OKEECHOBEE- The Okeechobee High School Brahman football team fell to the Frostproof Bulldogs 28-0 on Sept. 24.

It was Okeechobee’s first game back after a two week layoff. The Brahmans last saw the field back on Sept. 3 when they played Fort Pierce Central. They were originally scheduled to play Frostproof on Sept. 10, but inclement weather forced the game to be called. Okeechobee was then set to travel to face Archbishop McCarthy, but a covid exposure caused that game to be canceled.

When the Brahmans took the field to finally play their rescheduled game against Frostproof on Sept. 24, it was clear there was still a little rust for the Okeechobee squad.

Things started promising. The Okeechobee defense forced a fumble on Frostproof’s opening possession, but the Brahman offense returned the favor and fumbled the ball back to Frostproof on the very next play.

The Bulldog offense didn’t have much room to work with in the first quarter. The Brahman defense was swarming to the ball, making Frostproof earn every yard. But Okeechobee’s offense was out of sync, and couldn’t capitalize on the big stops the defense was creating. The Bulldogs finally broke though for a touchdown in the final seconds of the first quarter to go up 7-0.

Okeechobee sophomore Damarion Mitchell was a clutch receiver for the Brahmans throughout the game. Multiple times junior quarterback Michael Burgarelli connected with Mitchell on third and longs. Mitchell even helped convert a fourth down in the second quarter. But all throughout the game Okeechobee had trouble in the redzone.

The Brahmans would get downfield, but then stall in the redzone. Late in the second quarter Frostproof had gone up 14-0 with only a minute left in the first half when one of the crazier plays of the night unfolded.

Needing a score before halftime, Burgarelli dropped back to pass and attempted to hit Mitchell on a 50-yard bomb near the Bulldog sideline. The ball bounced off of Mitchell’s hands, and into the arms of Okeechobee junior Enoch Busbin just beside hime. Normally you wouldn’t want two receivers that close to each other when running routes, but it worked out for the Brahmans this time. Busbin caught the ball in stride without missing a beat, and rumbled down to the 23-yard line of Frostproof.

But the Brahmans couldn’t punch the ball into the endzone before halftime.

Frostproof’s defensive line shutdown the Okeechobee running game, which contributed to the Brahman’s struggles in the redzone.

Next the Brahmans host the 3-1 Pahokee Blue Devils on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.