This Friday, the Warrior football team will face off against Oxbridge Academy, a team that is ranked 15^th at the state level and 84^th in the nation. With the transition of Coach Palmer leaving and Coach Smalley taking his place, fans of the Osceola Football Team can’t really say what to expect. Considering that this is the first game of the school year, this game plays an important role in setting the pace for this season.  One thing to note, though, is that this game is not part of the regular season.  After a hard 2 weeks of practice and conditioning, the players are claiming that they are feeling nervous but ready to take the field with the ThunderWolves.

Aside from practice going on for the past couple of weeks, some of the team has been training off the clock too. #67 Jake Nicholas is now a senior at Osceola. He has been on the team since freshman year and is currently playing Right Guard. “I try to work out three times a week outside of daily practice,” Jake said.  He also adds that the football season is a very stressful time due to school starting and fulfilling Senior duties. “I am very excited for the new season to start and to see how all of our hard work pays off,” Nicholas says. The Osceola team holds mandatory practices Monday-Friday from 2:30-6. The coaches recommend players do still remain active even on off days in order to perform their best.

Oxbridge has also been training daily and due to the draw of the school’s top football program, many Oxbridge players are incredible athletes. Oxbridge’s Defensive End is one of Osceola’s biggest worries. According to max preps, Tyler Williams stands at 6.1 feet and weighs in at 290 lbs. (To see highlights of Williams go here.)Williams is also a senior, and has fully committed to play for Wake Forest next fall.  The only question at hand is if Osceola is ready to go against a team ranked so highly at both the state and national level.

As the game slowly gets closer, both players and coaches are on high alert for what is ahead of them. These next days of practice could make or break both teams. As Oxbridge makes the journey from West Palm to Seminole, students are eager to hit the stands. Tickets will be for sale Thursday and Friday at lunch for $4 however you can also get a ticket at the gate. On August 19^th, history will take place as Osceola for the first time will be kicking off to Oxbridge Academy.