The high school
football season gets underway with a Friday night lineup of preseason kickoff classics, including Kissimmee Osceola’s 21-3 victory over defending Class 8A state champion Dr. Phillips.
Osceola’s Jacob McKenney (44) takes down Dr. Phillips QB Canaan Mobley in the Kowboys’ 21-3 victory over the 2017 state champ Panthers in a preseason Kickoff Classic game on Friday.
KISSIMMEE — It went down as expected Friday night when two of the top programs in the area tangled in a preseason football Kickoff Classic in Kissimmee.
Strong efforts defensively by Osceola and Class 8A defending state champion Dr. Phillips countered much of what could be done by the offenses, which have turned to new contributors after losing so many starters from a year ago.
Osceola’s Davon Wells tossed a touchdown pass and ran for another in a 21-3 win at the newly-built stadium at Austin-Tindall Sports Complex.
“I’m going to beg them to let us come back here and play again next year,” Osceola coach Doug Nichols said. “Just to see the look in the kid’s eyes when they pulled in on the bus and seen all of this, they were so excited. It was an awesome night. We’re very fortunate to be able to play here.”
Osceola took a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter when Wells rolled to his left, stopped to reset himself, and threw a 17-yard pass over the middle to DeWayne McGee in the back of the end zone.
Wells also rushed for an 11-yard score in the fourth quarter as one of eight players to get the chance to run behind the Kowboys’ massive offensive line.
“We had a couple slips up here and there, but that’s the beauty about it, it’s a preseason game and we can look back on this and work on it,” said Osceola senior lineman Nash Nelson.
The Kowboys managed to amass more than 225 yards against the defending state champs but turned the ball over three times and missed a field goal after being stopped while inside the red zone.
Dr. Phillips was largely held in check by Osceola’s staunch defense due to multiple big plays by the likes of Mario Kendricks, Jacob McKenney, Najah Sylvester and Boris Espinosa.
Senior Jaquarri Powell made the first of his two fumble recoveries on muffed punts to put the Panthers in scoring position in the first quarter. Riley Stephens then booted a 32-yard field goal for the first-ever points in the new stadium.
Dylan Ruiz recorded a sack and forced a fumble in the fourth, which was recovered by Bryce Barrett, to set up an 11-yard TD run by Rashaun Dudley with seven minutes to play.