The Otis High School football team will be on the road again this week, but with a bit more of a challenge after opening the 2022 season last Friday with a blowout win.
The Bulldogs are at Briggsdale on Friday following an impressive opener, a 53-0 win at Kit Carson on August 29. Briggsdale also is 1-0 following a key 13-7 win at Idalia, last Friday. Briggsdale is ranked No. 9 this week in the Class A 6-man Top 10, while Idalia dropped out of the rankings from No. 5. Otis currently is just outside the Top 10, and likely would jump into the rankings with a win at Briggsdale.
Kit Carson had been a 6-man power for many years, but recently has fallen on hard times.
Otis continued that trend with the blowout win last Friday at Kit Carson.
The Bulldogs raced out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and tacked on 14 more points in the second for a 28-0 halftime lead. They kept it up in the second half, scoring 12 in the third and 13 in the fourth while the defense pitched a shutout.
Tayte Smith had 12 rushes for 85 yards and two touchdowns, Mitchell Stivers seven runs for 80 yards and a TD, Erick Thorn three for 76 yards, Charlie Kendrick six for 49 yards and a score, and Garrett Patterson scored a touchdown.
Smith also completed all three of his passes for 67 yards and three touchdowns. Carter Wells completed this three passes, as well, for 48 yards. Jack Willeke had four receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns, Sawyer Packer one catch for nine yards and a TD, and Taylor Ringlein one for 11 yards.
The strong defensive effort included 11 total tackles by Smith, 11 by Kendrick, six by Bohnen Klinzmann, six by Ringlein, five for Thorn, four for Willeke, three for Peyton Wells, two by Stivers, and one each for Austin Hornung, Blake Stivers, and Patterson. Willeke and Ringlein each had a sack. Kendrick had an interception, and Hornung recovered a fumble.
Arickaree rolls
The Arickaree football team will get a chance to solidify its standing when it heads to the hills for a non-league game at North Park, Friday afternoon.
The newly-named Bison rolled in their 2022 opener last Thursday, 54-0 over Bethune at Arickaree. They are ranked No. 8 in the 6-man Top 10, after opening the season ranked ninth. North Park, located in Walden, opened its season with a 45-12 loss at Fleming, ranked No. 2 in 6-man.
Arickaree wasted little time in its season opener, racing out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter. The Bison led 48-0 by halftime.
Logan Wright carried a big load, rushing for 227 yards and five touchdowns on eight carries, while Austin Wright ran for 41 yards and two TDs on nine carries. L. Wright completed one pass for 14 yards to Bryce Shaffer, and A. Wright one for 26 yards to Dillon Noletubby.
The shutout defensive effort was led by Zarron Skubal with 13 total tackles, L. Wright 10, A. Wright 10, Noletubby eight, Jacob Jefferson five, Hayden Page five, Shaffer four, Raul Machado three, and Keith Page one. Clay Axtell grabbed an interception, and Skubal recovered a fumble.