The Otis High School football team will have its work cut out in maintaining a top-three seed for the 6-man playoffs.
The Bulldogs had last weekend off as Flagler did not field a team this season. They now close out the regular season Friday at Peetz. Otis, 7-1, is No. 3 in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding and Peetz, 7-1, is No. 11.
The Bulldogs of Peetz’s only loss came earlier this month against Briggsdale 48-47, and have since beat Hi-Plains and Weldon Valley entering the regular season finale.
The playoff field will be announced after this weekend’s games. Otis is assured of opening the postseason at home.
ARICKAREE FOOTBALL
The Arickaree football team is going to have to have some things fall its way in order to open the 6-man playoff at home next weekend.
The Bison are 5-3 and ranked No. 9 in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index heading into the regular season finale Saturday afternoon at winless Bethune. They are within shouting distance of securing a top-eight seed, but it will not help that Bethune, 0-8, is the at the bottom of the 6-man Index at No. 31.
Nevertheless, the Bison will be in the playoffs and should be able to make some noise.
They enter the Bethune game on a two-game losing streak with big losses to No. 3 Otis and No. 1 Stratton the past two weeks.
Stratton, which has thoroughly dominated all opponents this season, handed Arickaree a 59-6 loss on the Bison’s home field, last Friday night.
The Eagles took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and extended it to 45-0 by halftime. Arickaree’s lone score came in the third quarter.
Stratton had 402 total yards on offense, while Arickaree was held to 132. The Bison managed 13 net yards rushing. Jorge Ramos had 39 yards and a touchdown, but the rest of the run game was minus-26 yards.
Arickaree did get 119 yards through the air. Austin Wright completed 11 of 20 passes for 98 yards, and Wyatt Sperry had one completion for 21 yards. Ramos had six catches for 45 yards, Rylee Nichols three for 40, Dillon Noletubby two for 28, and Zarron Skubal one catch for six yards.
Defensively, Cody Homm was in on nine total tackles, Nichols six, Noletubby six, Wright six, Skubal five, Ramos five, Kade Homm five, Sperry three, Keith Page two, and Angel Palomo two. K. Homm and Skubal each recovered a fumble.
OTIS VOLLEYBALL
The Otis High School volleyball team is looking good for hosting a regional match next week.
The top 12 teams in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index at the end of the regular season will host one other team for a regional, with the winner advancing to the state tournament in Denver.
Otis won the YWKC League title with a 5-0 record, and is 16-6 overall heading into a challenging regular season finale Saturday at home against Class 2A No. 2 Sedgwick County. The Bulldogs entered this week No. 5 in the 1A Index.
They picked up two wins over the past week, including a 3-0 home win over Flagler, last Thursday, 25-17, 26-24 and 25-18. Madelyn Willeke had 16 kills, Aedyn Tribelhorn 12, Kayce Perry nine, Layce Perry seven, Alli Hornung three and Crysten Goble one. Hornung had 39 setting assists. Willeke was in on six total blocks, and Goble, Hornung and L. Perry two each. Tribelhorn was 21-22 serving, Lydia Willeke 11-13 with two aces, L. Perry 11-12 with one ace, Hornung 11-11 with an ace, Karlye Bliven 8-10, and K. Perry 6-6.
The Bulldogs traveled to Bethune this past Monday, claiming a win in three sets, 25-10, 25-7 and 25-14. Individual statistics were not available at press time.
LONE STAR VOLLEYBALL
The Lone Star volleyball team will close out the regular season this week with two matches.
The Longhorns, 9-11, play at Bethune today, October 26, then are at Weldon Valley on Friday. They likely will not qualify for the 24-team regional field as they entered this week No. 29 in the Class 1A CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index.
Lone Star did not play this past week, its last match being on October 16.
ARICKAREE VOLLEYBALL
The Arickaree volleyball team is close, but the odds likely are against the Bison qualifying for the Class 1A 24-team regional field.
The Bison, 10-12, enter the regular season finale Saturday at Bethune sitting at No. 26 in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index as of this past Tuesday. Bethune, 5-15, is No. 45 in the Index so that matchup will not help the Bison much.
Arickaree has lost its last three matches, including two late last week.
The Bison hosted No. 19 Granada last Thursday, losing in four sets, 18-25, 25-14, 14-25, 18-25. Ja’Niya Smith had 10 kills, Lilly Monat seven, Raeya Schrock five, Julisa Quinteros five, Desea Spradlin three, and McKenna Jesse three. Monat had 24 setting assists. Quinteros was 18-18 serving with one ace, Monat 16-17 with two aces, Schrock 14-14 with one ace, Jesse 9-10 with an ace, Smith 7-9 with two aces, Spradlin 5-5, and Janice Kalcevic 3-3.
The Bison hosted No. 2 Stratton last Friday, losing 13-25, 10-25 and 15-25. Schrock had eight kills, Smith six, Monat four, Spradlin two, and Quinteros and Jesse one each. Monat had 14 setting assists. Schrock was 11-14 serving with one ace, Quinteros 9-9 with one ace, Monat 7-7, Jesse 5-5 with an ace, Kalcevic 5-5, and Smith 2-3.