Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Liberty and St. Cloud have combined for just two wins this season, but the winner of today’s 7:30 p.m. game at Charger field will remain alive in the 7A-6 district race.

Both teams lost to playoff-caliber opponents last week.

Liberty, 1-5 and 1-1, fell to high-powered Class 8A Freedom, 51-27, while St. Cloud, 1-5 and 0-2, lost at Rockledge, 42-6.

The Chargers offense was effective at Freedom (403 yards), Coach David Benson said, but stopping the Patriots was a problem.

“We knew what we were dealing with going in. Really, nobody all season as stopped them from scoring,” Benson said. “You almost have to outscore them to beat them. If they have the ball, they’re going to score.”

Liberty’s Jalen Benn (153 yards, 2 TDs) broke an 80-yard touchdown run and had another 40-yard run for the Chargers.

Benson thinks Liberty’s difficult schedule, where all but two opponents have a winning record, will help the team as it begins a three-game stretch of district games.

“We’ve played four teams that probably will get into the playoffs. I set up the schedule that way two years ago because you have to be prepared to play against good teams if you want to be in the playoffs,” Benson said.

The question now is, are the Chargers prepared to make a playoff run?

“Last year going into this game we were a very, very young team and we didn’t want to put a lot of pressure on,” Benson said. “But, at this point, it’s time to make your move. Either you are a team that is ready to make a push and take that step to reach the playoffs, or you’re not.”

St. Cloud has been in the playoffs three times in four years, but the Bulldogs have struggled most of the season after losing much of their offensive firepower to graduation.

Recently, the loss of quarterback/defensive back E.J. Mckenzie to a knee injury proved to be another setback.

The Bulldogs, like the Chargers, have faced strong competition through their first six games. Four of their losses are against Lakeland, Gateway, Osceola and Rockledge, teams that are a combined 24-3.

The Bulldogs defense forced four turnovers at Rockledge, but the Raiders returned the favor with four interceptions.

St. Cloud’s Eric Pfeifer ran for 114 yards and a touchdown at Rockledge, 5-2.