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Kissimmee Osceola Shocks Lakeland

Tania Ganguli/The Orlando Sentinel

Published: November 3, 2007

LAKELAND With 24.4 seconds remaining at Lakeland's 1-yard line, Osceola quarterback T'Sharvan Bell stuck his hand over a pile of approaching defenders and made history.

Bell scored, and Class 5A No. 2 Osceola (9-0, 3-0 5A-District 8) beat No. 1 Lakeland (8-1, 2-1) 25-21 at Bryant Stadium. Lakeland hadn't lost a game since 2003.

The Kowboys broke the longest winning streak in Florida high school football to become 5A-8 champs.

"They were the best team in the state," Gerard "Momo" Thomas said between ecstatic hugs and congratulations. "We are the No. 1 team, that's all we've been talking about."

Osceola's Bubba Brown finished with 140 yards and a touchdown. Bell threw for 112 yards. For three quarters, the inevitable conclusion seemed Lakeland's 54th win on the way to a fourth consecutive state championship.

Osceola struck first with a 15-yard run by Thomas, but Lakeland followed with three unanswered TDs. In the third quarter, Osceola's offense struggled, losing yards on both of its third-quarter drives.

But on the second play of the fourth quarter, Brown scored a 35-yard touchdown to put the Kowboys within eight. Lakeland nearly struck back on the ensuing drive. Running back T.K. Lamb fumbled as he ran into the end zone.

"He was going in the end zone and he thought he had it so he put the ball out there," Thomas said. "I just snatched it."

Bell tossed a touchdown pass to Brandon Burden on the next drive to make the score 21-19. Osceola's defense produced a three-and-out stop with two minutes remaining in the game to set up a history-making touchdown drive.

Lakeland coach Bill Castle addressed his stunned team, none of whom had lost a game. "Blame it on me," Castle said. "Blame it on me."

"It ain't your fault, Coach, it ain't your fault," said Deonate' Gary, a junior defensive lineman with tears rolling down each cheek.

Most of the team cried. And while the Kowboys' fans danced around gleefully, Brown was quiet. "All I said was, 'I love you guys,'" Brown said. "We were trying to prove something to ourselves."

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