By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

The new-look St. Cloud Bulldogs made an unhappy debut under Coach Brad Lennox at their spring game Thursday at Gannarelli Field.

Ocoee dominated three varsity quarters, 30-3, giving Lennox and his staff much to think about before regular season practice starts in two and a half months.

“We need to grow up. There was no fight at all, nothing,” Lennox said after the game. “I’m embarrassed.”

Part of the problem for St. Cloud was that Ocoee has talent.

“They’re a good football team. They’re Osceola quick,” Lennox said. “They’re better than people give them credit for.”

But, the Bulldogs made things a lot easier for Ocoee by turning the ball over, botching a punt attempt and frequently jumping offside. St. Cloud was flagged eight times for 45 yards.

The Knights scored in the second quarter – after the Ocoee JV team won the opening period, 16-0 – on Rohan Hylton’s 2-yard plunge up the middle with 55 seconds left in the period.

Knights quarterback Bobby Lyons found receiver Quincey Woods on a 20-yard slant pass for a touchdown early in the second half, and Hylton scored from the 1 with 4:20 play in the third period, making it 21-0.

St. Cloud’s offense sputtered most of the night as quarterbacks E.J. Mckenzie and Ian Rinehart were constantly pressured by the Ocoee defense.

Rinehart was sacked in the end zone to make it 23-0.

The Bulldogs defense provided some spark in the second half when Daniel Rincon intercepted a pass and linebacker Austin Ocasio returned a fumble 40 yards to set up St. Cloud’s only score, a 23-yard field goal by Robbie Martinez, making it 23-3 early in the fourth quarter. Travon Williams’ 35-yard run put St. Cloud in field goal position.

Ocoee scored on a 25-yard TD play midway through the final period to cap the scoring.

St. Cloud tried spread and pro sets, but not much worked. The Bulldogs produced just 74 total yards through three periods. Ocoee tallied 175 total yards.

It, like St. Cloud, was plagued by penalties (9-70) and had a 75-yard kickoff return nullified by holding.

“There’s not a lot I can say,” Lennox said.

The Bulldogs next play Aug. 24 in the Kickoff Classic against West Orange.