Countryside Proves Too Strong for St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG – Last year, both Countryside and St. Petersburg ran the regular season table undefeated, proving to be two of the better teams in the state.

A few months later, despite both teams losing quite a few valuable players to graduation, it seemed as if the same Countryside team that took the field last season was playing in Friday’s spring game.

The Cougars jumped out to a 42-6 lead at halftime and coasted to a 49-19 win in which the fourth quarter featured a running clock.

Cougars quarterback Gray Crow and running back Diomi Roberts were two big reasons for the lopsided score. Crow threw for 207 yards in the first half with four touchdowns. He connected on passes of 66, 24, 27and 15 for scores, twice hitting tight end A.J. Sattinger for scores.

Crow, who will be a second-year starter for the Cougars this fall, gave all the credit to his rebuilt offensive line.

“All five of those guys fought all night long just for me,” Crow said. “I am proud of them. If there was a game ball to be given out, I would give them one. They fought every single play. I had plenty of time back there to throw the ball. I barely got touched.”

Crow has verbally committed to Miami.

Roberts scored two touchdowns, his first on a 34-yard run.

Unlike Countryside, the Green Devils did not have the services of a returning starter, David Jones, who injured a hamstring in track this spring and St. Petersburg coach Joe Fabrizio decided to hold him out of the game as a precaution.

But the loss couldn’t be pinned on the shoulders of his backup, Keegan Olberholzer, who was on target most of the evening.

“Keegan did a great job of throwing the ball,” Fabrizio said. “We just didn’t catch it. He was hitting people all night. It’s not his fault we dropping passes. He was hitting people.”