OSCEOLA 48, MELBOURNE 7: Briefly, it looked like Osceola was in for a tussle Friday night.
Melbourne scored on an 80-yard razzle dazzle trick play on the game's first snap and then forced a turnover on the Kowboys’ first possession to grab a 7-0 lead during the game’s first four minutes.
So much for the Melbourne highlights.
Osceola scored on their next five possessions, added a defensive touchdown and rolled to a 48-7 win over the Bulldogs in the Class 6A, District 5 opener for both teams.
Kowboys running backs had a field day, gaining 302 yards and scoring six touchdowns on just 30 carries. Add in 81 yards passing and Osceola out-gained Melbourne 383-109. Its defense allowed just 29 net yards on 36 plays after the game after giving up the huge play to start the game.
“When a team is overmatched physically you know they are going to resort to trick plays and to their credit, the first one worked,” Osceola coach Eric Pinellas said about Melbourne’s hook and lateral play that went for a touchdown. “But even after we fumbled on our first series, there was no panic, we just went out and did our job.”
Immediately after its fumble, Osceola forced a fumble of its own and took over on the Melbourne 15. One play later, Elijah Hickson ran it in for a 7-7 tie. After a three-and-out, Taevion Swint hit pay dirt from 32 yards out as Osceola took the lead for good.
A stellar defensive play by Elijah Melendez made it 21-7 as the senior linebacker dropped into coverage and made a sensational one-handed interception of Michael Rogers and returned it 24 yards for a score. Melendez then recovered the ensuing squib kick and Jeffrey Sinophat scored on a 17-yard run three plays later.
Sinophant and Hickson added scoring runs of 55 and 27 yards as Osceola pushed the lead to 41-7 at the half.
Taking the second half kickoff, the Kowboys needed just seven plays to move 67 yards and push the lead to 48-7 forcing a running clock for the rest of the game. Swint (7-107) and Sinophat (6-101) each topped the century mark rushing; while Hickson had 52 yards on eight carries. All three had two touchdowns.
Swint has been used sparingly by the Kowboys since a Week 2 injury, But he has still managed to lead Osceola in rushing (427) and touchdowns (6) in the last four games on just 27 carries.
“We have a lot of football left this season and we’re going to need Taevion,” Pinellas said. “Our bye week is falling at a good time for us. Besides Taevion, we have some other players dinged up, so this off-week is going to help us.”
Defensively, Osceola allowed just 28 yards rushing on 18 carries. In addition to six tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and a quarterback sack, they also held Melbourne to four for 19 passing.
Osceola returns to action Oct. 11 when it play on the road against Viera (3-3). A win against the Hawks would give Osceola the District 5 championship and earn the Kowboys a playoff spot.
LAKE NONA 23, ST. CLOUD 10: A pair of second-half fumbles proved costly for St. Cloud Friday, as the Bulldogs dropped a 23-10 decision to Lake Nona.
The game was key in District 7A-10 play, as the Lions (3-2) matched Tohopekaliga's 14-9 win Wednesday over Harmony in the first week of district play.
With the Bulldogs (2-3) trailing 7-3 after Daniel Elizondo's 27-yard field goal got them on the board, Zeus Howard's second-quarter diving interception gave St. Cloud the ball at its own 25. King turned it into points and gave St. Cloud a 10-7 lead. After hitting Gunner Freeman and Alex Springs on 28 and 18-yard completions, King dove in from the 1 with 1:36 left in the first half. But the Bulldogs still had to make a goal-line stop after the Lions drove the field to keep the lead into halftime.
Jaden Taylor picked off a Lane Nona pass to start the third quarter, but that was the extent of the Bulldogs' momentum.
Kendall Kimmons' three-yard touchdown run on Lake Nona's next possession put the Lions on top 14-10, and it stayed that way, into the fourth quarter, when fumbles ended two straight St. Cloud drives, and the Lions turned them into an impressive 45-yard field goal out of a bad hold and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Michael Dove to Joshua Bradley. Dove (19-of-28 passing, 218 yards and 33 yards rushing) completed nine straight passes in the third and fourth quarters).
"They made some great second half adjustments, but we also shot ourselves in the foot too," St. Cloud Coach Mike Short said. "I told the kids it's just one district game and there's two more, and that we literally have to take care of and worry about us right now."
The Lions did as much to stop themselves; they were called for 122 yards in penalties.
The Bulldogs look to regroup next week when they travel to county foe Gateway (3-2).
"Gateway is riding high and they deserve to be," Short said of the Panthers. "It should make for a great game between rivals."
