2016 PREVIEW GUIDE: St. Cloud Bulldogs Team Preview

ST. CLOUD BULLDOGS

Head Coach: Bryan Smart
District: 7A-5
2015 Record: 7-3
Offensive Formation: Spread
Defensive Formation: 3-4

RETURNING ATHLETES

Name, Height, Weight, Year, Info & 2015 Stats in parenthesis
• LB Tyler Williams, 6-1, 220, Sr. (All-District player, 3rd team AP All-State; offers from MIddle Tennessee State, Bryant University and McNeese State)
• WR Johnny Fritz, 6-3, 180, Jr. (40 catches for 600 yds., 8 TDs; All-District player; offer from University of Kentucky)
• WR Seth Johnson, 5-6, 166, So. (25 catches for 300 yds., 4 TDs; 40 rushes for 350 yds., 5 TDs
• LB Ty Hoyle, 6-2, 220, Jr. (100 tackles; All-District Linebacker)
• RB Charles Robinson, 6-1, 190, Jr. (runs a 4.4)
• OL Gabe Boyers, 6-1, 275, Sr. (All-District player)
• DB Randall Congraeves, 5-10, 195, Sr. (4 INTs, 40 tackles)

NEWCOMERS ON THE FIELD

Name, Height, Weight, Year, Additional Info in parenthesis
• OL Christian Rivera, 6-4 265, Jr. (Transfer from City of Life Christian)
• DL Matthew Roberson, 6-2, 205, Jr.
• WR Brandon Taylor, 5-6, 150, Jr. (Can fly according to the coach)
• WR Donquarius Lewis, 6’2, 165 Jr.
• DB Norrison Blackwood, 5’11, 165, Sr.
• RB/LB Brian Gembutis, 6-0, 220, Sr. (Transfer from Harmony)

2016 SCHEDULE

* – denotes district game
• Aug. 26 at Cypress Creek, 7
• Sept. 2 vs. East Ridge, 7:30
• Sept. 9 at Space Coast, 7
• Sept. 16 at Harmony, 7:30*
• Sept. 23 BYE WEEK
• Sept. 30 vs. Celebration, 7:30*
• Oct. 7 vs. Osceola (Kissimmee), 7:30
• Oct. 13 at Liberty (Kissimmee), 7:30*
• Oct. 21 vs. Lake Nona, 7:30*
• Oct. 28 vs. East River, 7:30*
• Nov. 4 at Gateway (Kissimmee), 7:30

STORYLINES TO FOLLOW

How do you replace 29 seniors?: With plenty of underclassmen, of course. The Bulldogs only have 4 offensive starters and 5 defensive starters returning and it was obvious in their spring game against Boone, a 21-0 defeat. However, don’t make too much out of just one spring game. Coach Smart had about 100 players out for spring drills so clearly there is plenty to choose from. It will be very difficult for the Bulldogs to have a similar year like season, but many players will have to step up like sophomore Seth Johnson. Coming off a successful freshman year with 25 catches for 300 yards, 4 TDs, Johnson will need to team up with Johnny Fritz to create a dynamic duo threat in the spread offense. The Bulldogs will be a young, but dangerous team to go up against this season.

Say hello to Superman: 6-1 and 220 pounds of pure power, senior linebacker Tyler Williams will be trouble for any offensive line. An All-District player and 3rd team AP All-State player, Williams leads the Bulldogs on defense as one of most promising linebackers in the Osceola Count- area. Last season, the big man led the team with 100 tackles. Coach Smart will rely heavily on Williams to be a critical leader for the young and upcoming Bulldogs. However, Williams is also a multi-sport athletes as he is one of the top weightlifters in the state, taking first place in nearly all of his meet last school year. He also placed in the top-10 in the state at the state weightlifting championships. His best lifts were a 340 bench press and a 320 clean-and-jerk. With offers from Middle Tennessee State, Bryant University, and McNeese State, Tyler Williams is definitely someone to keep on your radar in this fall.

Bulldogs find more Life: Joining head coach Bryan Smart, is former City of Life head coach Robert Trost, who stepped down after one season at the Kissimmee school. As an assistant coach now for Coach Smart, Trost looks to bring new life to the Bulldogs. An assistant for four years, Trost became the head coach for City of Life and led the Warriors to the Florida Christian Association of Public and Private Schools (FCAPPS) state semifinal round before bowing out to Donahue Catholic with a 11-1 record.

KEY NON-DISTRICT GAME TO WATCH

• Nov. 4 at Gateway – For the past decade, these two teams have faced off against each other in some highly competitive games. Going back to the 2006 season, the Bulldogs currently hold a 6-4 record against Gateway and looks to continue to hold that lead in win this season after losing to the Panthers, 26-18 at home. Expect this game to be a good one as it is the regular season finale for both teams, both who could already be locked into a playoff spot come this game.

KEY DISTRICT GAME TO WATCH

• Sept. 16th at Harmony – There is no actual harmony found between the Bulldogs and the Longhorns when it comes these two meeting up on the field. Last season, St. Cloud crushed Harmony, 57-13 at home in what turned out to be the district championship game. The season before, Harmony held St. Cloud to only a safety, winning 14-2 at home. Even on Wikipedia, the two teams are listed as top rivals. It will be a great game to say the least as it is one of St. Cloud’s biggest rivalry games next to Kissimmee Osceola on Oct. 7.

AUDIBLE FROM THE COACH

“We have a very good 10th grade class; however, not many of them have varsity experience. We were a senior-heavy team, losing 29 of them. That’s a huge number. It will be fun to play a game, that’s for sure.” – Coach Smart

THE OUTLOOK

Last season, the Bulldogs clinched their first district title since 2008 and only their second in 22 seasons dating back to 1994. It will be difficult for them to go back-to-back with an entirely new offense and with many of the players have little to no varsity experience. It wouldn’t be surprising for them to start the season off slow and progress to improve as the season heads further into October.

However, Coach Smart knows he can regroup his Bulldogs and rely on players like senior Gabe Boyers and junior transfer Christian Rivera to fill in the spots of graduates offensive lineman Ricky Cruz and Leroy Henry. Smart believes this is his most athletic group since he has taken over and will be running a spread offense that will target receiver Johnny Fritz as well as Seth Johnson as long as the Bulldogs can get solid play from their two underclassmen quarterbacks. Running back Charles Robinson will also be called upon to help out on some of the work load as well.

Defensively, Tyler Williams must step up big along with the other four returning defensive starters like DB Randall Congraeves, who had four interceptions last season to make sure the Bulldogs can hang around the games they need to stay in this season.

Overall, for the Bulldogs to return to the Class 7A playoffs for second straight season, the offense to produce well their side of the ball, something as we mentioned, could start slow for the Bulldogs. Returning will also depend on how the defense comes together as well. With plenty of newcomers, St. Cloud is for sure an upcoming, but rebuilding team compared to last year’s team. However, if they play their cards right, they may very well find themselves atop the District standings when it is all said and done.