Kowboys look to make it 16 straight and 20 of last 21 on the field
Osceola and St. Cloud will be meeting on the field for the 103rd time on Friday night.
It’s one of the oldest series in the country and fifth most continuous rivalry in the state of Florida.
What is hasn’t been, at least not recently, is competitive. The Kowboys have won the last 15 games (21 in a row if you count a 2010 Bulldog win that was later forfeited due to a player eligibility issue). Many of those games have been by three-plus touchdown routs.
But, with both teams struggling in last week’s Kickoff Classic, is this finally the year that St. Cloud breaks Osceola’s stranglehold?
There is a lot to delve into. On paper, last season’s final score (44-7) looked like the typical dominating series win. But St. Cloud had a 7-0 lead in the second quarter and were driving when a long “pick six” put the brakes on a potential two-score lead at the half.
Even with that play, St. Cloud still led midway through the third quarter when a series of errors and Osceola big plays resulted in 38 unanswered points in the game’s final 16 minutes.
But 2026 brings a new year and a new roster for both teams. May’s graduation hit both teams hard, but St. Cloud returned the greater portion of starters on both sides of the ball – including junior quarterback Jeremiah Lattier – while the Kowboys are breaking in a new signal caller in Jabarri Coombs. That on paper would favor the Bulldogs.
Still, last week’s Kickoff Classic raised more questions than it answered. Osceola was shellacked by Daytona Beach Mainland, 27-9; while East Ridge defeated St. Cloud, 35-6. Neither head coach was particularly happy with the performances but both Osceola coach Eric Pinellas and St. Cloud head man Mike Short were not overly worried about what they saw in the exhibitions.
“One thing about those pre-season games is that nothing is ever as good as sometimes looks and nothing is ever as bad as it sometime looks,” Pinellas said. “Our offensive line struggled but we were playing without a starter. We met with the offensive line and they understand the mistakes are correctable. Defensively, we didn’t get the pressure we wanted on their quarterback. but we were also playing base defenses and not necessarily doing things we can do in the game.”
In St. Cloud’s game, East Ridge opened the contest with a 17-play touchdown drive; while the Bulldogs used up the rest of the quarter with a 15-play drive that stalled on the 3-yard line. For the rest of the game. Short rotated in a lot of inexperienced players, which muddled the picture of what to expect in the regular season.
And while he noted that he never likes to lose any game, Short – like Pinellas – said they played base responsibilities and coverages on both offense and defense.
“Last week has no effect on this week. We wanted to use the game to gain experience and we rotated in 17 players who never played a down of varsity football,” Short said. “Our spirits remain high as our kids are excited to play a great program like Osceola and the challenges and opportunities a game like that presents.”
He added that playing Osceola in Week 1 is good for his program.
“If we pull an upset, it could light a fire under us and carry over for the entire season,” the veteran coach said. “If we lose, we have nine more opportunities to wipe that disappointment away. Either way no team will be judged at the end of the year on what happens in the first week.”
The game in one of three inter-county games in Week 1 as Poinciana travels to Celebration; while Liberty visits Harmony. Tohopekaliga plays the first of four straight road games at Astronaut; while Nova Lakes plays the first game in school history by hosting Palm Bay. Gateway hits a bye week.
Harmony (46-0 vs, Freedom), Poinciana (37-17 vs. Palm Bay) and Tohopekaliga (21-14 vs. Innovation) were all victorious in their Kickoff Classics; as was Gateway, a 42-14 victor over University ahead of a Week 1 bye week. Liberty (3-0 vs. Cypress Creek), Celebration (42-0 vs. River Ridge) and Nova Lakes (28-0 vs. Pine Ridge) all suffered setbacks.
