By: J. Daniel Pearson
Positively Osceola
Published 9/27/2025
How do you react in a huge district game when your team turns the ball over three times, has two kicks blocked, gets whistled for 140 yards in penalties and averages just over 1.4 yards on 27 carries? If you are St. Cloud head coach Mike Short, you simply smile, say thank-you and take the win; as the Bulldogs held on to beat Lake Nona, 25-17, on Friday night.
The win pushed the Bulldogs to 4-2 on the season, but more importantly gave them a 1-0 record in District 10, 7A – with Friday’s win coming against the pre-season district favorite. “Extremely proud, happy, relieved and whatever else you want to write,” Short said. “It was a bizarre game, too many mistakes and penalties but we gutted it out and came away with a district win.”
Despite playing outstanding defense in limiting the Lions to 15 yards in the first quarter, St. Cloud found themselves down when Christian Cuffy returned a fumble 40 yards for a score. It came right before a lightning delay and was one of many strange calls in the game that went against St. Cloud on the night.
“When we got back in the locker room during the lightning delay, we looked at the play on the I-pad, it certainly looked like the receiver was down by contact,” Short said. “But there’s no TV reviews in high school football, so you just have to fight through those things.”
Short said the delay helped his team refocus; and after the 40-minute break the Dogs would dominate the second quarter. QB Jeremiah Lattier capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to knot the score at 7; and on the Bulldogs’ next possession, Lattier completed a 63-yard drive with a beautiful back-shoulder pass to Bryce Williams for 22-yards and a 14-7 lead.
St. Cloud’s defense would then force two back-to-back turnovers and have a chance to extend the lead at the half, but they stalled on their last possession and Melendez had his 22-yard field goal attempt blocked.
After the second half kickoff, the Dogs’ defense put Lake Nona behind the chains by forcing an intentional grounding. They then blocked a punt that Zeus Howard recovered and ran 13 yards for a score. The PAT was blocked, but St. Cloud led 20-7.
St. Cloud came up with a goal line stand, forcing Lake Nona to settle for a 30-yard field goal from Alejandro Quintero that cut the gap to 20-10. St. Cloud downed a Williams’ punt on the Lions 4 and one play later the defense forced Lions QB Lake Morgan to ground the ball in the end zone for a safety and a 22-10 lead.
Following another Lake Nona turnover, St. Cloud had a chance to make it a three-score game taking over on the Nona 39 after a Milton Caraballo interception. Lattier completed 23-yard pass to Owen Sullivan to the 16; but three subsequent plays netted just one yard and the Lions were able to keep it a two-score game after back-up kicker Jermidave Velez-Santos’ 32-yard field goal.
Lake Nona would go to their third quarterback on the day, and Luke Ramsey made it an 8-point game with a 10-yard touchdown run. The drive was aided by a 27-yard pass to Jacob Collazo and three Bulldogs’ penalties totaling 30 yards.
After the Ramsey score, a post-touchdown personal foul on St. Cloud moved the Lions kickoff to the Dogs’ 45-yard line. Still, St. Cloud recovered the onsides kick. Two plays later and facing a 3rd and 11, Lattier’s pass bounced off his receiver’s hands but the officials ruled it a completion and a Lions recovery on the 40. After a lengthy discussion, the call was correctly over-turned to an incomplete pass.
Still, it was a three and out and a Williams punt gave the Lions a last-grasp chance starting from their own 38. But the St. Cloud defense stepped it up again, forcing an incompletion and a sack. On a third and 20 play, Ramsey was intercepted by St. Cloud’s Jeremiah Barnes. Lattier then took three knees to end of the game.
“We’ve been known as offensive team for the last couple of years, but I keep telling people our defense is pretty darn good,” Short said. “I think our we may have the fastest group of defensive backs in the state and we made big plays when we had to.”
For the game, St. Cloud forced six turnovers, blocked a punt, forced a safety and had eight tackles for loss. The three Lake Nona quarterbacks were a combined 8 of 26 for 118 yards and they gained just 36 net rushing yards on 25 carries.
Offensively, Lattier was 14 of 35 for 218 with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown. Williams had three catches for 47 and a score, Stacy Taylor had five receptions for 55 yards. Overall, officials called 23 penalties for 213 yards.
In other county action, Osceola I4-2) went to 1-0 in District Play with an 18-10 win over Melbourne; while Celebration (0-5, 0-1) remained winless in a 48-7 setback to East Ridge (6-0). On Thursday, Tohopekaliga (3-2, 1-0) defeated Harmony (3-2, 0-1) Read Story Here: Tohopekaliga Tigers Capitalize on Turnovers to Top Harmony Longhorns 28-16 in District Clash ; while Gateway (2-4) beat Liberty (0-5), 20-0.
Finally, Osceola – the second-ranked team in 7A – won their fourth straight Orange Belt Conference Volleyball Championship Thursday night with a straight set win over Gateway. The Lady Kowboys (18-3) did not drop a set in sweeping Liberty, Tohopekaliga and the Panthers during the week. They have now won14 matches in a row – dropping just one of their last 41 sets during the streak.
Scoring Summary
Lake Nona 7 0 3 7 –17
St. Cloud 0 14 8 3 –25
LN: Christian Cuffy 40 fumble return (Alejandro Quintero kick)
SC: Jerimiah Lattier 1 run (Esteban Melendez kick)
SC: Bryce Williams 22 pass from Lattier (Melendez kick)
SC: Zeus Howard 13 blocked punt return (Kick failed)
LN: Quintero 32 FG
SC; Safety (Intentional Grounding End zone)
SC: Jermidave Velez-Santos 32 FG
LN: Luke Ramsey 10 Run (Quintero kick)
