By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

St. Cloud is clinging to faint hopes of returning to the football playoffs as it hosts Celebration Friday at 7:30 p.m. for a 7A District 6 game.

The Bulldogs’ 21-20 come-from-behind win at Liberty last week kept St. Cloud, 2-5 and 1-2, in the playoff hunt. The Bulldogs have reached the playoffs three times over the past four years.

Celebration, 0-8 and 0-3, was eliminated from the playoff chase last week and simply seeks a victory, something the team has not enjoyed since the 2010 season finale, a 42-12 win over Lakeland Christian, 18 losses ago.

“We actually played pretty good,” Storm Coach Ed Meierkort said of his team’s effort against Gateway last week, a 49-6 loss. “What hurts us is that Quentin (Lewis), our free safety, is our best defensive player, and with (quarterback) Will (Santry) out, he’s had to fill in there and that’s hurt us defensively. He’s actually done a fairly good job at quarterback, but he’s also our best cover guy.”

Meierkort said Santry practiced Monday and should play at St. Cloud.

The Bulldogs have tried several quarterbacks after E.J. Mckenzie went down for the season with a knee injury at Gateway last month. Junior Matt Chavel played at Liberty last week and helped the Bulldogs rally from a 14-0 halftime deficit.

The St. Cloud defense forced two turnovers to start the second half as Dennis Nunez and Shaquan Drayton recovered fumbles. Nunez and Ryan Benoit sacked Chargers quarterback Isaiah Wilson and Dennis Rincon blocked a first-half field goal attempt to keep the Bulldogs close.

Bulldogs running back Eric Pfeifer continued to anchor the offense, carrying 28 times for 133 yards. He scored all three St. Cloud touchdowns.

“He’s a good player, somebody that every team who plays them wants to take away,” Meierkort said.

“The problem isn’t identifying what they are doing, that’s the easy part. It’s having the ability to actually get in there and do something about it.”

For St. Cloud to remain in the playoff race, it must beat Celebration and then Harmony next week, then hope for an improbable series of upsets involving Osceola and Gateway.

Poinciana was eliminated from the 5A-7 playoff race last week after its 59-7 loss to Lake Nona.

The Eagles, 1-6 and 0-3, go to Port Orange Atlantic Friday at 7:30 p.m. for a district contest.