Manatee ousted by Kissimmee Osceola in first round of Class 8A playoffs

The loud cheering from the visitor stands and sideline was reduced to a whimper.

Manatee High’s bid for an upset over top-seeded Kissimmee Osceola in Friday’s Class 8A-Region 2 playoff opener suddenly vanished as the fourth quarter’s final minutes ticked off the clock.

The unbeaten Kowboys peeled off a 44-16 victory over the Hurricanes in a game that was closer than the final score indicates.

Manatee (5-4) cut a 23-point deficit to seven with 4:14 remaining in the third quarter before Osceola (9-0) struck with the first of two momentum-shifting plays.

A 64-yard run that secured a Kowboys first down for the first time since the first quarter set up a late third-quarter touchdown that stretched Osceola’s lead to 30-16.

“We sat back and waited,” Manatee head coach Yusuf Shakir said. “We weren’t aggressive on that play. When you play a good team, they’ve got great players that do great things.”

On Manatee’s subsequent drive, Chauncey Wilson fumbled at Osceola’s 32-yard line to complete the momentum switch.

Osceola turned that turnover into a touchdown on a long possession, then scored on an interception return to produce the final score.

“You get one opportunity for these things,” Shakir said. “It’s not, ‘Oh, my bad. Let me try again.’ That doesn’t get it. That’s not good enough. You’ve got to have a sense of urgency in everything you do and how you do it every single time.”

But before that quick sequence even occurred, Manatee’s youthful team made a serious run at an upset over the Kowboys, who entered as the fourth-ranked team in 8A.

To get there, the Canes pounced on two Osceola turnovers with Earec Washington and Brandon Dossey recovering fumbles.

Irone Jackson caught a 7-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 23-13.

After the second Osceola fumble, the Canes settled for a field goal after dropping a touchdown pass on third-and-goal.

“Instead of being down seven, you’re only down three,” Shakir said. “That’s a huge, huge difference. Their play calling gets a whole lot tighter when they are on their side of the field and only up three. That’s a big difference, especially with their type of offense.”

Jackson, a freshman, flashed his considerable skills in another solid performance that bodes well for Manatee’s future.

He scored Manatee’s first points on a 30-yard catch-and-run, during which he twisted away from one defender, broke another tackle, darted upfield and spun away from other potential tacklers for a touchdown.

“Irone Jackson is a phenomenal young player for us,” Shakir said.

The comeback bid was needed after a sluggish Manatee start that saw Osceola ahead 2-0 on a safety after a snap went over Manatee’s punter’s head on the opening possession.

“You can’t spot anybody in the playoffs,” Shakir said. “It’s really that simple. There’s 32 teams left. You can’t spot anybody. You just can’t do those things. You’ve got to be detail-oriented in everything that you do.”

Still, Manatee had its chances to turn the game in its favor.

But Osceola’s defensive front sacked Manatee’s Ryan O’Neill several times to stunt momentum.

Now Manatee heads into its first offseason with Shakir, who didn’t take over the program until after spring football earlier this year.

The Canes lose 15 seniors and started many freshmen and sophomores this season.

“From January to August, that’s what determines your season,” Shakir said. “... That’s what you become and that’s who you are. And it all starts in the weight room first. So that’s where we’ll start. And we’re going to start as soon as possible.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2017 at 11:10 PM with the headline "Manatee ousted by Kissimmee Osceola in first round of Class 8A playoffs."