By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Osceola was in it to win, trailing just 14-13 at halftime, but the Kowboys had no answer for Lakeland running back Steward Butler Thursday in a 5A District 4 football game at Kowboys field.

Butler ran for 196 yards and three touchdowns to propel the Dreadnaughts past Osceola High School, 43-13.

Lakeland, 7-0 and 1-0 in the district, can clinch its third consecutive district championship by beating Lakeland George Jenkins Nov. 5.

Butler turned the game for good on the first play of the second half when he raced 67 yards down the sideline to set up quarterback Tim Evans’ 13-yard TD run on the next play, making it 21-13.

Butler, who scored both Dreadnaught TDs in the first half, added his third on a nine-yard run in the third period when Lakeland expanded its lead to 29-13.

“He’s special. I don’t know if he’s signed with anybody yet, but if not, somebody had better sign him soon,” Osceola Coach Doug Nichols said.

The Kowboys played their best half of the season to start the game, out-gaining the Dreadnaughts 193-158 in the first half. Running backs Frank Thomas, who finished with 15 carries and 113 yards, and Reggie Hall (11-76, 1 TD), found running room.

Cody Ausherman’s 41-yard field goal made it 3-0 Osceola in the first quarter, and after Butler’s first TD put Lakeland up, 7-3, Hall capped a 50-yard drive with a 16-yard run to put Osceola back on top, 10-7.

“We came out fired up and went toe to toe with them in the first half,” Nichols said.

Even after Lakeland regained the lead on Butler’s six-yard TD run, the Kowboys came back with their third good drive of the first half, covering 66 yards capped by Ausherman’s 21-yard field goal with nine seconds left.

But, Butler’s long run to start the second half stunned the Kowboys.

“You can’t put your heads down just because they make a long run,” Nichols told his team after the game. “You’ve got to play through it.”

Lakeland scored twice in the fourth quarter to thwart any potential OHS comeback.

Lakeland, ranked No. 3 in the Class 5A poll, finished with 441 total yards to Osceola’s 266.

The Kowboys had a touchdown called back by a procedure penalty on the game’s last play.

“We’ve just got to keep on moving ahead,” Nichols said.

Osceola plays its last home game of the regular season Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Winter Park, ranked fourth in Class 6A.

In other games Thursday, St. Cloud (4-4) defeated Poinciana (0-7), 40-6, in a 4A District 7 game at Eagle Field. St. Cloud's Melvin Manning returned the opening kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown, and quarterback Phillip Steinmetz threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns. Cole Harvey had TD receptions of 34 and 18 yards. Irving Huggins rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown.

Cypress Creek defeated Gateway (2-5), 16-13, Thursday in a 6A District 6 game at the Ridenour Athletic Complex. Devonte Dobson returned a kickoff 90 yards for the Panthers' touchdown. Felipe Oliveira kicked two field goals for Gateway.