Osbourn Could Be Back Again In 2009
BLACKSBURG, VA- The Division 6 AAA state championship game was between the Tigers of Oscar Smith and the Eagles of Osbourn. The nationally top-10 ranked Tigers turned out to be a little more than the young Eagles could handle. The Tigers of Oscar Smith would end up winning by a score of 54 to 24.
Oscar Smith jumped out early on a Phillip Sims strike over the middle to Tim Smith for 34 yards on the games opening drive for a score.
Osbourn would bounce back on their next drive with Thomas Keith breaking off several big runs from the QB position to keep the Eagles moving down the field but eventually stall out and are forced to punt.
Only six minutes into the game the Tigers would find Tim Smith again for a 64 yard score on a screen pass making the score 13-0 after a blocked extra point.
Oscar Smith would jump out to a 20-0 lead after a Matias Parker touchdown catch from 12 yards out with five seconds into the second quarter and their confidence was soaring by this point, making things no easier than the Eagles. The tigers would continue to stretch their lead for the remainder of the game.
Tim Smith had a remarkable performance that could not be overlooked by catching four touchdowns on his first four catches for over 200 yards and broke the VHSL touchdown record for most touchdown catches in a playoff game. This record breaking mark came only half way through the second quarter. He would finish with six catches for four touchdowns and 224 yards.
Also on a record-breaking day we have to note that Phillip Sims broke the record for passing touchdowns in a game by tossing six passes for scores. Sims already holds the record for most passes completed in a playoff game and most yards in a playoff game. Sims will have one more year to break records as he is only a junior.
Though Osbourn would fall to Oscar Park they were a true Cinderella story in these playoffs. It was no easy road to the finals for Osbourn as they had to beat four undefeated teams to make it to the title game.
Osbourn could by no means be downed or discredited as they showed several signs of the bright players to come and they showed heart all game no matter how large the deficit was.
They are a young team that some may argue got to the playoffs a year before they were expected to. They finished the regular season with four losses but they won when it counted and stayed alive to make it to the state championship game.
"We started of inconsistent but we came back with a vengeance," said head coach Steve Schultze of his teams season. "We battled and competed and came together and learned a lot about ourselves and each other and the team really became one."
The young standouts on Osbourn will likely have a huge impact on the state playoffs next year. The Eagles junior quarterback Thomas Keith showed some great talent for next year. He broke off several big runs that resulted in majority of the few Eagles first downs. He also threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns.
"I guess in the first half I wasn't giving it my all, but when we went to the locker rooms everyone's speeches about it being the last game really got me motivated," said Thomas Keith. Hopefully, now that he has been in the big game once he will know what to expect if they return next year.
Sophomore Timmy Keith, the younger of the Keith brothers, was not to be outdone as he showed his speed and hands throughout the game. He had one touchdown, a two-point conversion, and missed another 40 yard touchdown reception by half a yard after by being downed inside the one. He finished with 6 catches for 66 yards on the day.
Another young talent is the junior running back/wide receiver hybrid with great hands, Steve Slayton. Slayton had a miraculous catch laying on his back with an Oscar Smith defender on him. The Eagles can hope for more of the same next year from their talented junior.
The defensive side of the ball looked somewhat tattered for Osbourn but keep in mind that they are loaded with juniors and sophomores who were playing against one of Virginia's finest wide receivers. What better to condition a young player than playing against the best after all?
A key defensive player to watch is the big man Marcus Matthews, who is a sophomore that stands at 6'3 and weighs 275 pounds. He showed good sign in the championship game with good speed from the defensive tackle position.
"I was proud of how hard our kids fought and continued to fight throughout the game," said Schultze.
The Eagles should not let this loss waver them as they are state-runner ups and return many of their key starters. Maybe they should take over the newly crowned division 5 state champion Phoebus's motto of "unfinished business" that they adopted after their 2007 elimination from the playoffs. Phoebus lived and died by this motto and showed us in 2008 what happens when you believe, so Osbourn could do the same in 2009 with their young talent.
