St. Cloud takes 7A-6 runner-up slot after beating rival Horns

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

St. Cloud played its best during its biggest game of the season, and the result is that the Bulldogs are in the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

The 47-6 win over Harmony Friday before a large Gannarelli Field crowd earned the Bulldogs the 7A-6 district runner-up spot and a spot in the regional playoffs Nov. 18.

St. Cloud, 3-6 and 3-2, plays its regular-season finale Friday at 7:30 p.m. at North Marion High in Citra.

“We had our best week (of practice) all year. Everything seemed to come together,” St. Cloud Coach Chad Ansbaugh said.

Running back Eric Pfeifer (21-240, 6 TDs) tied the school record with six touchdowns. He scored four first-half touchdowns on runs of  2, 45, 8 and 7 yards and scored two more in the second half. Quarterback Phillip Steinmetz hit Austyn Jandrew for a 14-yard TD pass as St. Cloud, with 497 total yards, rolled to a 33-0 halftime lead.

The Bulldogs claimed their fourth-straight win over Harmony in the game billed as the Soldier City Classic and lead the series 4-3.

St. Cloud started by recovering an onside kick on the opening kickoff. Nick Hartman recovered a fumble and Ian McKenzie and Anthony Ellis made interceptions to key the Bulldogs’ defense.

The victory earned St. Cloud a playoff date at Lakeland, a 48-14 winner over the Bulldogs in the regular season opener Sept. 2.

“Our next two games are going to be against two formidable opponents,” Ansbaugh said.

But, after the season started with St. Cloud forfeiting its first five games for FHSAA infractions, things have balanced out, Ansbaugh said.

“All the other stuff is a formality now,” he said. “All we have to do is to go out and play our game.”

North Marion, 7-2, beat Dunnellon last week to clinch its ninth consecutive district championship in 3A-5.

“They had five turnovers last week, so they just went I-pro and stuffed it down the field,” Ansbaugh said.

The Colts losses came against Ocala Vanguard and Jacksonville Bolles.