It was total team effort to end the careers of many seniors and close out Rich Pringle's first year as a head coach.
The Celebration Storm matched a school record for season wins Wednesday by ending 2021 with a dominant 33-0 win over Freedom in the Celebrate Freedom Veteran's Day Bowl at John Bushey Stadium.
The 7-4 record matches the 2015 team that played in and lost a bowl.
The game was originally scheduled for Friday before the FHSAA balked at playing bowls on the same night as its playoffs, and Osceola County Schools wouldn't allow a game on Veterans Day Thursday.
Seniors had a big night, especially on the defensive side that held the Patriots (6-5) to 112 total yards and just eight through the air. Ted Michel, Matt Ward and Demarray Jones combined for five of the team's eight tackles for loss, and Bruno Neira recovered a fumble.
Pringle said the win was a culmination of what he thought could be a revival season for Storm football.
"Not many teams get to win their last game," he said. "At the start of the year I thought this could be a six-win team. I knew what we had. Nobody else did."
The defense forced four turnovers; Yariel Perez and Brian Cui also recovered fumbles and Lucas Morton-Carlson had an interception. Junior quarterback Foster Searcy threw for 145 yards and three touchdowns.
Celebration was in control from the game's opening possession, an 11-play, 80-yard, four-plus minute drive. Searcy cashed in on a busted pass play that turned into a 16-yard touchdown scamper; he had to break two tackles at the 5 to score. Later in the first quarter, Neira's fumble recovery set up 7-yard Searcy-to-Jones TD toss to make it 13-0.
Late in the second quarter, running back Oniel Senatus motioned to the slot, caught a slant and turned it into a 58-yard TD reception. In the fourth quarter he'd seal another big night (19 carries, 166 yards) with a 60-yard sprint up the middle for his 27th touchdown of the year. He wrapped up 2021 with 1,820 rushing yards.
We've got a legit Division I running back with no offers. That means I've got work to do, he's phenomenal," Pringle said. "Our work starts again the day after Thanksgiving in the weight room, to set a higher bar."
