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Mistakes doom Dogs, 42-14 |
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Nov 26, 2009 at 12:19 AM |
By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
The final score indicated a 28-point blowout: Lake Gibson 42, St. Cloud 14.
But, how different would the outcome have been had the Bulldogs not turned the ball over while driving at the Braves’ 41 early in the third quarter of last week’s regional quarterfinal at Lake Gibson with the score knotted at 14?
“That hurt us, it changed the momentum,” St. Cloud Coach Mark Jackson said.
On the next play, Lake Gibson’s Remi Watkins, who scored four touchdowns and rushed for 230 yards, broke free up the middle for a 59-yard TD run to give the Braves their first lead at 21-14.
Jackson gambled on fourth-and-2 at the Bulldogs’ 37 on the next possession, but Lake Gibson, 7-4, stuffed a short pass play, took over, and scored six plays later for a 28-14 lead that left the Dogs reeling.
Jackson said he took the chance on fourth down because he thought his team could convert because of its no-huddle offense.
“It was there. They hadn’t been lining up fast on us all night,” he said. “We went with the quick count, but we just missed a block on a kid. It was wide open. If we make the block, James would have scored.”
Two more big plays by St. Cloud, 7-5, were negated by penalties, including a fake punt in the second quarter that would have given the Bulldogs a first down deep in Lake Gibson territory.
Those plays could have put the Bulldogs far enough ahead to take Lake Gibson out of its run-oriented game plan.
“We just made too many mistakes,” Jackson said. “We had a chance to put them away.”
Things couldn’t have started better for St. Cloud when quarterback Phillip Steinmetz (21-39-257, 2 TDs), hit James Boone on 42- and 86-yard touchdown bombs on St. Cloud’s first two possessions.
St. Cloud earned a break on the opening kickoff when Alain Moise’s pop-kick was mishandled by the Braves and Melvin Manning fell on the loose ball at the Lake Gibson 48. Three plays later, Steinmetz found Boone (11 receptions, 190 yards, 2 TDs) for their first scoring connection. Irving Huggins ran for two points to make it 8-0.
Steinmetz found Boone down the sideline for the 86-yard scoring strike on the Dogs next possession. The kick was blocked, leaving it 14-0.
The Braves regrouped on their second possession when they drove 57 yards, capped by quarterback Quinshon Odom’s 28-yard TD pass to Watson to close the gap to 14-7.
It was the beginning of a series of plays where Watson, Polk County’s leading rusher, would torment the St. Cloud defense.
Before the night was over, Watson ran for TDs of 59 and 79 yards, both in the third quarter. He also caught another TD pass from Odom for 15 yards.
Braves running back Shawndell Artis, who carried 10 times for 100 yards and a touchdown, returned a punt 56 yards in the second quarter to set up Odom’s 1-yard TD plunge that tied the score at 14 at the half.
The Braves finished with 456 total yards, 297 rushing in the second half, to the Dogs’ 338.
St. Cloud had won six games in a row and made its second consecutive playoff appearance, so Jackson preferred to look at the big picture rather than the disappointing playoff loss.
“I wish the score had been closer, but, really, I’m so proud of what these kids did, I’m so proud of their season,” he said.
The Bulldogs, after a 1-4 start, won four straight 4A District 7 games to earn their playoff berth.
“It was tough there for a while, but I knew that with the caliber of kids that we had that they could hang in there and they’d get better,” Jackson said. “They had a great year.”
Jackson looks forward to the 2010 season with Steinmetz and Huggins returning for their junior seasons along with most (eight) members of the offense.
The losses will be severe with Boone, a Division I recruit and possibly the best receiver in the school’s history, departing along with a veteran linebacking corps that includes Ray Scavone, Tyler Vaughan, Keith Mason and Jose Devito.
Jackson said the Bulldogs must get stronger to compete annually against district rival Edgewater and regional opponents like Polk County squads Lake Gibson, Bartow, Haines City and Lakeland Kathleen.
“I think right now that’s the main difference. Lake Gibson wore us down a little in the second half. We’ve got to get tougher, get stronger, to be able to play with them four quarters,” he said.
Lake Gibson hosts Edgewater Friday for the 4A-2 regional semifinal. |
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