By: J. Daniel Pearson
Positively Osceola
With strong finishes last week by both teams, the Tohopekaliga Tigers (5-5) will host the Gateway Panthers (5-5) in a Bowl Game scheduled for Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds from the game will benefit the athletic programs at both schools.
“These games are hard to put together on short notice, but I think our kids deserve a chance to play for a sixth win,” Panther coach Marlin Roberts said. The Panthers closed out their regular season Friday with a 33-15 win over Celebration, their first non-losing season since 2018 and just two years removed from an 0-10 record.
Tohopekaliga displayed some grit, overcoming a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to record a 30-28 road win over Avon Park. “It’s been a remarkable year really,” Coach Anthony Paradiso said. “We were in total rebuild mode this year and played a tougher schedule than we did last season and have a chance now to match last year’s win total. Very proud of what our players and coaches accomplished this year.”
