- December 4, 2025
Mainland's Lady Bucs Dance and Drill Team, majorettes, color guard and band perform before the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Air Force JROTC color guard take the field with the Lady Bucs Dance and Drill Team, majorettes and band before the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland Air Force JROTC color guard posts the colors before the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland cheerleaders get ready to welcome the football players before the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland cheerleaders welcome the football players before the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland team captains Dennis "Tank" King III (1) and Sebastian Johnson (10) shake hands with Osceola captain Alijah Jenkins (3) before the pre-season game on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Kadin Pierce-Flores (left) leads the Bucs onto the field before the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Datyona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Kadin Pierce-Flores does a back flip as he leads the Bucs onto the field before the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Datyona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland takes the field before the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Datyona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland receiver Theo Bryant runs the ball for a 16-yard kickoff return at the start of the game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Theo Bryant returns (12) to the sidelines after his 16-yard kickoff return at the start of the game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Melo Parks (5) competes with Osceola's Jamario Bradford (8) for the pass during the pre-season game on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland students cover the game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at The Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Marcus Day (left) snags his first interception of the game as Kowboy Jakyri Watson attempts to stop his momentum in their pre-season game on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland players Denzel Shropshire (9), Bubba Westbrook (19) and Marcus Day celebrate Day's interception in the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland players Cortez Waring (18) and Kiarin Sullivan (8) celebrate teammate Marcus Day's interception in the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland defensive back Marcus Day catches his first interception of the game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Osceola running back Jaxson Hardnett (9) pushes through the melee during the pre-season game against Mainland on Friday, Aug. 15 at Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Christian Cooper (left)gains yardage as Jordan Jones (16) blocks Osceola defensive back Josue Rivera (right)in the pre-season game on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Chris Butler (left) catches the pass while underpressure by Osceola defensive back Jabari Lofton (14) in the kickoff classic on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneers take a water break during the pre-season game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Osceola running back Jeffrey Sinophat dashes through the Mainland defense in the kickoff classic on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland linebacker Tamaj Woodard. Photo by Michele Meyers
Part of the Mainland defense takes the field in the kickoff classic against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Wide receiver Chris Butler (7) escapes a tackle by Osceola linebacker Colton Carter then faces defensive back Jabari Lofton (14) in the kickoff classic on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Vince Carter Jr. (left) plays around with Mainland basketball coach Joe Giddens (right) at the kickoff classic on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland defensive back Bubba Westbrook (right) tackles Osceola's Jaxson Hardnett with the help of Marcus Day (second from left) and Shawn Holmes (11) their pre-season game on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Mainland defense is all action during the game against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Water break for the Bucs during the kickoff classic against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Dennis "Tank" King III (1) and Marcus Day (2). Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Jaden "Melo" Parks catches the two-point conversion in the end zone pushing the score to 14-13 over the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland wide receiver Christian Cooper (right) stops Kowboy Nathaniel Barnett (4) in the pre-season game on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Mainland Buccaneers bow their heads in prayer after their 14-13 kickoff classic win against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland fans cheer for the Bucs at the kickoff classic against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Mainland defense battles against Osceola during the kickoff classic on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Mainland band put on a big show during haltime at the kickoff classic against Osceola on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland alumnus Vince Carter and his son Vince Carter Jr. watch the halftime show during the kickoff classic against the Osceola Kowboys on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Mainland band put on a big show with the Buccaneer during haltime at the kickoff classic against Osceola on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland brass celebrates after their halftime show at the kickoff classic against Osceola on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
A Mainland musician waits to play during the halftime show at the kickoff classic against Osceola on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland cheer coach Jenece Giddens emceed during the halftime show at the kickoff classic against Osceola on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's drumline continued after the haltime show at the kickoff classic against Osceola on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland quarterback Sebastian Johnson (10) gets ready for the handoff to running back Joshua Dudley in the kickoff classic against Osceola on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland quarterback Sebastian Johnson (10) fakes the handoff to running back Joshua Dudley (left) in the kickoff classic against Osceola on Friday, Aug. 15 at the Daytona Stadium. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland’s offense doggedly drove for three quarters with no touchdowns against Kissimmee Osceola before scoring two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter. The Buccaneers wrapped up the kickoff classic with a 14-13 win on Friday, Aug. 15, at Daytona Stadium.
Seconds into the fourth quarter, Bucs wide receiver Chris Butler caught a long pass from quarterback Sebastian Johnson in the back end zone. One minute later, wide receiver Zydarian “Hot Rod” Martin caught a quick pass just inside the end zone followed by a successful two-point conversion catch by Jaden “Melo” Parks.
Last year, Osceola was the District 6A-5 champion and finished with a 12-3 record. The Kowboys advanced to the Class 6A state championship game against West Boca Raton. The Bulls won 26-7 and the Kowboys finished as state runners-up. Mainland won District 4-5A last season to advance to the playoffs for the 31st consecutive season. The Bucs finished with a 5-6 record.
Bucs head coach Jerrime Bell said the rivalry between Mainland and Osceola spans four decades.
“They are well coached and it’s a rivalry,” he said. “It’s a friendly rival, but it’s a rivalry so they’re not going to lay down. Their uncles came here and played. Our kids, uncles and brothers and older cousins went down there and played. It’s four decades worth of rivalry and we know they’re going to battle. We’re going to battle.”
Both teams were hampered by penalties, multiple fumbles and interceptions throughout the game. Mainland defensive back Marcus Day grabbed an interception within the first few minutes of the game and two more by the final buzzer.
A win like this early in the season against an opponent that everyone in Central Florida knows — everyone in the state knows — hopefully, it says the message that this isn’t the same Mainland team as last year. We want to finish.”
— JERRIME BELL, Mainland head football coach
In the second quarter, Osceola running back Jaxson Hardnett forced his way through defenders for a touchdown. Jose Perdomo's kick brought the score to 7-0.
“We have got to stop the run better,” said Bell, adding that the Kowboys have a good stable of running backs. “We had them down to (their own) inch line and they broke like a 57-yard run. Then the very next play, they got a pass on us. So two plays going 99-plus yards, but that’s a good football team.”
Wide receiver Alijah Jenkins put the Kowboys up 13-0 in the third quarter.
Mainland linebacker Dennis “Tank” King III is in his fourth season with the Bucs and is a leader on the defense. As the Bucs remained scoreless through three quarters, King said he encouraged his teammates to keep their heads up and keep fighting.
“Before we came into the game, we already had our mindset — defense is going to play all night and offense is going do what they’ve got to do to score,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if they go to (the) fourth quarter — 00 on the clock — we’re going to school and we’re going to play ball regardless — four quarters for four downs. That’s all I can see.”
Bell said it felt good to have his players overcome adversity in front of the home crowd. He said as the team wins and city support increases, he wants to pack the stadium out.
“The kids deserve it because they work so hard,” Bell said. “A win like this early in the season against an opponent that everyone in Central Florida knows — everyone in the state knows — hopefully, it says the message that this isn’t the same Mainland team as last year. We want to finish.”
Mainland was not able to replace its Week 1 opponent after University canceled, so the Bucs will open its season on Aug. 29 at Cocoa — another state powerhouse.
