Mainland 27, Osceola 9
Few things went right for Osceola Friday night, as they lost a one-sided decision to Daytona Beach Mainland, 27-9, in its Kickoff Classic and will face several questions this week as they get ready for rival St. Cloud in next week’s season opener.
Osceola will most likely enter that game without the services of starting guard William Niell (concussion protocol) and could be without running back Javontay Barnett, who was ejected in the second quarter after a skirmish on a punt play.
Whether Barnett was in the game or not, Osceola struggled to move the ball offensively against the Buccaneers . It’s running game, a Kowboys strong point for decades, simply could not get on track. Barnett broke off a 30-yard run on the game first play, but the Kowboys could only net minus-6 yards on their next 26 carries to finish the half with 24 yards on 27 attempts. They gained just 88 yards of total offense in the game.
“It was a combination of factors, our offensive line was allowing penetration, our backs missed some holes, we just didn’t play very well,” Pinellas said. “It was a total butt-kicking. Although we finished the game with two sophomores and a freshman running the ball, I told our guys youth was not an excuse. No one on our schedule is going to feel sorry for us.”
Despite making their own mistakes in the first half, that included two errant center snaps that resulted in a safety and three turnovers of their own, Mainland led 13-2 at the half on the strength of a 1-yard touchdown run by Braylin Simmons and a 30-yard scoring pass from Patrick Miller to Keith Simmons.
Mainland put the game away on their first possession of the third quarter as Miller hit Jayden Parks – who eluded two tacklers and raced 55-yards into the end zone on a fourth down play. Miller adde a short scoring pass to Nolan Caliendo later in the third to cap their scoring.
Osceola’s lone bright spot offensively was sophomore Zylin Garrett’s four-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter. Brayden Buehler, a transfer from Harmony, averaged just under 40 yards on six punts.
~J. Daniel Pearson
Tohopekaliga 21, Innovation 14
A Toho group that lost 28 seniors was down 14-0 in the first quarter to the visiting Bulls. But after that wake-up call, the Tigers, well, woke up.
Junior quarterback Gabriel Velez, in his first start, and the first one after the four-year career of record-torcher Sabby Meassick, threw touchdown passes to A.J. Wise, Zion Williams and Tayshaun Dillard to erase the deficit and get the win, after the defense forced an Innovation incompletion on fourth-and-goal from the 7 with two minutes left.
Velez completed his first eight passes and finished the night, and his first start, 23-for-31 for 195 and an interception to go with his three scores.
"He competed, and the kids played disciplined," THS Coach Anthony Paradiso said. "It was a bunch of young guys who came together over four quarters. There's a lot to be better at but we've got a great group of coaches to help us do that."
In the second quarter, after rallying from one of their few mistakes, a holding call that wiped out a first down, Velez — wearing Meassick's No. 8 — hit Wise on third-and-10 across the middle, and the senior sped through the Innovation secondary for a 50-yard scoring strike that made it 14-7 after Denari Kaza-Tony added the extra point. Wise tallied 91 yards on six catches.
The Tigers took the second-half kickoff and marched 75 yards in 12 plays for the tying score. On fourth-and-goal from the 4, offensive coordinator Michael Barulich dialed up a perfect middle screen, and Velez tossed to Williams who crossed the goal line virtually untouched.
The defense made the key plays in the fourth quarter. With a tied score Tremain Jones-Felix snared an interception and returned it into Bulls territory. It set up Velez's winning TD pass to Dillard, who was streaking down the left sideline, for a 27-yard score with 9:34 left.
Innovation took the ball and marched into Tiger territory, then the red zone, then to the 5-yard line where it had first-and-goal. But three running plays pushed the Bulls back two yards, then Nykyrian Simms swatted away a fourth-down pass in the end zone.
Then with 2:04 the Tigers dialed up a run game. Velez scrambled for a first down on second down, then Hector Saenz (16 carries, 91 yards) picked up another to ice the win.
Tohopekaliga starts a binge of road games to begin the season next week at Titusville Astronaut. The Tigers are home next on Sept. 25 against Harmony.
~Ken Jackson
Other scores from Kickoff Classic Week:
Thursday
Pine Ridge 28, Nova Lakes 0
Friday
River Ridge 42, Celebration 0
Gateway 42, University 14
Cypress Creek 3, Liberty 0
Poinciana 37, Palm Bay 13
East Ridge 35, St. Cloud 6
Harmony 46, Freedom 0
