LITHIA -- Chad Mascoe fired a 30-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Jean Baptiste with 1:31 remaining to the lead the Osceola Kowboys to a 28-21 road win over Newsome in a Region 8A-3 quarterfinal playoff Friday.
The win sent the Kowboys (9-2) into a semifinal rematch with West Orange, which defeated Durant, 55-6. It will be a rematch of a Week 9 district game that the Warriors won, 35-21.
It was not an easy game for the Kowboys, who moved the ball well in the first half but needed a 29-yard touchdown pass from Mascoe to Ja’Keem Jackson on the final play of the first half to take a 13-11 lead into the locker room.
“Really that was a key play to the game,” Osceola Coach Eric Pinellas said. “We liked that matchup all night, as they were trying to cover a 6-2 wide receiver with a 5-foot-6 corner. Still, we only had one shot and Ja’Keem just went up and got it.
Newsome had taken an 8-0 lead in the second quarter on an 11-play, 91-yard drive that was capped by a Jason Albritton 7-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion. Osceola responded with a long touchdown drive of its own, with Ja’Randy Swint scoring on a 6-yard run to make it 8-7.
But after holding on downs, Newsome recovered a muffed punt on the Osceola 10-yard line. That play led to 29-yard field goal by Ryan Eckley as Newsome extended the lead to 11-7. Mascoe would go 4-for-4 passing on the ensuing drive and also rush for 29 yards on the final possession as his scoring strike to Jackson put Osceola up by two at the break.
The third quarter would be all Newsome. On its second possession of the quarter, Albritton ran for 54 yards on six carries as the Wolves drove inside the Kowboys 10. But faced with 4th-and-1 from the 6, Newsome elected to kick and Eckley’s 23-yard field goal gave the Wolves a 14-13 lead. An Osceola punt would pin Newsome deep on the next drive, but Matt Connally slipped behind the Osceola defense and quarterback Christian Bishop hit him in stride for an 84-yard touchdown and a 21-13 lead.
Mascoe would then lead the Kowboys to the tying and-winning drives. It started with an 8-play, 60-yard drive capped by a Taevion Swint 1-yard run. A pass from Mascoe to Jean-Baptiste on the two-point conversion tied the game at 21-21 with 6:54 remaining.
On Newsome’s ensuing possession, Bishop picked up one first down on a 40-yard on a pass to Connally, but Osceola’s defense stiffened and forced a punt. Taking over on its own 6, Mascoe led the Kowboys on a 94-yard drive capped off by Jean-Baptiste’s touchdown grab on a deep post route. Mascoe was stellar again, going 5-for-5 passing on the drive for 71 yards.
“It’s never easy in the playoffs, Chad was unbelievable all night,” Pinellas said. “He moved the pocket and picked up yards with his legs when he had to. I’m proud how we kept our poise and finished those drives in the fourth quarter.”
Still, Newsome had a chance for a tie or even a win. On its next drive, Bishop came up with some magic on 4th-and-13 play, completing to Tanner Easley, who then lateraled it to Connally. The play picked up 34 yards and moved the ball to the Osceola 44.
Bishop would then hit Connally for 11 yards to the 33. But two plays later, junior defensive end John Walker came up with back-to-back sacks to end the game.
“Give them a lot of credit, they never quit and came in with a great game plan,” Pinellas said. “We hurt ourselves with some penalties, but they gave us all we wanted.”
Osceola, which had given up less than 400 total yards rushing all season, allowed more than 180 yards to Newsome, including 145 yards on 23 carries by Albritton. “He’s a fast, strong kid and they run a tough scheme to defense against,” Pinellas added. “He breaks one tackle and he’s hard to bring down in the open field.”
Still the Kowboys offense was good, rolling up 453 yards on total offense. But 12 penalties for 110 yards and a turnover stopped several drives.
“Perhaps the best overall offensive game we have played this year,” Pinellas noted. “They were calling a tight game and penalties hurt us, but we showed a lot of character coming back on the road to win.”
