St. Cloud hosts Rockledge

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St. Cloud hosts Rockledge

Sports

Wednesday, 07 September 2011 09:42

Bulldogs fall at Lakeland, 48-14

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
St. Cloud plays its home opener at Gannarelli Field Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Rockledge.

The Bulldogs, 0-1, got a taste of playoff-caliber football last week at Lakeland, where they dropped a 48-14 decision to the No. 5-ranked Class 7A Dreadnaughts.
Rockledge also enters 0-1 after losing its opener against Palm Bay, 23-0.
St. Cloud Coach Mike Short said the Bulldogs had no solution for Lakeland’s physical defense, which sacked Bulldog quarterback Phillip Steinmetz seven times.
“I said before the game that Lakeland probably had the best front seven we’d see this year, and I don’t think they’ve gotten credit for how good they are,” Short said. “We tried blocking them with five, six, seven guys and couldn’t stop them.”
Part of the problem is that the Bulldogs were down two linemen, out with injuries, and running back/linebacker Austin Ocasio is out for another month with a sprained knee ligament.
St. Cloud running back Eric Pfeifer did all he could, returning a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and scoring St. Cloud’s other touchdown on a fourth-quarter pass reception. Pfeifer had 146 return yards on three returns.
“We were probably one man away from bringing back three or four more kicks. We just couldn’t get around the edge,” Short said. “We spend a lot of time on special teams, because I believe that is a solid third of the game.”
The score was close, 14-7, in the second quarter when back-to-back St. Cloud turnovers inside its 20 led to quick Lakeland touchdowns.
“Once that happened, they got that swagger going and that was it,” he said. “I thought we’d be able to play with them through three quarters, and as it was we played with them for a half,” Short said.
Aside from Steinmetz, who was hit repeatedly, Short said the Bulldogs came back from Lakeland in good shape.
“We ran 62 plays, we threw 40 times, and he probably got hit at least 30 times,” Short said. “The thing about Phillip is that no matter how sore he is, even if he doesn’t throw one time all week in practice, he’ll be out there Friday night firing away because that’s Phillip, that’s how tough he is.”
Steinmetz was 19-of-41 for 195 yards. Brett Biller had nine catches for 78 yards. Cole Harvey had 64 yards on five receptions.
Short said receiver Jordan Reus, who has been injured, may soon return to bolster the receiving corps.
The Bulldogs’ running game managed just 65 yards, 46 of those from Steinmetz.
Short said junior center Hans Schroeder had to play both ways after injuries to other linemen.
“He probably was on the field for 100 snaps at center and nose guard, and that’s not against some little team, that’s against Lakeland,” he said.
Rockledge, like Lakeland, has a physical defensive front.
“They’ve got a nose guard who goes around 300 pounds and they’ve got a couple of quick ends, but not Lakeland quick,” Short said. “They may not be the Rockledge of 10 years ago, but they’ve got good talent. They are multiple on offense, they might do the spread on one play and the split back veer the next.”
Short said the Bulldogs are glad to be home.
“We’re excited about the home opener, about having a lot of people in the stands with all that excitement,” he said.