Osceola County's two teams with new head coaches -- which won their Kickoff Classics last week -- met in our only matchup of in-county teams Friday.
And, after a two-and-a-half hour lightning delay, it was Poinciana getting off to a 1-0 start, beating host Celebration, 34-14.
Eagles' quarterback Cameron Brown accounted for all five PHS touchdowns, throwing for 237 yards and three scores, and rushing for 173 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns of 24 and 76 yards. Will Nezius, who gained PHS' other 12 yards rushing, also had an interception on defense.
"Actually it's not in our plan for me to run like that," Brown said. "But we've got guys around me who can make plays. We showed that tonight."
PHS Coach Tarron Mallard said that while he can point to a few things that need to be cleaned up before next week's matchup at Harmony (who fell 21-3 to Windermere) -- penalties, lapses in defensive containment -- there were improvements from the Kickoff Classic win against Cypress Creek.
"We made some big plays, and it's a matter of discipline, which was better than last week, and as coaches we've got to make sure we keep improving on that week to week," he said. "But Cam ... he's worked so hard since the end of last year and over the summer. I feel good with the ball in his hands. He's made the plays and committed no turnovers for two weeks now. "
Brown made the plays early to stake Poinciana to a 14-0 lead eight minutes into the game. He led a seven play, 75-yard drive ended when Chance Frazier caught a swing pass and sped 45 yards through the Storm secondary to paydirt. And when an interception stopped Celebration's first drive, Brown found Frazier in the end zone again from 8 yards out with 3:35 left in the in the quarter.
With three minutes left in the half, Brown dropped back to pass, rolled out and kept the play alive by scrambling back to the middle of the field -- then kept going for a 24-yard TD run and a 20-0 lead.
Celebration got the ball back and, on 3rd-and-23 following a penalty and a sack, junior Sean Nuzzi got behind the Eagle defense and quarterback Landen Yew hit him on a 94-yard scoring strike, believed to be the longest TD pass in CHS school history (going back to 2003).
But all that did was leave time on the clock for Brown and the Poinciana offense, which went down the field in 2:21, and the senior signal caller hit Javonte Simpson-Lee in the corner of the end zone from 9 yards out as the clock expired.
After the teams traded fourth-down stops to begin the second half, Yew scored on a 1-yard sneak to make it 27-14, then forced a missed field goal and pieced together a drive into the red zone with 3 minutes left. But Jaeden Gerard ended the threat with a diving interception in the end zone, the Brown concluded the clock-bleeding run effort with a 76-yard scamper to the end zone.
While Poinciana travels to Harmony next Friday, Celebration is slated to host Winter Springs, whose game with Pine Ridge was canceled due to the weather.
