It was mostly rough sledding for the Otis High School boys basketball team in the Class 1A State Tournament, last week in the Bank of Colorado Events Center on the University of Northern Colorado campus in Greeley.
The Bulldogs entered the Great 8 as the second overall seed, but ended up going 1-2 over the three days.
They finished the 2024-25 season with a 22-4 record.
Otis ended up losing to the two state tournament teams they had played in the regular season, Flatirons Academy and Elbert.
The Bulldogs faced seventh-seed Flatirons Academy in the quarterfinals. The Bison had beaten Otis early in the season, and did so again last Thursday 53-34.
The game was tight through most of the first half, but the Bulldogs were held to four points in the second quarter to trail 21-14 at halftime.
Otis made a quick spurt early in the third to pull within one point. However, Flatirons Academy then asserted control to build a 42-22 lead, cruising from there to the victory.
Charlie Kendrick had 11 points and eight rebounds, Gracen Bechtle 11 points, Grady Bechtle six points and three rebounds, Gavin Price four points, and Mitchell Stivers two points and three rebounds.
The loss dropped the Bulldogs into the consolation bracket.
They were back on the court Friday afternoon against Kim/Branson, which had lost its quarterfinal to Cheyenne Wells. Otis pulled out a 65-58 win, but it was a bit nerve-wracking in the early going.
The Bulldogs trailed 18-16 before going on a nice run in the second quarter, scoring 22 points for a 38-31 lead at halftime. They continued to maintain control in the second half to advance to the consolation championship game on Saturday.
Kendrick had 19 points and six rebounds, Grady Bechtle 13 points and 17 rebounds, Cambric Klinzmann 13 points and six rebounds, Stivers seven points and two assists, Austin Hornung four points, five rebounds and three steals, and Price two points.
The Bulldogs played Elbert in the fifth-place game. They beat Elbert in the season opener, but this time it was the other Bulldogs who came out on top 53-45.
Kendrick had 10 points, four rebounds and four assists, Hornung nine points and four assists, Klinzmann eight points, five rebounds and three steals, Grady Bechtle six oints and 10 rebounds, Gracen Bechtle six points and two steals, Stivers six points and two steals, and Jacob Perry two assists.
Last week was the Otis boys’ second 1A Great 8 appearance in the past three seasons.
The state tournament concluded the high school careers of seniors Charlie Kendrick and Jacob Perry, but everyone else returns for what should be another successful season in 2025-26.