The Osceola Kowboys used four turnovers and big special teams play to set the tone in a big 33-6 win over Daytona Beach Mainland Friday night at Markus Paul Stadium.
In fact, the OHS vaunted rushing attack didn't record a touchdown; David Buggs and Terry Cruz combined to throw for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns as the Kowboys moved to 5-3, with a big district meeting with Tohopekaliga looming next week for an automatic playoff spot and a first-round home game.
"All week we've stressed that we have to win out," OHS Coach Eric Pinellas said. "So this is the most-important game of the season, before the next most-important game of the season. They went out and accepted the challenge, playing the way we can play when we put four quarters of football together."
The defense racked up four sacks, two by Derrick LeBlanc, and three big turnovers, with another on special teams.
Midway through the second quarter leading 3-0 after a 30-yard Devin Calhoun first-quarter field goal, the Kowboys leaned on that defense to short-circuit a Mainland drive and starting building a comfortable lead.
Buccaneers quarterback Demarcus Creecy rolled out, and LeBlanc forced a fumble that sophomore linebacker Robert Lee scooped it off the turf and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 OHS lead, on a play that set the tone for the night.
"I was setting the edge, then I saw Derrick get a hand on the quarterback, and the ball came out," said Lee, who also had a sack and another tackle for loss Friday. "I picked it up, and when I was running I was focused on nobody catching me. Those are the plays we're trying to make, every play. This is Kowboy football should look like, tonight."
Cornerback Jayden Bradford ended Mainland's next drive with an interception he returned 34 yards to the Bucs 27. From there, Osceola went deep in the playbook and pulled out the double-pass; Terry Cruz took a lateral and fired 19 yards to Hayden Dekle in the end zone.
Calhoun added a 29-yarder right before halftime to make it 20-0 at the break, then the Kowboys scored on its first two snaps of the third quarter. Buggs hit Cruz on a pass to the flat that the senior took 74 yards for a score, then Bo Mascoe ran under Calhoun's ensuing pooch kick to give Osceola back the ball. On first down, Buggs threw a jump ball into the end zone that T.J. Massey came down with from 32 yards out to make it 33-0.
Ja'keem Jackson added an interception near the goal line in the fourth quarter. A Mainland score with 6:39 was the only blemish on one of the Kowboys' best four- quarter performances this season.
"It was great to see kids like Terry Cruz making big plays this time of the season," Pinellas said. "We have to make plays in the passing game to take the pressure off Tavion (Swint, who carried 14 times for 86 yards)."
It sets the stage for Osceola's District 4S-10 showdown with Tohopekaliga (5-2), who fell 40-7 to local rival Harmony Friday. The winner walks away with a district championship.
"We've seen some of the things they've done on offense, and we feel pretty comfortable with our defense," Pinellas said. "They're going to have to block LeBlanc, John Walker and Elijah (Palermo, who added a sack) up front, and not everyone's been able to do that."
