Seminoles fast start dooms Mustangs

By STEVE KNOX

Sports Connection Team

HOXIE - On a rainy and windy night at Crider Field, Osceola would get off to a fast start, scoring nine points in the first 23 seconds of the game and would go on to post a 44-7 victory over the Mustangs in the Conference 3-3A opener for both teams.

MJ Washington

Hoxie would win the coin toss and elect to receive as Osceola’s Jeremiah McGowan’s kick off would go for a touchback. However, things would swing Osceola’s way from the start as the center snap sailed over Mustang quarterback Dillon Guthrie’s head, into the end zone. Guthrie covered the ball for an Osceola safety with 11:51 to play in the opening quarter.

Hoxie would catch Osceola napping on the free kick and the Mustangs would recover the ball at their own 40 yard line, but on the first play from scrimmage, Osceola’s MJ Washington would take the ball away from Mustang running back Prechton Wilkerson and race 40 yards for a Seminole touchdown. The first of three successful McGowan point after kicks gave Osceola a 9-0 advantage 23 seconds into the game.

Hoxie would pick up a first down courtesy of a Seminole penalty on its next possession, however the Mustangs would turn the ball over on downs four plays later when Guthrie was stopped short of the line to gain on a run. Osceola would take over the ball at the Mustangs 40 yard line with 8:09 left in the first period.

Jeremiah Jacobs

It would take the Seminoles only three plays to get back in the end zone as Washington, starting at quarterback would miss on a first down pass. Jeremiah Jacobs then rambled for seven yards to the Hoxie 33 yard line. Washington then called his own number on a third and three play and raced untouched to the end zone for a Seminole touchdown and Osceola led 16-0 with 7:23 remaining in the quarter.

Hoxie would get excellent field position on the ensuing kickoff as a 32 yard return gave them the ball at their own 47 yard line. The Osceola defense would stand tall and force three consecutive negative yardage plays and force a Mustang punt on a fourth and 20.

Osceola would take over at their own 42 yard line and Washington would once again call his own number and rumble 58 yards for an apparent Osceola score. However, a chop block penalty would negate the score and Osceola would have the ball at their own 40 yard line. On that play Jacobs would run around the left side and take the ball all the way to the Mustangs’ 12 yard line. On the next snap, Osceola’s Zaden Buchanan would pick up five yards to the Hoxie seven yard line. With Bell at quarterback, Osceola would score on a play which saw a fumbled snap, but the athletic Seminole signal caller would race around the right side and make his way into the end zone to make it 22-0 Seminoles with 3:20 to play in the period.

Hoxie would fair catch the ensuing kickoff at its own 27 yard line and begin a slow march into Seminole territory as Guthrie picked up a first down on a 5 yard run to the Mustang 41 yard line. Wilkerson then rambled for 10 yards and a first down at the Osceola 49 yard line. Three plays later, Guthrie’s fourth down pass went to Evan Householder for 10 yards and a first down at the Osceola 34 yard line. Two more Wilkerson runs gave the Mustangs a first down at the Seminoles 18 yard line. However, once again, the Seminole defense would not back down as the next three Hoxie plays all went for negative yardage. Then the Mustangs fourth down pass would fall incomplete and turned the ball back to Osceola with 8 minutes to play in the first half.

Taking over at their own 27 yard line, Osceola immediately moved the ball into Mustang territory as Aiden Haymon raced 25 yards on an end around to the Hoxie 48 yard line. Two plays later Bell found AJ Brown for nine yards to the Mustangs 41 yard line. However a fumbled snap by Bell would lose four yards back to the 45 yard line. A Bell run would pick up nine yards on fourth down and give Osceola a first down at the Mustangs 36 yard line. However, Osceola would turn the ball over on downs with 4:12 left in the half when Bell’s fourth down pass fell incomplete.

Following a Hoxie punt, Osceola would take over at their own 32 yard line with 1:29 to play in the half. Two short pass completions by Bell and a 14 yard run by Haymon would give the Seminoles a first down at the Mustangs 48 yard line. Two plays later, Bell found Brown for 10 yards to the Mustangs 30 yard line with 7 seconds remaining in the half.

Osceola would get the ball in the end zone on the final play of the half as Washington found Bell on a pass into the end zone to give the Seminoles a 29-0 advantage at the break.

The teams would trade punts to begin the third period of play. Osceola would turn the ball over on downs on its next possession at their own 37 yard line with 5:44 to play in the period. The Mustangs would take advantage of the opportunity and drive distance in seven plays as Wilkerson scored on a 1-yard line and the point after was true and Osceola’s lead was trimmed to 29-7 with 1:01 left in the quarter.

Hoxie’s kick off would go out of bounds and Osceola would take over at its own 35 yard line. A Buchanan 4-yard run and another 25 yard scamper by Haymon would move the ball to the Hoxie 36 yard line as the third quarter ended.

Osceola’s Bell would score on the first play of the fourth quarter on a 36 yard run to make it 36-7 with 11:51 remaining in the game.

Osceola would force a Mustangs punt with 9:42 left and would take over at their own 46 yard line. On the next play, the Seminoles Washington would race 53 yards around the left side but would be tripped up inches short of the goal line. Following a Seminole offside penalty, Harris Manning would pick up 2 yards and then Washington would run four yards for a Seminole touchdown to make it 42-7. Bell then hit Washington on the two-point pass with 7:55 to play making it 44-7 and putting the “sportsmanship clock” in motion.

The Mustangs would turn the ball over on downs minutes later and Osceola would take a knee twice before the game clock hit triple zeros.

Osceola (2-1, 1-0 in Conference 3-3A) dominated the statistics in the game as they rolled up a total of 381 total yards with 277 yards rushing and 104 through the air.

Washington led Osceola on the ground with 98 yards on five rushes and two scores. Jacobs had 71 yards on six carries. Haymon had 67 yards on four rushes, while Bell added 55 yards on nine attempts and Buchanan had nine yards on two totes of the football. Bell and Washington combined to go 9 of 13 through the air for a score.

Washington also had a defensive score returning a Mustang fumble 40 yards for six points.

Hoxie (1-3, 0-1) had 93 total yards with Wilkerson picking up 74 on 28 carries. Guthrie was held to 9 yards on 15 carries. Guthrie was 1 of 3 through the air for 10 yards. Householder had the Mustangs only catch.

What’s next: Hoxie will host winless Manila (0-4, 0-1) Friday, while Osceola will face Walnut Ridge (4-0, 1-0) in its home opener which will also be the Seminoles annual homecoming game.