By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

This is an opportune open date for St. Cloud in the wake of an emotionally-charged week that saw the Bulldogs lose Coach Mike Short, who resigned, and then fall to rival Osceola, 42-27, at Kowboys field.

“It’ll give us a chance to catch our breath,” interim Coach Chad Ansbaugh said. “We’ll be able to reorganize and get ready for the rest of the schedule.”

St. Cloud will host Liberty Oct. 20 for a must-win district test.

The Bulldogs, 0-6 and 0-2 in 7A District 6 after two forfeits, made a valiant second-half comeback against Osceola, 5-1 and 2-0.

Down 28-7 in the third quarter, Quarterback Phillip Steinmetz (14-33, 288, 3 TDs), who hit Cole Harvey for an 80-yard TD bomb in the first half, found Austyn Jandrew on a 39-yard TD play and connected with Harvey again from 31 yards. Harvey (2-111, 2 TDs)  stretched out to make a spectacular catch that pulled the Bulldogs within eight, 35-27, with 5:41 to play.

Jeff Spelman, who had 16 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered the ensuing onside kick to give the Bulldogs the ball at the OHS 33, but St. Cloud couldn’t take advantage and the Kowboys scored an insurance TD two minutes later.

Ansbaugh said it was an inspiring effort from the Bulldogs.

“They’re always going to leave everything they have on the field. I know other coaches say the same thing about their players, but it’s a little different in St. Cloud. It’s St. Cloud kids,” Ansbaugh said.

Steinmetz, who has thrown for a county-leading 1,076 yards and 11 TDs this season, was hit just about every time he dropped back. He barely missed a fourth TD throw when a 29-yard pass to Jandrew came up inches short of the OHS goal line. Eric Pfeifer ran in on the next play for his 10th TD of the season.

“We just kept after them. There was a lot of emotion with Coach Short (resigning), but we just came up short,” Steinmetz said.

Harvey said the Bulldogs put everything they had into the game. The team linked arms along the sideline in a show of unity before the opening kickoff.

“You put all your heart into this. It’s hard, because you’re a senior and you know you aren’t going to get another chance,” he said.

Spelman hoped that recovering the onside kick would turn the tide in the fourth quarter.

“I thought we had a chance after that, but we weren’t able to score. It’s a tough loss,” he said. “We just tried to pick each other up and stay together.”

It was Spelman’s second fumble recovery of the game. The first, in the first quarter, stopped the Kowboys inside the Bulldogs’ 10.

Ansbaugh gave credit to the Bulldogs coaching staff for having the team prepared.

“They did a great job. Tommy Jurgens (the defensive coordinator) had everything ready to go,” Ansbaugh said.

St. Cloud still can make the playoffs. If St. Cloud wins its remaining district games for a 3-2 record, it could earn the district runner-up spot.

St. Cloud received additional sanctions from the Florida High School Athletic Association Tuesday for three times dressing underclass players for both JV/freshman games and the varsity game in the same week under Short.

The FHSAA fined St. Cloud $300, forced it to forfeit games against Lakeland, Rockledge and Leesburg and placed the school on administrative probation for the second time. The school was fined $500 recently for using an ineligible player.