Football recruiting: Michael Key's career-best game helps Seminole outlast Osceola in OT
KISSIMMEE — Michael Key picked the perfect time to have the best game of his life.
The Sanford-Seminole junior scored four touchdowns — three receiving and one rushing — and helped the Seminoles beat Osceola 28-27 in overtime on Friday night.
"This is the best game I ever played," the 6-foot, 200-pound Key said. "I was locked in for this one. We knew before it was a great team. We executed all practice. We had to overcome adversity but we came out with the W."
With senior receiver Darren Lawrence (Florida State commit) serving the last of a two-game suspension from the spring, Key became the focal point of the Seminole offense on Friday.
He caught a 26-yard touchdown late in the first half that cut Osceola's lead to 14-6. Key scored a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to cut the lead to two and added a 60-yard score with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to give the Seminoles a 20-14 lead.
Key added the final touches in overtime with a 10-yard catch and run where he broke away from an Osceola defender and dove into the end zone with the ball just crossing the goal line.
"Mike Key is an unbelievable talent," Seminole coach Eric Lodge said. "He's a hard cover man-to-man. He's out there doing it all alone with our best player. Next week we'll get that guy back and they're going to be even tougher to stop.
"He's a big, physical receiver. He's very quick in and out of cuts, and when he gets the ball in his hands he's like a running back."
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Key is being recruited by several programs including USF, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Pitt and Western Kentucky.
RECRUITING NOTES
Osceola sophomore running back Taevion Swint had an outstanding game, scoring all four of the Kowboys touchdowns. Swint scored three rushing touchdowns and added a receiving score in the second quarter. Swint has scored all six of Osceola's touchdowns this season (four rushing, one receiving, one kick return). Swint's offers include Florida, Florida State, Michigan and Ole Miss. He went to UCF's season opener on Thursday.
Seminole senior quarterback Luke Rucker (FAU commit) threw three touchdown passes and also connected with junior Marvin Brown for the game-winning two point conversion in overtime.
Osceola senior defensive lineman John Walker (UCF commit) had a sack, tackle for loss and blocked an extra point.
Osceola senior defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc (Oklahoma commit) had a tackle for loss, knocked down a pass at the line in overtime and blew up a play to force a sack on a Seminole drive late in the fourth quarter.
UCF head coach Gus Malzahn was at the game in the first half before a 100-minute weather delay.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Football: Key's career-best game helps Seminole outlast Osceola in OT
