By: J. Daniel Pearson
Positively Osceola
For the Osceola Kowboys, Friday night’s 27-9 Kickoff Classic loss to Daytona Beach Mainland was less about the final score and more about an early wake-up call as they prepare for the start of the 2026 regular season.
It didn’t take very long for Osceola coach Eric Pinellas to discuss the positives of Friday night’s Kickoff Classic with Daytona Beach Mainland.
“The good? The game didn’t count on our record and our punter was really good,” Pinellas deadpanned after the Kowboys 27-9 loss. “What we saw tonight was an old-fashioned butt whipping. We didn’t play very well on offense or defense. Now we are a young team and we were short on some personnel tonight, but I told our players after the game that cannot be an excuse and that no one on our schedule was going to feel sorry for us.”
It was a comedy of errors in the first half for both teams.
After Javontay Barnett broke off a 30-yard run on the first play of the game, Osceola’s offense sputtered and they were forced to punt. On Mainland’s first possession, two center snaps went over quarterback Patrick Miller’s head – the second rolling through the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Osceola lead.
But Osceola would return the favor on their next possession, fumbling the ball away at midfield. Five plays later Braylin Simmons ran it in from the one for a 6-2 lead. The teams would then trade fumbles, with Osceola getting possession on its own one-yard line. Three plays later, Brayden Buehler was forced to punt from his own end zone and Mainland returned it 13 yards to Osceola’s 30. On the very next play, Miller hit Keith Simmons on a 30-yard scoring pass to make it a 13-2 lead.
The teams combined for three more turnovers in the half and Osceola went into the locker room trailing by 11. Things would not improve in the second half as Miller directed two touchdown drives – hitting Jaden Parks on a 55-yard pass on a fourth and four and adding a five-yard scoring pass Nolan Caliendo as time wound down in the third period to give the Pirates a 27-2 lead.
The Osceola running game, which has been the team’s bread-and-butter for more than two decades, simply could not get on track. After Barnett’s 30-yard run at the beginning of the game, Osceola gained just 58 yards on their next 43 attempts – finishing the game with 88 yards of total offense.
Osceola’s running game was hampered when starting back Barnett was ejected from the game in the second quarter on an unnecessary roughness call on a punt. Because of the ejection, his status is unknown for next week.
“That left us with two sophomores and a freshman in the backfield,” Pinellas said. “But again, no excuses, we’re going to have to grow up in a hurry.”
Osceola finally got on the board midway through the fourth quarter. Dorian Wright Jr. intercepted Miller at midfield and seven plays later Zylin Garrett carried it over from the four on fourth down for the Kowboys lone score of the game.
Buehler, who transferred from Harmony, averaged 40 yards on six punts – including a 53-yarder in the second quarter.
Other Kickoff Classic scores included Gateway over University (42-14), River Ridge defeated Celebration (42-0), Tohopekaliga over Innovation, 21-14. Pine Ridge defeated Nova Lakes, 21-0.
