Bulldogs to wrap up regular season against Hancock

Quarterback Braxtyn Cameron steps up in the pocket to deliver a strike during the second half of Friday’s district game against Border West.

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

After the Bulldogs have been able to run all over their opponents so far this season, the Border West Buccaneers flipped the script on Otter Tail Central on Friday night as they rushed for 366 yards and passed for another 102 yards in a 43-14 win over OTC. The Bulldogs rushed for 236 yards, but were jut 5-13 on third down as they were unable to keep enough dries alive to keep pace with Border West.

Tayden Soma follows a group of Otter Tail Central blockers, including William Schwartz, during Friday’s game in Battle Lake.

The Buccaneers scored a pair of first quarter touchdowns when Holden Rinke scored on a 16-yard run and Brody Nachbor scored on a 47-yard scamper to make the score 14-0 in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs made a game of it in the second quarter as Teigan Bjerke scored on a 10-yard run to make the score 14-6, before Nachbor scored a pair of Border West touchdowns on a three-yard run and a 57-yard run late in the second quarter to make the score 30-6 in favor of the Buccaneers.

The final OTC touchdown came on a Braxton Cameron three-yard run in the third quarter to make the score 30-14, but it wasn’t enough as Nachbor scored his fourth touchdown of the game on a six-yard run in the third quarter and Owen Deal scored on a 13-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to make the final score 43-14 in favor of Border West.

A group of Otter Tail Central tacklers, including Erik Stans, Maddox Mekalson and Teigan Bjerke bring down a Border West ball carrier.

Braxtyn Cameron went 10-15 for 75 yards through the air, with an interception, for OTC. William Schwartz led the Bulldogs on the ground with 69 yards om 15 carries, while Bjerke carried the ball 10 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. 

Anthony Rousu rushed six times for 48 yards and Tayden Soma rushed three times for 20 yards. 

Max Mekalson was the leading receiver with four catches for 30 yards, while Schwartz caught three passes for 27 yards. Steven Mills caught one pass for nine yards, Bjerke caught one pass for eight yards and Elijah Fronning caught one pass for one yard.

Anthony Rousu breaks off a long run on Friday night.

The loss drops OTC to 5-2 overall as they will hit the road to take on 10th ranked and undefeated Hancock on Wednesday night. The Owls, who are 7-0 on the season, average 49.4 points per game on offense, while giving up just 15.7 points per game on defense. Last week the Owls defeated Hillcrest by a score of 32-28.

OTC, on the other hand, averages 29.4 points per game on offense, while giving up 28.4 points per game on defense.

The Section 4 9-man tournament kicks off next week and OTC will likely be at home for the first round of the tournament. The Bulldogs are currently in third place in the section, but have a chance to move up in the standings barring the outcomes of the games on Wednesday night. 

First Quarter

Junior Foster-Faaaliga chases down a Border West quarterback on Friday night.

BW- TD Holden Rinke 16 Yd Run (Brody Nachbor Run For Two-Point Conversion)

BW- TD Brody Nachbor 47 Yd Run (Failed Two-Point Conversion)

Second Quarter

OTC- TD Teigan Bjerke10 Yd Run (Failed Two-Point Conversion)

BW- TD Brody Nachbor 3 Yd Run (Brody Nachbor Run For Two-Point Conversion)

BW- TDBrody Nachbor 57 Yd Run (Brody Nachbor Run For Two-Point Conversion)

Third Quarter

OTC- TD Braxton Cameron 3 Yd Run (Two-Point Conversion)

BW- TD Brody Nachbor 6 Yd Run (Grady Fischer Kick)

Fourth Quarter

BW- TD Owen Deal 13 Yd Run (Grady Fischer Kick No Good)