Their quarterback (Tim Evans) is a senior who does a good job in that offense, and their offensive line is big and pretty mobile,” Nichols said. “Spence (OHS defensive coordinator Scott Spencer) said that they might be better than Dr. Phillips offensively.”
Thomas, who played linebacker for the Kowboys until this season, said Lakeland sticks to the same winning formula, no matter who is on the roster.
“They do a lot of zone reads, a lot of jet sweeps,” he said. “They still have (UF recruit) McCroy at receiver. They are always a talented team.”
McCroy twice caught the winning touchdown pass against the Kowboys in games played in 2008 and 2009.
Lakeland beat Davenport Ridge Community, 41-16, last week as Butler ran for four touchdowns.
Nichols believes that OHS senior linebacker Akeem Williams, who has played just once this season, may be back after suffering a bruised kidney against Harmony.
“It’s going to be a challenge. Hopefully, we’ll show up and have enough to get the job done,” Nichols said.
Regardless of the outcome today, if Lakeland beats Jenkins Nov. 5, the Kowboys will reach the playoffs.
 

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