By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Less than two weeks before football practice begins, more than 100 players from Gateway, St. Cloud, Osceola and Liberty high schools participated at the Powerade Football Combine Challenge Tuesday at Gateway’s David Ridenour Athletic Complex.

The athletes were tested by DeBartolo Sports in a variety of skills including the 50-yard dash, the three-cone drill, the vertical leap, the shuttle run, the standing broad jump and strength testing using heavy ropes.

Mike Short, the St. Cloud High coach, said most of his players were on hand Tuesday. The combine results can be accessed by college recruiters, he said. It also gave his players another summer workout option, he said.

“We’re ready to go,” Short said. “We’re getting antsy waiting for Aug. 8.”

The Bulldogs have been busy all summer attending 7-on-7 competitions in addition to other activities such as a Navy SEAL-style workout on the shore of East Lake Toho two weeks ago.

“We had kids running through the sand and doing the team-building drills like the SEALs do,” he said. “It was something different to change things up.”

Gateway Coach Marlin Roberts said the combine happened quickly. Normally, football combines are held in June and again after the season. He initially was concerned about having enough athletes turn out when the combine was announced last week, but the morning and afternoon sessions quickly filled.

“Our guys are all here,” Roberts said.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors were tested at no cost.

The top five athletes from the combine received an invitation to Tom Shaw’s High School Speed Camp next week. Shaw trains many of the nation’s elite pro athletes, including NFL players.