The 100th edition of the annual football game between Osceola and St. Cloud High Schools had a little bit of everything, including a homecoming of sorts for many former players, coaches and cheerleaders. It had dignitaries, public officials, pre-game ceremonies, bands and all the atmosphere one would expect in a game steeped in tradition that only a 100-game rivalry can bring.
About the only thing that was missing in the contest was any type of drama.
Any hopes of St. Cloud had of finally breaking Osceola’s 12-year dominance in the series quickly dissipated as Osceola scored on the third play of their first possession, led 21-0 after one quarter and never looked back in a 49-3 win at Markus Paul Stadium.
Taevion Swint, who missed the first three games of the season with a knee injury and a fourth due to a death in the family, rushed for 163 yards on just 11 carries in the game. He scored on touchdown runs of nine, six and 11 yards and also caught a 31-yard touchdown reception.
Osceola jumped in front early, taking over on St. Cloud’s 42 when the Bulldogs failed to convert a fourth and eight. Alijah Jenkins ripped off a 13-yard run on the first play and Swint covered the final 29 yards on two carries to make it 7-0. Swint’s 31-yard touchdown reception from Camren West made it 14-0 late in the third quarter and the Kowboys ran the score to 21-0 two possessions later on Elijah Hixson’s 9-yard run.
Jalen Bell blocked a punt deep in St. Cloud territory and Swint carried it over from six yards out on the next play to give the Kowboys a four-score lead.
St. Cloud’s offense would finally show some signs of life in the waning moments of the second quarter. Logan King hit Owen Conner on a 45-yard pass and run to set the Bulldogs up at the Osceola 20. But three plays netted just one yard and St. Cloud had to settle for a 36-yard field goal from Adrian Gonzalez.
Swint finished his night with a 58-yard run in the third quarter and two plays later Zion Mathews ran it over from the 2 for a 42-3 lead. The Kowboys would tack on a late touchdown on a pass from West to Javonte Simpson.
“This game was big for us for two reasons,” Osceola coach Eric Pinellas said. “First, this team needed a win and secondly, this was the first game all season where I thought we played hard for all four quarters. We didn’t turn the ball over and with the exception of the two players we lost for the season, we had everybody back and healthy tonight. Hopefully this is a game we can build on.”
Osceola held St. Cloud to 107 yards of total offense, forced three turnovers, held on downs three times, and blocked a punt. Meanwhile, its offense racked up 362 yards – averaging almost 10 yards of play.
St. Cloud Coach Mike Short said two defensive starters sat out the first half for disciplinary reasons, and came away impressed with Osceola up front.
"They were as physical as I anticipated on the offensive and defensive lines," he said. "We started to make some plays at the end of the first half but we didn't take advantage of them."
The win also moved the Kowboys to 1-0 in District 4S-10. Although 1-5 they can still make the playoffs with a win over Celebration in two weeks and a victory against Tohopekaliga on Oct. 27. St. Cloud plays Gateway next Friday at Hickory Tree Park.
Game Notes:
Prior to Gateway opening in 1985, Osceola and St. Cloud were the only two public high schools in the county. The C-31 canal, a waterway linking East Lake Tohopekaliga and Lake Tohopekaliga, was the dividing point in determining which high school students would attend.
Osceola now leads the all-time series 68-28-4. The Kowboys now won on the field the last 13 straight games from 2011-23, since St. Cloud’s last win in 2010 (41-35). The Bulldog victory was forfeited to Osceola later that year due to player eligibility issues. So the official Osceola win streak now stands at 19 games heading into 2024.
St. Cloud’s longest win streak in the series was three games, 1949-51. Osceola’s current 19-game winning streak is the Kowboys longest in the series.
The teams played twice in 1927 and 1931, with no game in 1942 because of World War II; so the 100th anniversary of the game will be in 2025.
Osceola has won the last 13 games by an average of 35 points per game.
