Positively Osceola News Today, Osceola County's Leading and Trusted Source for News!

Say ‘I Boo’ with a Halloween Wedding “Scare-amony” at the Osceola County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office

Mecum, World’s Largest Collector Car Auction Returns to Kissimmee January 4-15 with 4,000 Cars

Let your voice be heard, National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, Sept. 20

CFX announces road and ramp closures on SR 417 Sunday through Thursday

Osceola County Clerk of the Court & Comptroller Kelvin Soto Publishes “Osceola On the Rise” County Financial Report

ON DEMAND LIVESTREAMS

In the Loop LIVE with Krissi Hardy!

August 27th, 2022

Daybreak LIVE with

Bri Stefek of Osceola Arts

August 26th, 2022

Help Now of Osceola’s 13th Annual DV Rally, Awareness Walk & Candlelight Vigil

August 20th, 2022

Business Spotlight:

The Lavender Patch - St Cloud

August 19th, 2022

Creative Inspiration Journey School is enrolling for the school year!

August 18th, 2022

IN & AROUND OSCEOLA

Origin’s New Shepard RocketNeoCity Academy

Business Spotlight with Little Peanut Academy Preschool

with Chairman Brandon Arrington, about Osceola’s $500,000 dollar check to Liberty High School

Business Spotlight with Jeffery from St. Cloud Liquidation

High School Head Coach

Beeken shares his thoughts following Poinciana’s

win over Labelle

VIDEOS ON DEMAND

Viva Osceola - Kissimmee

The Osceola Chamber está invitando a la comunidad al trigésimo año del principal festival latino del condado de Osceola que ofrece entretenimiento, comida, diversión y juegos para toda la familia, ¡ Viva Osceola ! Este evento será el sábado 8 de octubre de 11:00 am a 6:00 pm en Kissimmee Lakefront Park.

Country Thunder Florida

Buckle up country music fans, Country Thunder Florida is returning to Osceola County’s hottest venue, Osceola Heritage Park, October 21st through the 23rd. The 2022 edition of the south-east’s most kickin’ country music festival will feature performances from Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, Chris Young, and many more.

Fandom Kissimmee is BACK on September 17th

On September 17th, Fandom Kissimmee is BACK at the Kissimmee Civic Center. From 11:00am to 5:00pm, transport to a world where your favorite characters from comic books, TV, film, and games come alive. There will also be panel discussions and demonstrations from comic industry professionals. Admission to Fandom Kissimmee is free, so bring the whole family!

Make a Positive Difference

Would you like to make a difference in our students’ lives by becoming a teacher? The Osceola County School District, FL, USA - Human Resources is providing a virtual information session outlining the steps to becoming certified to teach in Florida on Wednesday, September 21st at 3:30pm.

American Sign Language for Beginners from the Osceola Library

Beginning Monday, September 12th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, you can learn the basic skills required to begin communicating with Deaf and Hard of Hearing people in your community at the Osceola Library System’s St. Cloud Library. Taught by Deaf instructors; students will learn to carry on an everyday conversation with Deaf individuals.

Say ‘I Boo’ with a Halloween Wedding “Scare-amony” at the Osceola County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office

If you’ve been thinking of saying “I boo” and still haven’t decided where the “scareamony” will be, how about making that special moment happen at the office of Kelvin Soto, Esq. Osceola Clerk of the Circuit Court & County Comptroller Office?

The Osceola Clerk of the Circuit Court & County Comptroller Office will host a Spooky Celebration of love & marriage at their Halloween Group Wedding Ceremony & Reception on October 31st, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. in English at 2:00 p.m. in Spanish.

Registration is first come, first serve for up to 15 couples and will be open from Monday, September 19th, 2022 – Thursday, October 27th, 2022. Couples must purchase their marriage license from the Osceola County Clerk of Circuit Court. See the information listed above for details regarding marriage licenses.

Make an appointment to apply for your marriage license: Wizard Appointment -Service (osceolaclerk.com)

Two additional guests per party are permitted. Children under 12 must be supervised by a non-marrying adult.

Couples will be married in a secular, group ceremony by a Deputy Clerk in the trial area of the Courtroom of the Historic Courthouse. Guests will be seated in the benches. Detailed instructions on ceremony flow will be provided during check-in on the day-of the wedding.

Mecum, World’s Largest Collector Car Auction Returns to Kissimmee January 4-15 with 4,000 Cars

With a projected 4,000 vehicle consignments to be offered at the annual live auction event at Osceola Heritage Park in Florida, Mecum Kissimmee 2023, the world’s largest collector car auction, will feature a broad selection of American muscle cars, classics, Corvettes, exotics, trucks, Hot Rods, customs and more to cross the auction block Jan. 4-15.

The 2023 auction lineup is building momentum right out of the gates with The Chuck Cocoma Judge & GTO Ram Air IV Collection joining the roster to kick things off with serious muscle power.

The collection is led by an exceedingly rare Orbit Orange 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air IV Convertible and includes a total of six Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air IVs from the 1969 and 1970 model years among the nine lots that make up the rare muscle-car collection. Also present are a pair of 1970 Pontiac GTO Ram Air IVs and a 1969 Pontiac GTO Ram Air IV. The Ram Air IV option was only offered in 1969 and 1970 and today stands as one of the rarest variations of what is often referred to as the very first muscle car: Pontiac’s venerable GTO.

“Nobody has ever had nine Ram Air IVs in one place at one time and owned all nine,” collector Chuck Cocoma stated. “The most I’ve seen with another collection was two. They’re rare cars.”

City of Kissimmee Swears-In Two New City Commissioners

The City of Kissimmee hosted a swearing-in ceremony for Commissioner Angela Eady (Seat 2) and Commissioner Janette Martinez (Seat 4), to the City Commission on Tuesday during a City Commission meeting held at Kissimmee City Hall.

Commissioner Angela Eady is a lifelong resident of Osceola County and has been a champion of affordable healthcare, enhanced education opportunities, and advocates for high-paying jobs in Kissimmee. Eady has been in public service for most of her adult life, having served in the Kissimmee City Commission from 2016 to 2020. She also served in the Osceola Planning Commission, the Osceola Charter Review Committee, the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Caribbean and Floridian Association, Inc. (CAFA).

Commissioner Janette Martinez, a community leader and activist, was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Naguabo, Puerto Rico. Commissioner Martinez has always been involved in her community and has volunteered for numerous non-profits focusing on helping her community as the population continues to grow. Some include but are not limited to: Center of Open Hands Ministry, “Hogar Refugio y Restauración”, “Familias Unidas Por Una Causa,” among others. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Full Sail University. Martinez has been a proud resident of Osceola County for over ten years with her husband, Jose, and four children.

Let your voice be heard, National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday,

On Tuesday, Sept. 20, Americans will celebrate National Voter Registration Day with a crosscountry effort to register voters ahead of the midterm elections.

Representatives from the Osceola County Supervisor of Elections Office will be stationed at three locations around the county to conduct voter registration.

Those locations include:

• Kissimmee City Hall, 101 Church St, Kissimmee, FL 34741

• Saint Cloud City Hall, 1300 9th St, St Cloud, FL 34769

• Administration Building, 1 Courthouse Square, Kissimmee, FL 34741

Representative Kristen Arrington, announced this week that a project she sponsored was approved through the Local Support Grant program.

This project provides $108,000 to the Osceola County’s Historic Courthouse in Kissimmee. The 132-year-old Osceola County Historic Courthouse requires inspection and analysis by a preservation architect. This analysis will detail the current condition of historic brick, glass, and wood, and prescribe a scope of work for preservation. Preserving this historic building is of regional significance, as it is the oldest operating courthouse in the state, and listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. According to the Florida House of Representatives, during the Fiscal Year, 2022-2023 General Appropriations Act for Local Support Grants Program enabled members of the Legislature to request nonrecurring funding for local governments, education entities, or privately-operated programs to support local initiatives.

417

The Central Florida Expressway Authority has announced that the following road and ramp closures will take place beginning Sunday night in connection with State Road 417 Capacity Improvements project. See below for details:

• Sunday, September 18, from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m.: Southbound SR 417 from Moss Park Road to Narcoossee Road, for bridge work. Drivers will be directed to exit at Moss Park Road (Exit 23) and take Narcoossee Road back to southbound SR 417.

$7 million available to Osceola Residents for Emergency Rental Assistance

The Osceola County Emergency Rental Assistance program will begin accepting applications on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022.

There is approximately $7 million available in the income-based program aimed at helping Osceola County’s most vulnerable tenants. It provides financial assistance to those who are past-due on their rent because of financial hardships caused by or during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistance is available for 1- 18 months or until all funding has been expended. Eligibility rules will apply. PreApplications are available at http://housing.osceola.org. Programs Applicants must comply with the following:

• 80 percent or below area median income for the household

• Osceola County resident

• Eligible financial hardship during or due, directly, or indirectly to COVID19

KUA’s FREE Movie in the Park Series to kick off with ‘Spiderman: No Way Home’ Friday October 7

Kissimmee Utility Authority will kick off its 2022-2023 Movie in the Park series on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, at Kissimmee Lakefront Park.

The event will feature free admission, free popcorn, contests, prize giveaways, and the showing of Spiderman: No Way Home on a 50foot screen!

Activities begin at 5:30 pm and the movie at sunset. Bring your blankets or lawn chairs and a picnic-style dinner! The movie series is a partnership between KUA and the City of Kissimmee.

Founded in 1901, KUA is Florida’s sixth-largest community-owned utility powering 84,000 customers in Osceola County, Florida. For more information, visit www.kua.com.

FWC

BearWise

With autumn approaching, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds residents and visitors that our state’s black bears are more active in search for food. You can help prevent negative interactions with bears and other wildlife by securing garbage, removing food attractants, and following other BearWise® practices.

During the fall, bears start consuming more calories to pack on fat reserves for the winter, even if they are not hibernating as they do in colder climates. Any accessible food source, such as unsecured garbage, pet food or bird seed, can be enticing to a hungry bear preparing for the winter, potentially drawing them into conflict with people.

“Adult bears need to take in approximately 20,000 calories a day during the fall,” said the FWC’s Bear Management Program Coordinator, David Telesco. “If given the opportunity, bears will take advantage of easy meals from things including unsecured trash cans and bird feeders. However, if bears don’t find a food source in a neighborhood, they’ll move on.”

For more Positively Osceola, visit our Social Media & Website!

Blue Origin rocket malfunctions, triggers dramatic abort for New Shepard capsule,

Students’

NeoCity Academy in Kissimmee was filled with excitement, hope, and high expectations on Monday morning as students, teachers, and school admins came together for a “watch party” for Blue Origin’s 23rd launch of its New Shepherd rocket. That after a week of previous launch attempts by Blue Origin in Texas that ended in scrubs because of unacceptable weather conditions.

aboard

The launch, entitled NS-23, was different then others on Jeff Bezos’ New Shepherd rocket. There were no humans were aboard. Instead, the capsule was filled with over 24 experiments, one of those experiments being a three-minute experiment into microgravity to test the effects of gravity on ultrasonic sound waves developed by 7 students from NeoCity Academy.

Governor

Governor Ron DeSantis met with first responders on Monday to deliver $1,000 bonuses that reward our first responders and recognize them for their dedicated public service. These recognition payments were a part of the Freedom First Budget signed by the Governor earlier this year, in addition to historic legislation that supports Florida’s law enforcement and first responders.

recipients of the first responder recognition bonus payments are police officers, sheriff’s deputies, paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and firefighters employed by local governments throughout the state.

KUA Seeks Student Art Entries for 2023 Calendar of Electrical Safety

Kissimmee Utility Authority invites Osceola County students to showcase their artistic expression to promote electrical safety in the utility’s 29th Annual Calendar Art Contest.

The annual contest is open to Osceola County students enrolled in Kindergarten through fifth grade, including public, charter, private, and homeschooled students.

Students are asked to use crayons, markers or paints to depict an electrical safety topic specified by grade level in the entry form. A panel of local judges will select the 12 best entries to be used for each calendar month, which will be featured in the utility’s 2023 calendar. The 12 winning students will have their artwork featured in the calendar and receive a $150 cash prize.

A grand prize winner, selected from the 12 winning students, will have artwork featured on the calendar cover along with the student’s name and affixed to one of KUA’s fleet vehicles for one year.

The Margaritaville at Sea cruise line is offering a 3-day, 2-night cruise to Grand Bahama Island to all active and veteran military, first responders, law enforcement, and educators for their dedication to serving our communities at home and abroad.

The cruise will sail from the Port of Palm Beach in Florida to Freeport in the Bahamas.

The Heroes Sail Free offer applies only to the registered member(s) sailing in your party. You will see the Heroes Sail Free fare discount applied during checkout after entering in all guests’ information and clicking “View pricing by Guests.”

Boots, Bulls, and Barrels to Return to Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee October 1st

The best in professional rodeo action returns to the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee October 1 at 7:30pm with a one-night-only rodeo, Boots, Bulls and Barrels!

This tournament-style event will feature two of rodeo fans’ favorite events: women’s barrel racing and bull riding!

Watch multiple bull riding sets with the winners taking home bragging rights and cold hard cash.

In between all the bull riding action, barrel racers will go up against the clock (and one another) to win their share of the prize money.

For tickets go to silverspursrodeo.com. Tickets are just $20 for adults and kids 10 and under are FREE!

Osceola,

Social Media

Osceola Library System’s social worker, Matthew Jarmon, helps individuals and families in the community

The Osceola Library System is now offering a professional social worker to better connect Osceola County citizens with important community resources, programs, and services critical to improving lives and fostering greater well-being.

Their new social worker, Matthew Jarmon, will offer individual or family assistance and referral in many important areas, including:

• Mental Health and Counseling

• Substance Abuse

• Housing Assistance and Houselessness

• Health Care

• Elder Care

• Food Assistance

• Childcare Support and Subsidies

• Grief and Loss

• Re-employment and Job Skill Training

• Government Programs

• Parenting Support

• LGBTQIA+ Support

Matthew will be available at multiple library branches throughout the week to meet with members of the community.

• Hart Memorial Library: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, 1pm-7pm

• Buenaventura Lakes Library: Thursdays, 1pm-7pm and Fridays, 9am-2pm

• Poinciana Library: Every other Saturday, 9am-2pm

To schedule an appointment with Matthew Jarmo, email social.worker@ osceolalibrary.org or call 407-747-4379. The social worker will also be available for dropins during limited hours.

more Positively Osceola,

Viva Osceola Returns to Kissimmee’s Lakefront Park October 8, presented by Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital

VIVA Osceola, presented by Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital, returns to Kissimmee’s Lakefront Park on Saturday October 8th from 11am – 6pm and will celebrate 30 years of heritage, and 30 years of you!

Experience headliners Domino Saints, Nano Cabrera, and Sammy Velez on Viva Osceola’s main stage, or enjoy local talent at the Exitos 96.5’s Somos Kissimmee Stage.

It’s an event for the whole family with authentic Latin food from Sabor Boricua, and for the kiddos, the KUA Kid’s Power Zone will be at Viva Osceola complete with bounce houses, free snow cones, and a kids craft activity, and don’t forget to visit the FREE Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital Photo booth to capture memories of your day!

Viva Osceola, brought to you by The Osceola Chamber and Orlando Health St Cloud Hospital, coming to Kissimmee on Saturday, October 8th!

Osceola Health Officials Issue Blue-Green

The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County has issued a Health Alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in Fish Lake, near Sexton Park in Osceola County. This is in response to a water sample taken on 8/29/2022. The public should exercise caution in and around Fish Lake. Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

• Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom.

• Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water.

Own a Small Business? You May Be Eligible for Help from Osceola’s $1.4 million Fund

Do you own a small business and has it been impacted by COVID-19? The Osceola County Housing and Community Services Department’s Microenterprise Assistance Program provides financial aid to qualifying small businesses. The program offers a onetime $5,000 grant to qualified, for-profit businesses located within unincorporated Osceola County to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus on a first-come, firstready basis. A total of approximately $1.4 million is available.

Applicants must possess a business license and must be current on all County taxes, assessments, and fees to participate. They also must be income eligible – with a threshold of 80 percent of below the Area Median Income has calculated by HUD.

MORE, CLICK HERE: https://bit.ly/3TH1Shh

INJURY

Safe Bicycle

in

Few things are better in the Sunshine State than taking your bicycle out for a spin. Unfortunately, Florida leads the nation for bicycle fatalities. Here are some tips for bicyclists and drivers to keep the roads safe.

How bicyclists can stay safe on the roads

Bikers should make sure their vehicles meet Florida safety guidelines. Specifically, bicyclists should use a headlight while the sun is set, which lets other vehicles see them at night. Additionally, all bikes should have reflective lights and working breaks.

Although Florida doesn’t require cyclists over 16 years old to wear helmets, wearing one can minimize injury and can even save your life if you’re hit by a car.

Osceola Arts to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with “The Tie That Binds/ El Lazo Que Une: works by

Gomez”

Osceola Arts celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a new visual arts exhibit “The Tie That Binds/ El Lazo Que Une: works by Alberto Gomez” from September 1 through November 6.

Florida-based artist Alberto Gomez is a humble observer with an artistic vision that is rooted in his native Colombia. “I consider my work to be categorized as magical realism in the visual sense similar to the writings of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende. This style is a tradition in my Latin American homeland. My work depicts the combination of daily life and fantasy together in the story. I consider my technique to mirror that of the poet using symbols, and a sense of place with the people presented in my art. My inspiration comes from my love of people.

Creative Inspiration Journey School sees continued student growth amid school facility expansion

From the first day that Creative Inspiration Journey School opened its doors in the Fall of 2019, it was easy to see that it wasn’t going to be just another tuition free public charter school, it was focused on creating an environment of learning for its students unlike any other school in the St. Cloud and Osceola communities.

CIJS uses the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, which allows children to direct their own learning process according to their needs, and in a less-structured environment. This gives the students a apportunity to grow at their own pace, both as individuals – and community members.

Hart Memorial Library in Kissimmee Offers Free Spanish for Beginners Classes

Have you been thinking about learning Spanish, maybe just enough to better understand casual conversations, or to begin your path toward being a proficient Spanish speaker? The Osceola Library System’s Hart Memorial Library in Kissimmee may have exactly what you’re looking for.

Beginning Thursday, September 8, at Hart Memorial Central Library from 6 – 8pm, you’ll be able to boost your Spanish language skills for free by learning basic conversational phrases that will help you communicate better on a daily basis. The classes will be taught by Ivonne Sanchez, and it’s sure to be very helping in learning Spanish, and lots of fun.

The course is free, and presented by the Osceola Library System. Hart Memorial Library is located at 211 E Dakin Avenue in Kissimmee, and the class will be taught on the 2nd floor. For more information call 407) 742-8888 or visit Osceolalibrary.org.

A new irrigation schedule based on the last number of an address has been rolled out for new and existing water utility customers of St. Cloud Utilities, who will be welcomed by Toho Water Authority (Toho) Oct. 1, 2022.

Approved by the South Florida Water Management District, the revision was needed to meet growth needs. Adjusting irrigation timers to the outlined days and times (attached) will help to ensure adequate supply for both potable and reuse water used to water yards and landscaping. Questions: Customer Service at 407-957-7344 or online at: stcloudfl.gov/1683/Watering-Schedules.

Osceola County Clerk of the Court & Comptroller Kelvin Soto Publishes “Osceola On the Rise” County Financial Report

In January, the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office underwent some changes, as set forth by Amendment 10 in the Florida Constitution, and was reestablished as the Osceola County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Office in order to provide a checks and balances system for Osceola County government’s finances.

To help citizens better understand the county’s finances, Osceola County Clerk of the Court & County Comptroller, Kelvin Soto, Esq. has published the inaugural edition of the Osceola On The Rise Popular Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year ended 2021.

“Osceola On The Rise” is a summary of the financial information provided in the Osceola County Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) which was jointly prepared by the Comptroller’s office and the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners.

“I am proud to share with you this first ever Popular Annual Financial Report in Osceola County. As the County Comptroller, I am committed to fulfilling our constitutional duty of transparency in government and responsible stewardship of our citizen’s finances,” said Honorable Kelvin Soto, Esq. . “It is my hope that you will find Osceola On The Rise valuable, enjoyable and informative.”

Osceola On The Rise provides information about the Osceola County community like statistics and demographic information, directories of parks, recreation facilities, libraries, emergency services, public services and annual events, Clerk and County accomplishments, and an overview of the County’s financial well-being.

To view or download the “Osceola On The Rise” publication just click here. Print copies are available by request. Contact communications@osceolaclerk.org.

Draper Law: Starting Over After Divorce

Divorce can be one of the most emotionally and financially devastating experiences a person can have. After the process is complete, the newly divorced person is left to recover from the pain of losing their marriage and rebuild their lives. While staring over after divorce may seem daunting, there are steps you can take to get back on your feet.

Financial Adjustments

Going from sharing a home and finances with your former spouse to being on your own can be a difficult change. While you may not have control over the difference to your financial situation, you can control your budgeting and spending. Sit down and create a realistic budget which includes some savings. Even putting a small amount aside each month is a positive habit and can help you be prepared should you have unexpected expenses.

By J. Daniel Pearson For Positively Osceola

Tohopekaliga vs. St. Cloud, Osceola Kowboys at Lakeland highlight week 4 action in Osceola County football

With undefeated Harmony enjoying a bye week, two huge games highlight Week 4 action for county schools.

The biggest local game takes place at Tohopekaliga, where the 2-0 Tigers will host 2-1 St. Cloud. The Tigers, under first year head coach Anthony Paradiso, recorded their second consecutive shutout with a 48-0 win over Ambassador Christian Academy on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman quarterback Sabby Meassick had his second consecutive big game for the Tigers, completing 24 of 31 passes for 392 yards and seven touchdowns. Two of those touchdown passes went to Julian Nasco; while Churandy Duval also caught two touchdowns. Overall, the Tigers have outscored its opposition by a 97-0 count through two games, but this week’s game with St. Cloud will represent a step up in competition for the Tigers.

St. Cloud (2-1) won its second game of the season with a 37-0 win over Liberty (0-3) in a game that went to a running clock midway through the third quarter. “I thought we played an outstanding game given the wet field conditions,” Bulldogs coach Mike Short said. “Liberty came out with a great game plan and limited our possessions in the first half. We got a safety off a blocked punt midway through the second period and that sort of switched the momentum of game to our favor.”

Sophomore quarterback Logan King had a big game, completing eight of 12 for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Terrance Griffin rushed for 77 yards and a couple of scores; while senior linebacker Noah Carr recorded nine tackles, including two for loss, to spur the shutout. Both St. Cloud and Tohopekaliga have running clock shutouts against Liberty this season, bringing up an intriguing early season district match-up.

Big Plays, Breaks Sink Osceola Kowboys in Overtime, 28-27

Michael Key caught 10 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns and Luke Rucker hit Marvin Brown on a twopoint conversion in overtime, as Seminole High School won its 24th consecutive regular season road game with a 28-27 win over Osceola.

Despite giving up more than 450 yards of total offense, the Kowboys led or were tied for all but one minute of the game. But a failure to take full advantage of three turnovers, a blocked extra point, and losing the toss in overtime all played key factors in Osceola’s loss to Seminole – the Orlando Sentinel’s top ranked team in the region.

“Offensively we moved the ball well but our offense faltered a bit when we had a few bad exchanges between the center and quarterback and we dropped a couple of potential touchdown passes,” Osceola coach Eric Pinellas said. “Their offense really didn’t do anything to surprise us, but between not reading the formations correctly, not lining up properly, and some sloppy tackling – they were able to move the ball. Giving up that long touchdown drive right before half really flipped the momentum of the game in their favor, still we had plenty of chances to win this game.”

Osceola would grab a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. After a defensive stop, Taevion Swint would take a sweep and race 60-yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Osceola would extend the lead to 14-0 lead in the second quarter. Jayden Bradford would intercept Rucker and after a near two-hour lightning delay, Gunner Holland would hit Swint on a third-down play for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 3:43 remaining in the second quarter.

But Rucker would need just four plays to get Seminole back in the game. After a gaff in the return game pinned Seminole on its own six, Trey Clark would break off a 17-yard run before Rucker completed three consecutive passes or 7, 44 and 26 yards – the last two going to Key – for a 14-6 deficit at halftime.

Making Business better, together

Eight

COMMUNITY

bass

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) TrophyCatch program is about to end another season. Any bass caught in Season 10 (Oct. 1, 2021 – Sept. 30, 2022) must be submitted by Oct. 15 to qualify for prizing.

The same deadline applies to the eight pink-tagged bass still swimming in specific waters throughout Florida, as part of the 10-Tag Celebration to commemorate TrophyCatch’s tenth season. Catching one of these special bass and successfully submitting it to TrophyCatch will net the lucky angler a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card and $1,000 to shop at AFTCO, plus a chance at an additional $10,000. For the specific locations and rules, visit our TrophyCatch website.

The TrophyCatch program rewards anglers who provide documentation of their catch and release of largemouth bass weighing 8 pounds or heavier in Florida.

PositivelyOsceola.com

Huntington Learning Center, Reading Tutoring For All Levels

The power to read is inarguably one of the most important skills fundamental to a student’s ability to function and prosper in school and beyond. It infiltrates every facet of life, from the most miniscule tasks such as reading a menu to more difficult tasks like analyzing dense texts in advanced college courses. Setting a strong foundation from the very early stages of your child’s life is incredibly important for him or her to be able to build upon and grow as your child advances in school.

Huntington Learning Center offers reading tutoring programs designed to help students in elementary school through high school develop the language skills they will need in the classroom and beyond. Our highly experienced reading tutors strive to help students reach their full potential, instilling a strong understanding of reading basics that can then be applied in ways that help them to explore and understand the world around them in a meaningful way.

Orlando Health: 5 Ways Women Can Improve Their Mental Health

Teacher. Caregiver. Chef. The pandemic created distinct challenges and stressors for women as many are faced with fulfilling multiple roles while still meeting the expectations of their jobs and careers. The situation is particularly significant when you consider that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 20 percent of American women already were struggling with a mental health condition like depression or anxiety, according to the Office on Women’s Health.

Mental health poses unique challenges for women. Throughout her life, a woman’s body is constantly changing, putting pressure on her to adapt to new purposes and perceptions. Puberty, pregnancy and childbirth, menopause — they all force women to reckon with new bodies and new ways they fit into the world around them. Some of these physical changes can trigger mental conditions specific to women, including perinatal depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and perimenopause-related depression.

Ways to Boost Your Mental Health

Strategies to manage your mental health vary widely, and what works for one woman will not necessarily appeal to another. Focus on developing a unique strategy for yourself based on your interests, rather than pursuing an activity because it worked for a friend.

Here are five suggestions:

• Get at least 15 minutes of sunshine per day, which is shown to boost vitamin D and elevate your mood.

• Spend half an hour in nature whenever you can. Whether on a park trail, a riverway or the beach, nature boosts well-being.

• Take a short trip, exploring what’s in your local area. Experiencing a change of scenery can provide much-needed stimulation and reduce anxiety.

HEALTH

Orlando Health: Tips for Fall Prevention in the Elderly

We are all susceptible to falls. But, older adults have an increased risk of falling, and the harm sustained can be more complicated than just your average cut, scrape or bruise. Serious injuries may occur in the form of fractured or broken bones and internal bleeding. Each year, more than three million people 65 and older are treated in emergency rooms for fall injuries. Unfortunately, fewer than half of them follow up with their primary physician about the accident, increasing the likelihood of another fall.

Proper follow-up care can be instrumental in helping to identify and minimize risks for future falls.

Why Do Older People Fall?

Falls can occur for a variety of reasons. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists these common causes:

• Impaired vision—as you get older, your vision may not be as clear, making it more difficult to see tripping hazards.

• Health conditions–diabetes, heart disease and other health issues can affect your balance.

• Medications— sedatives and antidepressants can make you dizzy or sleepy. Other over-the-counter medicines may also lead to conditions that alter your balance.

• Weakness—can contribute to imbalance and falls.

• Vitamin D deficiency—a lack of bone strength can lead to weakness and falls.

• Foot pain or poor footwear—increase likelihood of tripping/falling.

• Hazards in the home—throw rugs that present tripping hazards or broken or uneven steps can increase the risk of falls.

Fear of Falling?

Understanding the risks of falling or suffering an actual fall can make you fearful, leading you to curtail activities. Remember, falls do happen. Ironically, avoiding normal activities and exercises may actually increase your risk for falls and serious injury.

Race into Fall with the Disney Wine & Dine Half-Marathon Weekend

The 2022-23 runDisney race season kicks off Nov. 3-6 with the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend. The popular race weekend features a 5K, 10K and half marathon, as well as the Disney Two Course Challenge (10K and half marathon) and Post-Race Party.

Guests can experience the blend of music, stories, and culinary delights found during the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival and the Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary celebration.

The weekend features a Coco-themed 5K, a Raya and the Last Dragon-themed 10K and a half marathon celebrating the music and magic of Soul. Guests can also experience the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, including the opportunity to buy merchandise and gadgets for runners.

Walt Disney World gets “dressed up” for some festive Fall fun for the entire family

Fall family fun is brewing throughout Walt Disney World Resort. This year, there are so many ways to celebrate fall and Halloween with new flavors, sights and experiences, plus the return of fanfavorite events. Here is an overview of festive fall offerings guests can enjoy across Walt Disney World:

Haunting Halloween Festivities Commence with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

The return of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party kicks off a fall full of fun at Walt Disney World Resort. The special ticket event is offered at Magic Kingdom Park on select nights from Aug. 12 to Oct. 31 after normal park hours from 7 p.m. to midnight.

• Guests can dress in their happiest or most-haunted Halloween costumes to get in the spirit of the season!

• Frightfully fun entertainment abounds in “Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade,” the “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” stage show featuring the Sanderson

• Sisters, and “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular” nighttime extravaganza hosted by Jack Skellington, featuring fireworks, projections, iconic Disney characters and more.

• New for 2022, partygoers awaiting “Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade” can ‘Stand Out’ and dance their way onto Main Street U.S.A., with a majorly awesome 90’s crew led by Max Goof cosplaying as Powerline – his favorite pop superstar!

• Also new this year, guests can join Zombies and Cheerleaders at the ZOM-BEATZ BASH! as they BAMM out to music inspired by the ZOMBIES original movies on Disney Channel.

• Several classic Magic Kingdom attractions will be costumed for Halloween including Mad Tea Party, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.

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Universal Studios Florida to feature 10 Haunted Houses, Five Scare Zones, Two Shows to Bring Deepest Fears to Life

Universal Orlando Resort has revealed more gruesome details about the impending terror that awaits guests brave enough to face Halloween Horror Nights 2022 – including the six horrifying original concepts that complete this year’s lineup of 10 haunted houses, five sinister scare zones and two live shows. The event kicks off Friday, September 2 and runs select nights through October 31. All Tickets are On Sale Now – Click Here to Purchase

As the world’s premier Halloween event turns 31 this fall, a haunting conglomerate of unfathomable experiences inspired by traditional Halloween elements and some of guests’ worst fears come to life in this year’s collection of original haunted houses and scare zones.

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Family Halloween Fun is Back with SeaWorld Orlando’s Spooktacular

Halloween is back with candy, costumes, your favorite Sesame Street friends, and plenty of spooky surprises. Treat your family to all the festive fun of SeaWorld Spooktacular, select dates, Sept. 17 – Oct. 31

SHOW OFF YOUR COSTUMES

Kids love trick-or-treating during this daytime event as they explore the decorated trail and meet all sorts of colorful characters. And that’s just the beginning! From spooky stories and a Halloween dance party to moments with furry friends like Count von Count, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and more, this is immersive family fun you’ll only find at SeaWorld.

All guests are welcome to dress up in costumes. Guests who are ages 13 and older may not wear costume masks or hoods, and all costumes are subject to the normal dress code for the park. In addition, face painting is not permitted on any guests unless it is done by park artists.

WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN – A NEW TERROR SURFACES

Howl-O-Scream has washed ashore at SeaWorld Orlando, and this time, the fear is everywhere. Experience the family fun by day and the bone-chilling terror by night.

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Howl-O-Scream to Return to SeaWorld

Orlando beginning in September with new scares and more

SeaWorld Orlando’s Howl-O-Scream will wash ashore for its second year in Orlando on select nights from September 9 through October 31, 2022, and as SeaWorld says, there will be “nowhere” to hide! This year promises to be bigger ands badder with more pulsepounding, sweat-inducing haunts, thrills, and chills, and night-time eerie coaster riding!

Make your way through angry haunts and scare zones as you attempt to find shelter indoors, only to find you’ve entered a house of horrors. Experience nighttime coaster rides, quench your thirst for fear at a fiendishly interactive bar, and enjoy the freakishness of one of SeaWorld’s live shows.

Evil is returning—with a howl and a scream and 28 nights of fully immersive fear in fall 2022, only at SeaWorld Orlando.

Be Among the First to Scream. Sign up for Howl-O-Scream emails now and get access to exciting updates, promotions, exclusive offers, and more.

Howl-O-Scream is intended for a mature audience. This event contains intense adult content such as violence, gore, and blood. Howl-O-Scream 2022 is a separately-ticketed night event. No guest costumes will be allowed.

POSITIVELY DELICIOUS

Seared Florida Swordfish Steaks with Arugula and Peach Salsa, it’s Positively Delicious!

Here’s a recipe for Florida Swordfish that takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and we think you’ll agree that it’s positively delicious!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 (6-ounce) Florida swordfish steaks

• 10 ounces Florida arugula

• 2 large Florida peaches, pit removed and diced small

• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 lime, juiced

• ½ red onion, diced small

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste PREPARATION

In a small mixing bowl, combine diced peaches, lime juice, diced red onion, cilantro and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Stir ingredients to combine. Taste salsa and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Keep refrigerated until use.

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the sauté pan. Lightly season both sides of the swordfish steaks with salt and pepper. Carefully add the seasoned swordfish steaks to the sauté pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until swordfish is cooked throughout. Remove swordfish from pan and let drain on a paper towel.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the arugula, lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss the arugula to coat and season lightly with salt and pepper. To serve, place an even amount of arugula on each of the 4 plates. Place a swordfish steak on top of the arugula on each plate. Top the swordfish steaks with an even amount of peach salsa. Serve immediately. SOURCE: Fresh from Florida

POSITIVELY DELICIOUS

Florida Snapper and Shrimp Scampi, it’s Positively Delicious!

Florida seafood, fresh, abundant, healthy to eat, and without a question, positively delicious! Check out this simple recipe for Florida snapper and shrimp scampi!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 (6-ounce) Florida snapper fillets

• ½ pound medium Florida shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 shallots, minced

• 1 tablespoon capers

• 1 tablespoon pimentos, diced

• ½ cup white wine

• ½ cup bottled clam juice

• ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

• ½ cup fresh parsley, minced

• 12 ounces vermicelli or angel hair pasta, cooked

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons butter Sea salt, to taste

PREPARATION

Heat the oil and butter in a large sauté pan. Add garlic and shallots and sauté for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring often. Raise heat to medium, add capers, pimentos, wine, clam juice and pepper; simmer for 2 minutes. Add fillets and simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add shrimp, spreading them evenly over the skillet; simmer for 3 minutes until fillets and shrimp are cooked through. Stir in parsley; add salt to taste. Place fillets and shrimp on pasta on individual plates. Spoon scampi sauce over all and serve.

Positively Osceola,

POINT OF SALE IN OSCEOLA COUNTY

WHAT IS POINT OF SALE?

When we say “Point of Sale,” we’re referring to marketing and promoting tobacco products in retail environments – like gas stations, convenience stores, and other retail outlets.

POINT OF SALE IS THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY’S MAIN MARKETING METHOD.

SOME TACTICS THEY USE ARE:

Discounting products, appealing to children and young adults.

Paying retailers for prime product location and advertising.

Targeting lower-income communities.

WHY IS POINT OF SALE IMPORTANT?

Studies show that tobacco use is associated with exposure to retail advertising and relatively easy access to tobacco products.

Schools with a higher number of tobacco retailers nearby tend to have higher smoking rates.

More cigarettes are sold in convenience stores than in any other type of store.

WHAT IS O OSCEOLA COUNTY DOING?

We are implementing tobacco education and prevention to create awareness within our community. This includes educating local decision makers about the local tobacco retail environment which includes information about product placement and the amount of tobacco retailers near schools.

GET INVOLVED!

#OsceolaSports

be valued. choose well.

Ten award-winning hospitals. More than 100 medical specialties. 14 ERs. 4200 expert physicians.

So many reasons to choose well. OrlandoHealth.com

be relieved. choose well. Ten award-winning hospitals. More than 100 medical specialties. 14 ERs. 4200 expert physicians.

So many reasons to choose well. OrlandoHealth.com

NEW FACES, GREAT EXPECTATIONS AS WE WELCOME BACK SPORTS

BY: J. Daniel Pearson for Positively Osceola

High school sports returns to action this week as football teams across Osceola County play their Kickoff Classic exhibition games on Friday night.

Coming off one of the county’s most successful athletic years in recent memory, which included multiple state champions in different sports, deep playoff runs, incredible individual performances, high academic achievement in the classroom, and the expansion of athletic opportunities for student athletes -- more of the same is expected as the 2022-23 year begins.

“We have just concluded an incredible year in Osceola sports,” County Athletic Director Ryan Adams said. “We had seven of our athletes win individual state championships this year and St. Cloud won a state title in United Basketball. The county saw several schools add new sports in beach volleyball and lacrosse. We had close to 90 senior athletes sign grant-in-aids to play at the next level. All this was accomplished while our athletes continued to excel in the classroom. We look forward to this upward trend continuing in this new school year.”

The new school year will come with a lot of new changes. Four teams (St. Cloud, Celebration, Tohopekaliga and Liberty) will start the season with new football coaches. Long-time Osceola wrestling coach Jim Bird, who produced at least one state champion for 16 consecutive years, stepped down in July, meaning that storied program will also have a new coach.

Five of those schools (the four mentioned above plus Osceola) will begin the year with new Directors of Athletics.

In addition to new coaches, other changes will be noticeable on the field. Football has eliminated the traditional separation of teams by enrollment (1A8A) and instead will divide into two divisions called Metro and Suburban. Each division will crown four champions in classes Suburban 1-A to 4A and Metro 1A to 4A. The Metro will consist of school’s from the seven most-populated counties in Florida and will be divided into four classes by population; while the remaining counties – which include Osceola – will play in the Suburban Division. Tohopekaliga, Osceola, Celebration and St. Cloud were all placed in the Class 4A, District 10; Gateway and Liberty will play in Class 3A, District 8, Harmony will play Class 4A, Disctrict 11, while Poinciana will play an independent schedule.

The Orange Belt Conference, which consists of all eight county public teams in other varsity sports, has announced a major change in its schedule for team sports. For first time, all those sports will hold bracket-style week-long tournaments to determine the OBC Champion in each sport.

Those tournaments are scheduled for girls’ volleyball (Host School: St.Cloud, Oct. 3-6), Girls’ Soccer (Harmony, Dec. 5-9), Boys Soccer (Gateway, Jan. 17-20), Girls’ Basketball (St. Cloud, Jan. 17-20), Boys’ Basketball (Tohopekaliga, Jan. 23-27), Flag Football (Harmony, Mar. 27-31), Boys’ Volleyball (Celebration, Apr. 10-13), Softball (St. Cloud, Apr. 10-14), Baseball (Poinciana, TBA), Boys’ and Girls Tennis (TBA).

The tournament format is new to some sports, while COVID issues forced the county to go to round robin play to determine a champion in other sports the previous two years. “The general consensus among our coaches was the tournament route was the way to go,” Adams said. “It creates excitement for the athletes and also creates a lot more flexibility in scheduling for the coaches as it doesn’t tie up as many playing dates for OBC requirements.”

The fall slate, which includes football, cross country, girls’ volleyball, swimming/diving and golf should be an exciting one in the county. In football, Osceola -- long a state power -- could challenge for a state championship; while Harmony will field a veteran team and could challenge for a playoff spot. New Tigers’ coach Anthony Paradiso has already began to turnaround the Tohopekaliga program from last year’s 2-8 season and will feature one of the most talked about freshman quarterbacks in the country in Sabby Meassick. St. Cloud features a young, but talented group of athletes under new head coach Mike Short; while Poinciana is hopeful for their first winning season in school history.

The 2022 Volleyball Season promises to be something to watch, as up to five teams (Osceola, Tohopekaliga, Gateway, Harmony and St. Cloud) could challenge for spots in regional play. The Kowboys return a veteran team, including Kaitlyn Taylor, to its 20-win team; while Tohopekaliga – which went 14-0 against county opposition and won the OBC championship—has a bevy of new transfer talent coming in to support a young team coming up from junior varsity.

Gateway returns veterans

its Class 5A regional semifinal team; while the Longhorns

St. Cloud

district titles.

In golf, look for Harmony and Celebration to try to chase down St. Cloud for OBC titles; while Harmony and Celebration should field outstanding swimming teams. Toho, Celebration and Harmony all return strong runners in cross country, including the Storm’s Catalina Edwards – one of the state’s top performers. Next spring, St. Cloud will field its first varsity team in boys’ and girls’ lacrosse – joining Celebration and Tohopekaliga as the third county school to add that sport. “It’s great to have the athletes back,” Adams said. “For each sport and each coach it’s essentially a brand new team with new leadership and new young talent on every roster. The start of each season is the most exciting time of the year as it becomes the athletes’ time to shine after a long off-season.”

Adams added that athletics plays a vital role in the student’s development and thanked all the coaches for their dedication and commitment to their sport. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the overall average GPA of all student athletes in Osceola County topped 3.00; with many team’s posting significantly higher GPAs,” Adams said. “Athletics teaches the values of hard work, team work, and discipline and that would not be possible with the dedication, devotion and hard work of our many coaches.”

Have a Great Season!

OSCEOLA KOWBOYS

KOWBOYS CLASS OF COUNTY, MAYBE MORE

BY: J. Daniel Pearson for Positively Osceola

In what should not be a surprise to anyone, Osceola will once again field the top high school football team in the county. In fact –with a roster loaded with Division-1 talent -- they may be a lot better than they were last year and could challenge for a state title in 2023.

“The goal is always the same, we want to win districts and challenge for a state championship,” Coach Eric Pinellas said. “We are stacked at practically every position so if we stay healthy there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to compete in the post-season.”

One of the main reasons for optimism this year is the Kowboy offensive line, a unit that struggled in both depth and experience last year. With the exception of Jamarrion McCrimmon and Cory Vega, the offensive line was thin and also inexperienced last year and struggled against better teams. Although Vega departs via graduation, four-year starter McCrimmon returns and he is surrounded by both teammates like Cameran Dekle and Antonio Cruz that gained valuable experience last year; as well as talented transfers like Noah Menderson (6-5, 340, Freedom) and Thomas Gearity (6-2, 270, The First Academy). That experience and depth turns one of the biggest question marks from 2021 into one of the team’s strengths in 2022 as the Kowboys can go 10deep on the offensive line.

Sophomore running back Taevion Swint, who led the team in rushing, total yards and scoring, last season as a back-up, is ready to assume feature back status after the graduation of older brother Ja’Randy Swint. A big-time talent in Oniel Senatus transfers in from Celebration. The school’s all-time leading rusher with 2675 yards, Senatus posted a monster year in 2021. He set school records for rushing yards (1816), total yards (2417), rushing touchdowns (23), total touchdowns (27), and points (162). He rushed for more than 200 yards four times, including a career-high 314 yards and seven touchdowns on just 10 carries in a game against Lake Region. He also tallied 271 yards against Gateway and had a 255 yard rushing effort against Poinciana. “Obviously he is a talented football player,” Pinellas said. “He could be used at running back, in the slot and even at safety. If he does enroll, he’ll be like any other player on the team. He will compete for playing time and touches.”

Bryce Reed and newcomer Elijah Melendez will provide quality depth at running back. At quarterback, the Kowboys lose Chad Mascoe but have a trio of talented athletes ready to take the reins. Gunner Holland, a two-time state wrestling champion, started in the spring and led the Kowboys to a win over tough Edgewater in the spring game, will battle with City of Life transfer Danny Buggs and strong-armed Alex Melendez – who transferred to Osceola from Colorado last spring and was a member of the Kowboys baseball team.

Ja’Keem Jackson (36-548-4 TD) and Donald Cummings (15-213-4) return as receiver; as do backups Akeem Knox and Terry Cruz. Talented transfer TJ Massey (25-274-3) came from Evans High mid-year and participated in spring ball for Osceola. He also will challenge for playing time.

Defensively, Osceola is also stacked. The Kowboys may feature the best defensive line in the state with seniors John Walker, Derrick LeBlanc and Elijah Palermo. Walker (UCF commit) and LeBlanc (Oklahoma commit) are both ranked in ESPN’s exclusive “Top 300” players in America; while Palermo is potential D-1 signee. The trio combined last year for 171 tackles, 37 tackles-forloss and 27 quarterback sacks – numbers that helped Osceola hold opponents to just over one yard per rushing attempt last year. Although standout Lamont Lee graduated at linebacker, Matt Amboise and Drevon Lee both return; while transfer Robert Mickal-Lee (Ocala) will compete for a starting role.

Bo Mascoe – a Rutgers commit – returns to lead a talented secondary. The corner will be flanked on the other side by two-way standout and University of Florida commit Jackson, who has offers from other schools including Tennessee, Auburn, and Texas. LaCory Walker and Jayden Bradford are poised to take over the safety positions for departed seniors Jeremiah Wilson and Kaylon Walters but the Kowboys also have talented reserves at both safety and corner.

Although Osceola will be highly favored to win the title in the newly-created District 10 of Class 4A Suburban with Celebration, St. Cloud and Tohopekaliga; Pinellas scheduled one of the toughest non-district schedules in perhaps the entire state as the Kowboys will face eight 2021 playoff teams in their non-district schedule including Apopka (12-3) in the Kickoff Classic. All told, Osceola’s eight non-conference teams combined for a record of 76-24.

GATEWAY PANTHERS

ROBERTS HOPES NEWCOMERS CAN SPUR PANTHERS

BY: J. Daniel Pearson for Positively Osceola

After posting their fourth consecutive losing season last year, veteran Gateway coach Marlin Roberts is hopeful an infusion of new talent will help bolster the Panthers in 2022.

That optimism stems from several factors, including the arrival of defensive end/defensive tackle Chris Martin-Charity from Virginia. “He big strong kid and he’s only a sophomore,” Roberts said. “Chris can either play inside or on the end and that’s another plus, we’ll be able to move him a round and try to put him in position where he can be most effective.”

Fahmi Goldston is another transfer that should help the Panthers; while Joshua Fuller – a sophomore speedster on the track team – is playing football for the first time and has caught the attention of Panther coaches this spring. “He’s a big, strong and fast; sort of reminds me of the Harmony kid (Tyler Emans) when he was younger,” Robert said. “He has incredible instincts too, and he just needs to understand that it’s okay to run over people as well as around them.”

The Panthers may need major contributions from Fuller, as starting quarterback Eli Azize broke his leg in the spring and is not likely to return before Week 3 or 4 this year. Two other players – running back Jaquavion Pinellas and WR Devon Pryor – transferred leaving Gateway thin at skill positions. Roberts is hopeful that either Harmony junior transfer Hunter Waller or one of several out of state transfers can come in and take over the quarterback position – at least in the early going.

Gateway does return two veteran running backs in Aiden Morillo and Ishmail Sesay but also must rely on a brand new starting offensive line. Defensively, the arrival of Martin-Charity will allow Jamare Owens (5-10, 190) to move back to his more natural position at linebacker. Pierre Julien returns, as does Kevin Montilla –a linebacker who missed most of his junior year with a broken arm.

“We have some talent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball,” Roberts said. “But as has been the case the last couple of years, we simply do not have very much depth. We are playing a lot of kids both ways and we cannot afford to get players hurt.” Beginning his 22nd year at the school and 14th as head coach, Roberts is the Dean of Osceola County high school football coaches. He believes the opening of Tohopekaliga High School four years ago was a major setback for Gateway football and those effects are still being felt. “When Toho opened they took almost half our students and –by simple math – half our athletes,” he said. “While most schools in the county continue to burst at the seams, we have empty classrooms. I’m hopeful they will rezone soon and help us get our numbers back up.” In three years prior to Tohopekaliga opening, the Panthers were 20-12 but have been 10-31 since. Gateway will compete in new Class 3A, District 8 – one of the largest districts in the state with the Panthers joining Auburndale, Lake Wales, Lake Region, Davenport and Liberty. Non-conference games include contests against county rivals St. Cloud and Tohopekaliga.

Meet Gateway High School Coach Marlin Roberts

UPCOMING GAMES

TOHOPEKALIGA TIGERS

NEW LOOK TIGERS LOOK TO REVERSE ’21 FORTUNES

BY: J. Daniel Pearson for Positively Osceola

For the fourth time in its five years of existence, Tohopekaliga will be starting the season with a new head coach at the helm. The first two coaches –Anthony Davis and Marc Deas – built a successful program, but the team backslid dramatically last year. Enter Athony Paradiso, who takes over after a successful run at Lake Nona High School where he guided the Lions to eight trips to the post-season.

Paradiso, who went 72-43-0 at Lake Nona, has already started to change the culture at Tohopekaliga. “I think there are three keys to building a successful program. Create an identity, improve facilities and make the program attractive for the players,” Paradiso said. “We have made it attractive by getting new uniforms and creating new combinations. We have started branding our facilities with paint and logos. The biggest key is building an identity. We are going to run a fast-paced fun offense the athletes going to want to play in. But most importantly, we are going to do everything we can to put our players in a position to be successful and get to the next level if that is their goal and that includes in the classroom or on the field. That is the real identity we want to establish. We won’t worry about wins, because if we do everything right the wins will take care of themselves.”

The early results have been encouraging. Because of transfers and athletes leaving the team, Tohopekaliga finished with less than 40 players on the roster at the end of last season. Under Paradiso, the team had almost 90 players at the beginning of camp. “Toho was not able to field even a junior varsity team the last couple of years,” Paradiso said. “I hoping we will have a varsity, JV and freshmen team this year.” Although just entering ninth grade, Sabby Meassick will be showcased on the varsity as he has already been named the team’s starting quarterback. Meassick, who played some varsity last year as an eighth grader at the private Foundation Academy, has already grabbed the attention of major colleges – with Florida offering him a scholarship last year.

“It normally would take a lot of thought before naming a the freshman starting quarterback,” Paradiso said. “But he’s the best and most qualified quarterback we have in camp. Sabby is an incredibly intelligent individual and is a sponge for absorbing football knowledge. He’s the most dynamic 14-yearold player I have ever seen.”

It’s not like Paradiso has not had success with freshman quarterbacks before. In the fall of his first season at Lake Nona, he made the unusual decision to start freshman Kyle Isreal at quarterback. Isreal threw 30 touchdown passes in his first season and finished with 15,000 passing yards and 162 touchdown passes in leading the Lions to three consecutive playoff appearances. “That worked out pretty good for us and I think Sabby has the ability to match or exceed what Kyle did.”

Last season, the Tigers had most of their best players going both ways – which is something Paradiso hopes they can avoid this year. “With the exception of one or two guys, we absolutely hope to platoon this year. Toho had some good players last year that just got worn down as the game went on.”

Meassick should have some weapons to throw to. “We have about eight receivers that are all the same and we play fast so we will rotate a lot of them in and out of the game,” Paradiso said. He added that Julian Nasco, a 5-11 junior transfer from St. Cloud, Nick Rawls a senior transfer from Orlando Christian Prep and Dillan Harrell, another senior transfer, will all play prominent roles on the offense this year. The offensive line will be anchored by senior co-captain Jonathan Ogbuaga and Jairo Beltran. Anthony Barnes will anchor the Lions linebacking corps and the Tigers should feature some solid players in the defensive backfield.

But more than the new players and few veterans, Paradiso believes it is the increase in numbers that will make the biggest difference for the Tigers this year. “We are going to have an offense and a defensive unit with backups on both sides of the ball,” he said. “With the exception of maybe two players, we are not going to have to have guys play both ways and in the long run, that will make a huge difference over the course of the season.”

He added that he expected some first-year hiccups. “We’re going to make some mistakes this year, which always happens with a new system. But we have a lot of players and we are going to put them in position to make plays,” Paradiso said.

TRANSFERS, NEW CULTURE COULD LEAD EAGLES TO FIRST WINNING SEASON

BY: J. Daniel Pearson for Positively Osceola

As the 2021 season was winding down, Poinciana football was at a low point. The team was winless, morale was low and players were not showing up for practices. Head Coach Randy Beeken made a difficult decision to suspend several high profile players from the team.

In the end, the Eagles rallied to win two of their last three games. “It got pretty bad last year and we made a difficult decision that we hoped would pull the rest of the players together. It seemed to work and that has carried through spring and the early days of fall camp,” Beeken said. “We hopefully have everybody on the same page now.”

Beeken is hopeful that the new culture, combined with the addition on several talented transfers, could lead to the first winning season in the school’s 33-year history. “We had good numbers in the spring and summer,” Beeken said. “We also had a bevy of transfers come in, but technically I don’t consider a lot of them transfers many of them were originally zoned to attend this school to begin with.”

Two big names that should help Poinciana are a pair of Osceola High transfers in WR Donald Cummings and RB/DB Perry Garrett. Garrett averaged more than seven yards a carry and nearly 20 yards a reception for the Kowboys, although he saw limited action. Cummings is a home run threat of a wide receiver, as he scored four touchdowns and averaged 26.4 yard per reception for Osceola – despite only catching 15 total passes as back-up. Garrett has already been penciled in as the starting running back.

Dav’Rell Cohn, a defensive back who saw very limited action for the Kowboys, also transferred from Osceola and could contend for a starting spot with the Eagles. A key returning player will be quarterback Jahmari Corbett, who threw for 700 yards and six touchdowns as a part-time starter last year, has improved greatly from last fall. “He’s a year older and more experienced,” Beeken said. “His ability to read defenses and his decision making process has improved greatly.” Ernest Nunn, just a sophomore, could be ready for a breakout year. In the Poinciana’s spring game, Nunn caught 150 yards in passes and could combine with Cummings to give Corbett two big-time targets.

Although the increase in roster numbers has given Beeken hope that the Eagles may go to more platoon football, Poinciana will be thin on both the offensive and defensive lines. Taurence Boland, Mike Rivera, and Jayden Swaby are three of the top returning linemen and all three will most likely start on both offense and defense. Poinciana has some talent at both linebacker and defensive back, particularly with the addition of Garrett and Cohn. At linebacker, leading tackler Noah Otero (75 tackles, 7.0 TFL) returns as does starter Luis Sorto. Jaylon Morris led the Eagles defensive backfield in stops (25) last year and will lead an improved unit that includes Michael Centeno.

Prospects for a winning season also improved with the decision to remain an independent for a second consecutive year. Although it will not allow them to participate in the playoffs, it allowed Beeken and Athletics Director Tiffany King to put together a balanced schedule. “Based on where our program sits right now and based on our history, this is a competitive, balanced and fair schedule,” Beeken said . “Almost every team we face is similar to our team in terms of talent and numbers.

We should have a chance to win every game we play but the opposite is also true. The decision was fairly simple, play a fair schedule or be placed in a district with three or four teams powers where we had no chance of being competitive against. “

In all, the Eagles with play two teams that posted .500+ winning records last year in Teneroc (5-4) and Liberty (5-5). Key games will include Davenport (45) and Lake Buena Vista (0-10) a pair of relatively new schools that are playing in just their second season of competition. The most important game will come on Nov. 4 when the Eagles play Liberty in the “Battle of the Boulevards.” Similar to when Harmony opened and took quite a few students from St. Cloud, Liberty drained a good portion of the Poinciana student body when it opened in 2007. Unlike St. Cloud and Harmony, however, the Liberty-Poinciana rivalry has been one-sided with the Chargers winning all 15 previous contests.

ST. CLOUD BULLDOGS

YOUNG PUPS TO LEAD ST. CLOUD IN 2022

BY: J. Daniel Pearson for Positively Osceola

St. Cloud salvaged what was turning out to be uncharacteristic dismal football season last year with a huge 31-30 upset over arch-rival Harmony in the final game of the year. And although that win did not totally heal the wounds of a 3-6 campaign, it created a lot of momentum for a young Bulldogs team heading into the upcoming season.

It will also be a season of change for the Bulldogs, as Michael Short takes over for Bryan Smart, who resigned after spending nine years as head coach to become the school’s new Athletics Director.

“We were a pretty young team last year and it’s going to be more of the same this year,” Short said after directing a summer workout. “Normally that would be a huge concern, but these kids are a pretty fearless lot and want to play football.”

The offense will revolve around one of those young players, sophomore quarterback Logan King. The brother of former three-year starter Garhett King, Logan is a big (6-2, 215), strong-armed player who made several starts last season for the Bulldogs and finished with a 55.4% completion percentage and three touchdowns and six interceptions as a freshman.

Short believes King has made tremendous strides in the off-season. “Although we tried to bring him along slowly last year we still threw him into the fire,” Short said. “It’s a really tough position to step in and start as a freshman. He looked so much more comfortable this spring and during the summer.” St. Cloud will most likely use a running back by committee approach. Senior Isaac Nieves (182 yards, 1 TD) is the top returning running back. Look for linebacker Noah Carr to go both ways and see a lot of action in the offensive backfield; while sophomore TJ Griffin, started as a freshman defensive back, has looked good at running back both this spring and during summer drills.

Joe Clukey, a defensive stalwart for the Bulldogs last year, will become a fulltime two-way player for St. Cloud this year. Short has praised him at wide receiver this summer. “He had a great spring and has been unreal during these seven-on-seven tournaments,” Short said. “Joe is a big target at 6-4 and rarely drops a ball.” Senior Jake Dabrowski will be a part of the regular receiving rotation and Owen Conner, a transfer from Lake Minneola, has looked good in summer drills.

Sophomore Connor Howes (6-5, 270) is a massive presence and is starting to come into his own after seeing some varsity action as a freshman. “He has improved by leaps and bounds since last fall and has already caught the eye of recruiters from his work at summer camps,” Short noted. Although young, Short said his defensive line might be the deepest position on the team. Junior Kareem Elgin (6-0, 230) is an extremely mobile lineman who recorded 25 tackles and three sacks last year. “We’re expecting a big year out of Kareem this year,” Short said. “He can play both inside and out so we are going to move him around a lot and try to create some mismatches.” Jose Martinez, Bobby Madden and Elvis Quetzal are others to watch on the defensive line.

As mentioned Carr will receive some play at running back but it is at linebacker where he is most effective. The rising senior and all-state weightlifter led the Bulldogs in tackles (126), tackles-for-loss (13) and tied for the lead in quarterback sacks (6) and is probably the one player St. Cloud cannot afford to lose. Although listed as a safety, Clukey often plays close to the line and recorded 60 tackles. Griffin (2 interceptions) and Clukey will shore up the defensive backfield; while Wyatt Castellucci returns as the starting placekicker and punter. He average 31 yards per punt, made all 19 extra points and was a solid 5 of 7 on field goal attempts last year.

Under the new Suburban/Metro alignment, St. Cloud has been placed in Suburban Class 4A, District 10 with county opponents Osceola, Tohopekaliga, and Celebration. The seven non-district opponents include Central Florida Christian Academy, Winter Springs, and Ambassador Christian Academy at home and road games with Pine Ridge, Liberty, Gateway and Harmony. The Bulldogs will travel to Windermere for its season-opening Kickoff Classic exhibition on Aug. 19.

“We’re playing a challenging schedule,” Short said. “And we are going to be playing that schedule with a lot of sophomores and juniors on the field. Our biggest key is that we have to stay healthy. We simply do not have the depth to withstand a lot of injuries.”

#GoBulldogs

HARMONY LONGHORNS

EMANS, RICHARDS HOPE TO LEAD LONGHORNS BACK TO POST-SEASON

BY: J. Daniel Pearson for Positively Osceola

The Harmony offense has been a ground and pound attack for the last two years and if the Longhorns are to return to the post-season for the first time since 2018, a pair of senior running backs will most likely have to play a key role in getting them there.

Tyler Emans and Cooper Richards both had sensational years last season in leading Harmony to a 5-4 mark. Emans rushed for almost 1400 yards and 24 touchdowns and Richards gained nearly seven yards a carry (78-532) and scored seven times as Harmony averaged 230 yards rushing per game.

“Tyler is simply a phenomenal athlete and a better person,” Head Coach Don Simon said. “He’s so special though, people tend to overlook how important Cooper Richards is to our offense. He can run through or around people, catch the ball out the backfield and is an exceptional run blocker. Not sure Tyler would be quite as good without Cooper there to do the things he does.”

The Longhorns also have a potential standout in sophomore Jeremy Hilliard, who excelled in spring ball and summer workouts. “He has too much talent not be of field for us somewhere,” Simon said.

If Harmony is to make the playoffs, Simon believes they will have to be a bit more balanced on offense and throw the ball more. But he also has total faith in senior quarterback Ayden Parks to accomplish that. “Ayden is a smart quarterback who knows our offense every bit as well as the coaches. Scoring points was not the issue last year and we were a run oriented offense,” Simon said. “But we worked on our passing game a lot this spring and although we are not changing our base offense, I know we will need to throw it a little more this year.”

Kal Amen and Ivan Ramos are two wide receivers that should benefit the most by a more open throwing game.

Although its offensive line lost three starters to graduation, the Longhorns have took steps to rebuild that unit. Senior co-captain and former defensive lineman Jayden Gomez has stepped up to secure the center spot; while massive Michael Capranica (6-5, 345) is a sophomore that has shown tremendous promise this spring.

Defensively, the Longhorns are solid at both linebacker and defensive back – where both those units return the majority of their starters. Dalten Phelan led the team in both tackles (71) and tackles-for-loss (15) and is already getting D-1 offers from colleges. Alex Nash, Brayden Shelton and Nate Butler are all returning starters in the secondary.

While Marcos Romero is the only starter back, but a young defensive line could be bolstered by the return of defensive end Tyler Mcmorrow (6-2,210), who missed most of last season with an injury.

“A few years ago, we started a lot of sophomores,” Simon said. “Those kids took a few lumps along the way but I knew if they stuck together they would have a chance to be pretty good. That time has arrived for these guys.”

Harmony, which has been designated to play in Class 4A Suburban, remains in a district with Melbourne, Heritage and Viera. They will play a solid nondistrict schedule including Palm Bay and Haggerty. “It’s a tough schedule but it’s an absolutely fair one,” Simon said. “If we play our best, there is not a game on that schedule we can’t win, but if we are not at our best, there’s not a team on that schedule that couldn’t beat us.”

Meet Harmony High School

Coach Don Simon

LIBERTY CHARGERS

LATE START TO CHALLENGE SMITH AS HE HOPES TO BUILD ON LIBERTY MOMENTUM

BY: J. Daniel Pearson for Positively Osceola

Ideally it is not the way you want to take over a program. After being named head coach on Aug. 4 – three days AFTER the start of fall camp – new Liberty football boss Antony Smith faces a ton of challenges as he hopes to continue the path to success that Brett Munroe started last season. Smith was selected by new athletics director Lonnie Flores after Munroe stepped down in late June for health reasons. It’s been a whirlwind of duties, as Smith has been busy recruiting players from the general student body, getting to know his assistant coaches and installing his offense and defense with this new team.

“Learning the names of my players,” was Smith’s half-joking response when asked what the first few days were like. “Every day gets a little better and a little more organized but there has been a lot of challenges and very little time to find answers.” One of his main goals is to hopefully build on the momentum Brandon Pennington and Munroe created in the last two years. After a 1-10 campaign in 2018, Pennington went 4-6 the next year and Munroe won five games last season -- but were just a few points short of an 8-2 season With more than 90 percent of their rushing yardage and 100 percent of their receiving yardage graduated, Smith will face a tough rebuilding task as junior quarterback Jeremiah Pierre-Louis returns as the lone skill player with any significant playing experience. Pierre-Louis threw for 561 yards and five touchdowns last season, while rushing for 146 yards and one other in seven games last season. Smith will keep the spread offense in place to maximize Pierre-Louis’ skill set. “He’s a tremendous athlete and has looked good in the pre-season,” he said. “Right now our biggest issue is depth.

At the opening of camp we only had about 24 players in uniform. We had an open house on Aug. 6 and about 45 kids expressed an interest in playing. If we can get the majority of those players out, it will help us significantly.” Smith is hopeful that sophomore Jaylin Vaughan can step in and become the Chargers’ featured running back this season. Vaughan will replace departed senior Kervalis Scott, who rushed for nearly 900 yards last season. Victor Hernandez and Matt Tyler have stood out at wide receiver in the early going; as will Jerry Raymond – the only returning player to catch a pass in 2022.

“Between those guys, new players and a few transfers, I am not too worried about what we lost to graduation. Historically, Liberty has always had some good athletes and hopefully we will find those guys and they will emerge,” Smith said. Defensively, Liberty will employ multiple formations. Junior transfer linebacker Julius Chaves, senior defensive end Damarco Howard, and Tyler –who will play both ways – at defensive back are expected to be the leaders of the Charger defense. Smith says installing his system and building numbers will be the main goal in his first season. “Obviously any new coach and system is going to take some time to install and get everyone on board with and we are going to have our share of challenges to overcome, especially with the late start we had,” he said. “But the players have been responsive to what we are trying to do. Our goal is to just try to get better every day.”

Meet Liberty High School Coach Antony Smith

CAN CELEBRATION CONTINUE ON PATH TO SUCCESS?

BY: J. Daniel Pearson for Positively Osceola

For a program that had traditionally struggled, the FHSAA did Celebration no favors last year when they placed them in arguable the toughest district in the state with football powers Osceola, West Orange, and Dr. Phillips.

And although the Storm lost all three of those games, they still had an outstanding season under first-year Head Coach Rich Pringle – winning a school record seven games and recording just the second winning season in the school’s 19-year history.

But if Celebration is to build on that momentum, they will have to do so without Pringle – who resigned after one season to return to Polk County powerhouse Lake Gibson, where he was named that school’s new head coach after serving two years as that school’s defensive coordinator.

New coach Jeremy Palmer took over in late May and said he is optimistic that the Storm can indeed continue on a path of becoming a respectable football program. “Coach Pringle did a great job of changing the culture and expectations of Celebration Storm football. My goal is to continue to build on it. It’s not going to be easy, but we have a lot of great kids in this program that bought into what happened last year and want to see it continue.”

Duplicating the success of last year, may prove difficult.

In addition to losing a significant amount of talent to graduation from last year’s 7-4 team, Celebration saw record-setting running back Oniel Senatus (1800 rushing yards, 27 touchdowns) transfer out of the program -- which added to some massive holes on the Storm roster.

“No doubt we are going to be an extremely young team, particularly at certain positions,” Palmer admits. “But we do have some really good senior leadership on this team and if we can stay healthy we have a chance for a successful season.”

Those senior players include athletes like Griffin Davis, Foster Searcy, Brian Cui and Chip Mccuiston. Davis, who played wide receiver and defensive back last season, moves to quarterback where he is expected to take over for his older brother Dylan, who graduated last spring.

“Griffin spins the ball pretty good and had a great spring,” Palmer said of the former wide receiver/defensive back. “We knew going in to the spring we were going to have to move some athletes around and this one made a lot of sense.”

The move, will allow Searcy – who saw significant time at quarterback last year – to replace Senatus as the featured running back. He was the team’s leading tackler a year ago and will continue as the starting middle linebacker for the Storm.

“Foster is an incredibly important part to our team and we will rely on him to be on the field most of the time,” Palmer said. “He is a big, physical kid and we definitely want to run the ball this year.”

Mccuiston is the only receiver returning with more than 10 catches (44 receptions – 490 yards – 3 touchdowns) but between some younger players and two transfers, Palmer believes the receiving corps can be a major asset this season.

The biggest concerns come on the offensive and defensive lines, where Celebration with be mostly young and inexperienced. Anthony El Dib and Gavin Konopka are a pair of sophomores that will be counted on to anchor the offensive line.

Four seniors, led by Searcy and Nick Kendall, headline a solid linebacker group; while Mccuiston and Davis lead are two-way guys who will also start in the defensive backfield.

Celebration moves into District 10 of the new Class 4A Suburban where they will play Osceola, Tohopekaliga and St. Cloud. “I like this new setup as the district is a lot more compact and frankly manageable,” Palmer said. “We are playing a tough schedule, especially with some of our non-district games, but we looking forward to the challenge.”

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