By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

If all future Osceola High boys basketball games go as well for the Kowboys as the one Tuesday at the new OHS gym, then the school has a lot to look forward to.

The Kowboys, 4-3, blitzed visiting Liberty from the opening tipoff, forcing more than two dozen turnovers on their way to a 71-49 win that lifted Osceola’s 5A District 5 record to 4-1.

Jedarian Jackson scored 23, including four 3-pointers, while Michael Sanchez and Antonio Benitez each scored 13 for OHS.

About 1,200 attended the game in the new gym, about 400 over the capacity of the old gym.

“I told the guys that they were playing for history. You only play the first game in a new gym once. I told them that what they did tonight will be remembered for 50 years,” Osceola Coach Steve Mason said. “They came in pumped up. They were excited about it.”

Liberty slipped to 4-8 as Jason Bennett scored 15 and Ben Naules added 10 for the Chargers.

“We have talent and we can play with anyone in spurts, but we tend to lose focus, then we get behind and get down on ourselves,” Coach Anthony Crespo said. “It’s something that we have to improve on. You don’t want to let that interfere with the beautiful game of basketball. You want to enjoy it, to embrace it.”

The Chargers were only down by five, 23-18, in the second quarter before the Kowboys put it away with a 16-0 run that carried into the third quarter as Benitez scored seven points. OHS led, 34-18, at the intermission.

“Our pressure got to them. We scored a lot of easy points off turnovers,” Mason said.

The large crowd included many former Kowboys athletic standouts, including T’Sharvan Bell, the Auburn defensive back who will play in the BCS championship game in Arizona Jan. 10.

The Kowboys host Sebring in a district contest today at 7:30 p.m. OHS visits Gateway Friday at 7:30 p.m. for an Orange Belt Conference contest. Liberty hosts rival Poinciana today at 7:30 p.m.

The Panthers, 5-5, defeated St. Cloud, 53-51, Tuesday as Erick Marino had 19 and David Jerome added 17. Jens Soto had 16 for the Bulldogs, 3-5. St. Cloud visits Harmony today at 7 p.m.

Celebration, 5-4, stopped Lake Nona, 55-30, as Mark Pearson scored 20.

Life Academy, 8-2, beat Sonrise Christian, 68-52, as Joran Rosa scored 19.

Monday, Poinciana, 7-1, beat Tavares. 70-44, as Sherwood Vinson scored 14.

New Dimensions, 5-4, beat City of Life, 69-19, as Orlando Vargas had 18.

The Tigers beat 2A-9 foe Lakeland Christian, 83-67, Friday as Xavier Price scored 20.