It was a tale of two halves Thursday night at Lake Nona High School where the Osceola Kowboys traveled to take on the Lions. After an unexciting first half that ended in a 7-7 tie, the Kowboys came out ready to play the two remaining quarters and sealed the deal with a 34-7 win on the road as they set their eyes on Vero for the first round of FHSAA playoffs.
Lake Nona struck first inside the 3-minute mark after recovering a fumble with a 4 yard run by Nona running back Elijah McMillan in the first quarter.
That’s how it stayed until the 2nd quarter when Kowboy Ja’Keem Jackson scored on a 26-yard pass under double coverage from Osceola QB Chad Mascoe, and that’s how they went into halftime, tied at 7.
Positively Osceola digital sports reporter Cole Harvey asked Kowboy Coach Doug Nichols what he said to his club during halftime, “I told them it was time to play football. They came out flat and unenthused, and they went through the motions in the first half. We were lucky to be tied at the half, but they got a little fire under them for the 2nd half.”
The Kowboys ended the tie when Swint scored on a 12-yard touchdown run out of the shotgun early in the third quarter to take the lead 14-7 lead.
Swint did it again five yards out to up the lead to 21-7 with a little more than 11 minutes to go in the 4th quarter. Kowboy QB Chad Mascoe took one in himself with 8 left in the game, bringing some much-needed peace to Coach Doug Nichols and his Kowboys.
With just over 6 minutes left in the game Junior running back #3 Blake Birchler ran big for 54 yards and sealed the deal at 34-7.
Osceola will take on Vero Beach next week in Vero.
