Osbourn shows its versatility

In many cases, success in high school football comes down to execution of plays. If a team can execute its game plan, it generally will win more than it loses.

Friday's Cedar Run District contest at Stonewall Jackson was a case in point. Visiting Osbourn was able to execute almost at will, while the Raiders were not. The result? A 51-19 victory for the Eagles.

Osbourn (6-3, 2-1 Cedar Run) kept its Group AAA Division 5 playoff hopes alive with the victory, while Stonewall Jackson (3-6, 0-3) lost its third consecutive game. Osbourn has a bye next week, while Stonewall plays Battlefield.

The Eagles got four touchdowns on kickoff, punt and interception returns, but added three others on offense. Thomas Keith produced 140 yards of total offense (93 rushing, 47 passing) as he ran for one touchdown and passed for another, and Rodney "Lucky" Whitehead had a receiving touchdown and a 59-yard punt return for a score.

Vidal Greene rushed for 48 yards and a touchdown, while Timmy Keith (85 yards on a kickoff), Matt Wright (22-yard interception) and Josiah Bookwalter (15-yard interception) each had returns for touchdowns. Kicker Chris Boteler added a 33-yard field goal to cap the Osbourn scoring.

"We had a short week [after playing Battlefield on Monday], so we focused on just executing the game plan and I am pleased with the outcome," Osbourn head coach Steve Schultze said. "We have been capable of this kind of output all year, but we continuously shot ourselves in the foot with penalties and turnovers. When we avoid those things, we're a good football team."

The Eagles showed they were a good football team on their second possession.

Taking over at the Stonewall 34-yard line after a short punt, Osbourn needed just two plays to score as Thomas Keith hit Whitehead with a 28-yard pass for a 7-0 lead.

The Raiders, however, showed they could be opportunistic as Jerimiah Owens fielded the ensuing kickoff at his 10, found a seam on the left side and raced down the sideline before being pushed out of bounds at the Osbourn 1. Sean Blackman carried the final yard two plays later, and the game was tied.

But not for long. Timmy Keith fielded Stonewall's kickoff at his 15, found a hole up the middle and streaked 85 yards for a touchdown to put Osbourn back in front. The Eagles were never seriously challenged after that.

"We got down and hung our heads, and you can't do that," Raiders head coach Mike Dougherty said. "We were aware of their speed and hoped to neutralize it, but when your special teams allow points like we did tonight, it quickly got us out of what we wanted to do. If that happens against a good team, the points are going to mount up."

Greene scored on a 1-yard run late in the first half to give the Eagles a 21-7 advantage at intermission, then Thomas Keith went 55 yards on the first play of the third quarter for a 21-point lead. The Raiders were forced to punt, and Whitehead returned the kick 59 yards for a 35-7 lead less than three minutes into the second half.

Meanwhile, the Osbourn defense was doing an excellent job of shutting down the Stonewall offense. The Eagles limited the Raiders to less than 50 yards of total offense in the first three quarters until Jerry Budd (104 yards on just five carries) broke free for a 52-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Stonewall scored on the final play of the game as Anthony Ashby connected with Zach Marquess for the final points of the night.

"We gave up a couple of big plays late, but I was very pleased with how our defense battled all night," Schultze said. "We used to run the single-wing exclusively, so we know what works to shut it down. We crowded the ball and put people at the point of attack. Our defense has been playing very aggressive football the last few weeks, and it's helped us become a more complete team."