By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

Oviedo High and their prolific passer, Blake Bortles, may have had a chance against the Osceola Kowboys.

Against the Osceola family, they were powerless.

After a week that saw a top defensive lineman (B.J. Butler, also the leading receiver) suspended for a "team issue" according to Coach Jeff Rolson, and another lineman ("Big" Will Bostic) arrested Friday afternoon on drug sale and delivery charges, a matchup with Bortles, a 2,000 yard passer for the second year, and the high-powered Oviedo (9-2) offense could have looked menacing and hopeless.

Instead, the Kowboys (7-4) turned to a familiar mantra, "Tight Like A Family," closed ranks, and more than kept the UCF-bound senior in check in winning a 34-14, Region 5A-1 quarterfinal game at John Courier Field in Oviedo. The win sets up a rematch against Lakeland (a 41-8 winner over Winter Springs) next week at Bryant Stadium.

Bortles was 14-of-24 for 106 yards, but 66 of it came after Marc Deas returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown  with 9:28 left in the game, and after Rolson started sending in second-team defenders.

Deas, who said it was his first career interception, may have turned the tide earlier in the day. He spoke at an afternoon pep rally at school, and many players were still talking after the game that his speech inspired them.

"I just talked about what football and this season taught me about life," the Georgia-bound senior said. "I wanted to get to the seniors, let them know we're all leaders.

"We were nervous when it started, and that was good, but we got them out on our first drive."

Rolson said the team's difficult schedule (their four losses all came to teams that also won Friday) may have been what helped push past the week's mental difficulties.
 
"These kids are warriors, they proved how mentally tough they are tonight," he said. "They've fought through adversity all year. They played very, very well. Oviedo's a tough, scrappy team, but we had enough speed to take away many of the things they do."

Bortles was  ineffective because he was mostly on the sideline. Osceola got an incredible push all night from its offensive line and kept the chains moving by running the ball 50 times for 350 of its 380 yards. "Little" Will Bostic, brother of the jailed Bostic, led the way with 19 carries for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

"Little" Will said it was a difficult day, but his teammates inspired him.

"I knew I wanted to make a difference," he said. "These are all my brothers and I wanted to fight for them, and I knew I had to give it my all for us to win."

If the Kowboys were distracted, it didn't show in their first two drives. Osceola took the opening kickoff and went 64 yards in seven plays. Bostic took it the last 42 for his first touchdown, and Cody Ausherman's PAT made it 7-0.

The lead was brief, as  Bortles went up the middle 68 yards on a draw to score on Oviedo's first offensive play to tie it. OHS struck back six plays and just over two minutes later, when Bostic again found the end zone from 21 yards out.

The Kowboys kept the ball the last half of the second quarter and stretched the halftime lead to 20-7 when Deas lofted a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Paige with 13.1 seconds remaining.

"That score was really big for us," Rolson said. "It was huge to have that cushion because Oviedo can score so fast."

After a scoreless third quarter, Osceola put the game away during a 22-second span of the fourth quarter. Jarrell Emmanuel scored on a 20-run with 9:28 left, then Deas, at linebacker, picked off Bortles for Osceola's final score.

The Kowboys outgained Oviedo, 380-255. Osceola's defensive line, which on this night consisted of Anthony Gandy, Darvin Daniels, Andrew Burkard and Paige, never sacked Bortles, but it kept him within the pocket. Gandy, another senior, said he didn't feel any different looking down the line and finding guys he wasn't used to playing with on a regular basis.

"We make sure everybody goes hard in practice, because things can happen," he said. "Guys were just stepping up all over the field tonight."