Osceola senior Javontay Barnett was forced into starting at quarterback due to a multitude of Kowboys injuries in their 16-13 loss at Bartow Friday. His inexperience didn’t show.
“I actually was nervous. I had to get past it,” Barnett said. “After the first snap, I was like, I know I got this. I just have to do whatever to help my team win.”
Barnett connected with Toreyan Gibson for a 45-yard touchdown pass with 8:01 left in the fourth quarter to close the Kowboys (3-7, 1-4 Class 5A-6) gap to three points. Late in the quarter, he led the Kowboys within field goal range, but questionable penalties pushed Osceola back to their side of the field.
The game didn’t start well for the Kowboys when Bartow’s Amire Hall connected with Jakobie Terry on the first play of the game for a gain of 79 yards. The Yellow Jackets’ Kenyon Helms ran it in from the one-yard line on the next play to put the Yellow Jackets up 7-0. On the ensuing possession, Bartow recovered a fumble at its 4-yard line.
Osceola got on the board thanks to its defense and special teams. Cornerback Andre Dauphin interception while Hall was about to get sacked set up Brayden Buehler’s 53-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-3. Late in the second half, the Yellow Jackets’ Hall led his team down the field, scoring on a 1-yard keeper.
Buehler started the Kowboys second half scoring with another long connection, a 47-yarder to cut the deficit to 13-6 late in the third quarter, but Bartow kicker Emilio Damien answered a 31-yarder field goal to push the Bartow lead back up to 10 late in the third quarter.
Barnett returned a punt 49 yards, had 51 rushing yards on five carries, and was 7-for-12 passing for 116 yards with the touchdown to Gibson.
“I was proud of the fact that we took a kid who has never played the position of quarterback, and he came out and played his butt off for us,” Osceola head coach Eric Pinellas said. “I was proud of the fact that you could see that our offensive line, who have struggled all year, has started to get a little bit better each week.”
The Kowboys will have two weeks off before the playoffs start Nov. 6. Thanks to their rigorous schedule — and how the MaxPreps ratings value that, the Kowboys most likely will not only make the playoffs, but have a chance to host a Region 5A-2 first-round matchup.
Barnett said he sees an improvement in attitude from his teammates that will help in the playoffs.
“Early in the season, I think we were kind of too big headed,” Barnett said. “Now we see, we can't be big headed.”
Buehler, who was hoping to have the opportunity to kick a game-tying field goal, said the expectation of the Kowboys are to make the playoffs every year. He sees the team improving each week.
“Our offense has improved a lot,” Buehler said. “Osceola goes to playoffs every year. They have been to the State Championship more times than you can count on my hands.”
Pinellas noted that due to injuries there were several sophomores and freshman on the field that weren’t expected to play this season.
“A lot of these kids weren't going to be kids that we depended on, but with injuries we needed them to step up,” Pinellas said, noting Gibson, a freshman, caught three passes for 82 yards and a touchdown and carried the ball nine times for 64 yards. “I'm proud of the fact that they're learning how to play the game of football.”
Before Friday night’s games, Lakeland (7-1) was the top Class 5A, Region 2 team according to the MaxPreps rankings. However, Lakeland is also the overall No. 9 ranked football team in Florida. The top eight teams across all classifications will play for the Open Division Championship. Following Lakeland in Region 2 are Sebring (2nd), Osceola (3rd), Oviedo (4th), Gaither (5th), Lake Gibson (6th), and Melbourne (7th). Wiregrass Ranch will leapfrog other teams, including Bartow at this time, with a district title and automatically qualify.
“I’ve encouraged my coaches and players to not look at the ranking,” Bartow coach Grady Morrell, said of his teams poor ranking despite winning six games compared to Osceola’s three. “The chips will fall where they fall. All we can do is play.”
Bartow plays Lake Wales next week.
Pinellas acknowledged his team’s strength of schedule, one that’s often tough to put together thanks to the Kowboys’ reputation, has helped the playoff cause.
“I say we play by the rules, and we go by what the rankings say, and we look at it from that perspective,” Pinellas said. “We're in, we're in, if we're not, we're not. It is what it is.”
