Huggins' 4 TDs powers 'Dogs 27-18 win

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Huggins' 4 TDs powers 'Dogs 27-18 win

County News

Friday, 01 October 2010 23:14

By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

When you've had a long week, two hours or so on the football field can have a way of making things feel more normal.

Especially when you win; just ask St. Cloud's Bill Buldini.

Bulldog senior Irving Huggins rushed for 122 yards and four touchdowns, including a 40-yarder late in the game on a third-and-8 that salted away a 27-18 victory Friday at Tom Gannarelli Field.

Huggins said his first thought on the play was just to get a first down and force the Trojans to use their final timeout -- until he broke into the secondary and had a lane.

"Then I just thought 'touchdown,' that nobody was going to stop me and that we were going to win," he said. "We've had a long week and we've had to overcome a lot of adversity."

Focus was at a premium for St. Cloud this week, as head coach Bill Buldini was re-instated after being forced to sit out last week's 20-17 loss to Edgewater after he allegedly had been letting a homeless player reside with him, an infraction of FHSAA rules.

Buldini said that a come-from-behind victory against an Evans team with speed and size will help the Bulldog program get back to normal.

"It's good to get back and get this win," he said. "It's been a long week, and you didn't know what to expect until the ball's snapped. I'm proud of this guys for taking control and putting us back on a winning track."

That fragile focus was clear early, as Evans (2-2) kept the ball most of the first quarter thanks to a nearly seven minute drive to open the game that ended with Dominique Tarver's 6-yard quarterback keeper for a TD. It was 6-0 after the PAT try was blocked.

The Bulldogs (3-2) got a big boost from its defense, as Melvin Manning ended Evans' next drive with an interception, and the offense turned it into points three minutes, nine plays and 65 yards later on Huggins' first score from one yard out, but another blocked PAT left it tied at 6.

St. Cloud's offense got right back on the field after an Evans three-and-out, and, set up by two scrambles including a 24-yarder, Huggins scored again from the 1 37 seconds before halftime. Steinmetz then hit Brett Biller on the two-point conversion for a 14-6 lead at the break.

The Bulldogs' scored in the third quarter off another Manning interception, and Huggins capped the 12-play, 72-yard drive with a 10-yard scoring run that made it 20-6 late in the third quarter, but Evans would narrow the gap to 20-18 in just six minutes of clock time after the Trojans got their passing game in gear after three of their first four passes were intercepted.

Tarver hit Drexler Dixon on a 63-touchdown pass, and connections of 17 and 18 yards set up Tarver's 5-yard touchdown run with 9:42 left in the game. The Trojans got the ball at their 43 with 6:25 to play down 20-18, but went backwards before punting and later watching Huggins run away with the game.

St. Cloud rolled up 343 yards, including 274 on the ground as Steinmetz added 109 yards on 13 carries.

The Bulldogs jump back into Class 4A District 7 play next week when they host Orlando East River, who defeated Ocoee on Friday to move to 4-0.