Published: September 25, 2008 10:55 pm      

Back in the game

Polar Bears’ Stroder leading improved Frost offense

A torn ACL during the midpoint of the 2006 season took him away from the game of football in his sophomore season.

Sticking to the hard court and the pitchers mound in 2007, Frost senior quarterback Sam Stroder is showing that he is capable of turning around what was a luck-luster offense as he continues to progress in his return to football.

Stroder led the team in offensive yardage as a running back in 2006 with 399 yards despite missing Frost’s final few games to injury that season.

This year he has already rushed for 397 yards and seven scores at quarterback — 289 of those yards coming in the loss to Ponder — as well as passing for 204 yards and one touchdown.

After focusing on baseball and basketball last year, Stroder said he is happy to be back this season.

“I’m glad I came out for my senior year,” Stroder said. “I knew I would miss it if I didn’t play because I missed it last year.

“I just wanted another chance to play and have fun.”

The work Stroder and the rest of the Polar Bears (0-4, 0-0 District 21-1A) have done leading up to this point is already a leap above where this offense was last season.

In the six games Frost played in 2007, the offense was only able to muster eight total points. In just four games this season, the Polar Bears have scored 65.

First-year Frost head coach Clark Moore is also glad Stroder is back and shaking off some of the rust.

“Sam has done really well,” Moore said. “He is smart so he has been able to do a good job at picking things up.

“When you don’t play for a year it takes a little while to get back in the mode. But he showed in the Ponder game that he can cut loose and run the ball with confidence like he did his sophomore season.”

The next test for the Polar Bears will be district opponent Italy (1-3, 0-0 District 21-1A) at home today at 7:30 p.m.

Stroder says he is confident in his team and coaches going into tonight’s game as they begin district play with a clean slate.

“We are improving and a lot better than we were at the start of the year,” Stroder said. “We have been working hard so I think we are ready for district and will do well.”

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Shawn Edwards may be contacted via e-mail at edwards@corsicanadailysun.com