Both defending state champion Lakeland (1-2) and Osceola (0-3), the team they beat in the 2022 state semifinals, entered Friday night’s game needing a big win. But only Lakeland got it, with a dominating 26-0 win over the Kowboys that made Osceola 0-4 for the first time in at least three decades.
Once again, the Kowboys were playing with one hand tied behind their backs as nearly a dozen starters and key reserves missed the game with various injuries. Osceola was hoping that all-state running back Taevion Swint – who missed the first three games after a pre-season knee injury – would return and give them a spark offensively. But he would end up missing the game after a death in the family.
Coach Eric Pinellas learned this week that Swint’s talented back-up Jeff Sinophant would most likely be gone for the season with a shoulder injury suffered last week against Jones. Backup Zion Mathews also missed the game and Elijah Hixson is still bothered by a hand injury. The end result was the Kowboys managed just 100 yards of total offense in the game.
In fact, Osceola only had just two scoring chances Friday. Trailing 9-0, Notorious Reynolds ripped off a 42-yard run in the first half to the Lakeland 20, only to see the Kowboys fumble the ball away on the next play.
Trailing 26-0 in the third quarter, a high snap sailed over Lakeland punter Calum Muldoon’s head and Osceola’s Jalen Bell recovered on the Lakeland 15. But on the very next play, the Kowboys fumbled again and it would be the last time they would get inside Lakeland territory.
The Dreadnaughts would do all their damage in the first half. After an Osceola fumble recovery on its own one-yard line, Kowboy quarterback Camren West had to recover a high snap on the next play and was tackled in the end zone for a safety. One series later, Markel Johnson scored on a nifty 18-yard run to make it 9-0.
The dagger came midway through the second quarter. After taking over in good field position, West completed a past to Reynolds at the Lakeland 20, but he had the ball knocked loose fighting for extra yardage. Robert Anderson scooped up the loose ball and raced 80 yards for a touchdown and a 16-0 advantage.
Later in the quarter, Muldoon booted a 24-yard field goal and quarterback Zander Smith tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Jamar Taylor in the final seconds of the half as Lakeland built a 26-0.
About 15 years ago, the FHSAA instituted a “Mercy Rule” that calls for a running clock once a team gets ahead by 35 points in the second half. Although the Kowboys -- a long-time juggernaut -- has been on the plus side of the running clock on countless occasions, this was the first time in school history that they would have been in danger of being on the other side of the running clock.
“Let’s just say we were aware of it at halftime,” Pinellas said. “I just told our kids there was nothing the coaches or I could say to change it. I told them they had to focus, play with Kowboy pride and make sure it didn’t happen. Our defense took that to heart and actually played really well in the second half.”
Osceola’s defense, led by Bell (1 QS, 3 TFL, 1 FR) and Daniel Morales (3 QS), took it to heart and recorded five defensive stops after halftime and did not allow a point.
Unfortunately things do not get easier for the Kowboys, who will play state power Rockledge next week. Rockledge is one of seven 2022 playoff teams on Osceola’s schedule.
“They've got a really good defense and a couple of D-1 players on their roster,” Pinellas added. “Hopefully we’ll get some injured players back, but all we can really do is keep coaching and working hard.”
