After two weeks off due to a bye and weather delays, the Apopka Blue Darters hit the road Friday night hoping to regain momentum. Instead, they ran into a surging Osceola (6-2) team that wasted no time asserting control. Behind a smothering defense and a dazzling three-touchdown performance from University of South Florida commit Jakyri Watson, the Kowboys rolled past Apopka, 50-7, at Markus Paul Stadium. 

Apopka (1-5) entered the game in good spirits, head coach Marcus Neeson said afterward, but early mistakes quickly shifted the tone. 

“We felt good, we felt like we had the right game plan,” Neeson said. “Then we get out here and we have a false start on the very first play. It’s mental mistakes — little things that are fixable. We just have to lock in and not let the game get away from us.” 

Those small errors proved costly from the start. Apopka opened the game with a pair of penalties, including one that negated a successful fake punt conversion. Forced to kick it away, the Blue Darters gave Osceola a short field, and the Kowboys’ offense didn’t waste the opportunity. 

After a bad snap set the offense back nine yards on its first play, Osceola settled in behind the powerful running of Javontay Barnett. On the third play of the drive, Jakyri Watson, Osceola’s most electric weapon, took a handoff around the left side and sprinted 44 yards untouched for the game’s first score. 

Apopka’s next possession again ended quickly, turning the ball over on downs inside its own territory. Watson, who had lined up at quarterback, faked a handoff and darted left on a zone-read keeper, slipping a tackle and racing 27 yards for his second touchdown in as many drives. 

The first quarter spiraled from there. On the next Apopka punt attempt, a swarm of Kowboys broke through to block the kick, setting up another short field. Three plays later, Barnett punched in Osceola’s third touchdown with a minute left in the quarter.  

Just when it seemed things couldn’t worsen for the Blue Darters, a fumbled exchange on the first play of the next drive bounced directly to Jakai Pratt, who returned it for a defensive touchdown to make it 28-0 before the end of the first. 

Osceola’s defense continued to dominate. The unit racked up three sacks by early in the second quarter and allowed just one Apopka first down in the entire half. Quarterback Amaree Rutland added the Kowboys’ only passing touchdown of the night on his first pass. It was a perfectly executed play-action fake, finding Amir Davis streaking downfield for a 36-yard touchdown and a 34-0 lead with 10:44 left before halftime. 

Apopka finally gained some traction late in the half when TJ Frazier connected with Jaylen Laster for a 14-yard completion, the first Blue Darter first down of the night. But another fumble in the backfield ended the drive and allowed Osceola’s defense to reassert control. Apopka’s defense did manage to string together a series of stops to close the half, forcing three straight negative plays and a punt to keep the score unchanged at the break. 

After halftime, Apopka’s miscues continued. A high snap on an Osceola punt set up the Blue Darters at the Kowboys 25-yard line with their best field position of the night. But on third-and-9, Frazier was hit while scrambling for space, losing the ball again. Pratt scooped it up and chugged 76 yards down the field for his second defensive touchdown of the night, to extend the lead to 41-0 midway through the third quarter and start a running clock. 

Osceola’s defense then added a safety after a bad snap rolled through the end zone on the following Apopka possession. To start the fourth quarter, Watson returned to the field for one final highlight. On a carry from the 20-yard line, he weaved, spun, and broke multiple tackles before diving into the end zone for his third touchdown, a 20-yard run that capped off another dominant night for the USF commit. 

Apopka finally found a spark late in the fourth. Running back Jakyvion Kemp, the team’s leading rusher, broke loose for a 30-yard sprint down the left sideline. On the next play, Cody Owens launched a deep jump ball to Nyzier Collington, who went up over the defender for a 35-yard touchdown. It was the Blue Darters’ lone score of the night and one of their best plays this season. 

“It’s about consistency,” Neeson said. “That touchdown we scored – I called that play three times, and finally, after a water timeout, we executed. My receiver went up and made a great catch. He’s got two touchdowns this year and him being a sophomore, he’s got time to grow and improve. We’ve got a lot of young guys and even a freshman receiver starting, so we’re moving in the right direction as long as we fix the little things.” 

Watson finished with 102 rushing yards and three touchdowns to lead Osceola, while Barnett added 31 rushing yards, 26 receiving yards, and a score. Rutland went 2-for-3 passing for 62 yards and a touchdown. Osceola totaled 192 offensive yards but added 21 more points worth of help from its defense, which forced four turnovers and scored twice. 

Apopka was held to 99 total yards, with Kemp running for 46, Owens completing one pass for a 35-yard touchdown to Collington, and Frazier going 2-for-3 for 20 yards. 

The loss marked Apopka’s second straight defeat and the sixth time this season the Blue Darters have been held under 10 points. They’ll look to regroup next week as they return home for senior night, 7 p.m. Friday to face the reigning state champions of the FHSAA Rural football division, the Madison County Cowboys (3-5).