OTC ends season with a record of 6-4 overall

Justin Redfield and Teigan Bjerke bring down a Rothsay Tiger ball carrier during last week’s section football quarterfinal game in Henning. The Bulldogs won by a score of 34-24, before falling to Border West on Saturday to end their season.

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The Otter Tail Central Bulldogs ran into a buzz saw on Saturday when they fell to Border West by a score of 51-8 in the Section 4 9-man football tournament. The loss ends the Bulldogs season with a record of 6-4, after they defeated Rothsay in the opening round of the section tournament on Tuesday night.

William Schwartz breaks a tackle during last week’s home game against Rothsay. 

Border West will now take on eighth ranked and undefeated Hancock on Thursday night at the FargoDome for the section championship. 

Tuesday

OTC trailed 16-8 early in the second quarter, before Teigan Bjerke scored three straight touchdowns to put the Bulldogs in front for good on Tuesday night over an upset-minded Rothsay Tigers team.

Sixth seeded Rothsay kicked off the scoring on Tuesday night on a Karson Jensen one-yard run. The Tigers converted the two-point conversion to take an early 8-0 lead. The Bulldogs struck right back when Braxtyn Cameron found Maddox Mekalson on a 27-yard touchdown pass to make the score 8-6. William Schwartz converted the two-point conversion to tie the game up at 8-8.

Photo by Chad Koenen
Maddox Mekalson and Tayden Soma bring down a Rothsay ball carrier on Tuesday night.

Dawson Leabo put the Tigers back in front early in the second quarter when he scored on a one-yard run and Jensen converted the two-point conversion to give the Tigers a 16-8 lead. It would be the last time the Tigers would score on the OTC defense until late in the fourth quarter with the game all-but decided.

Bjerke answered the Leabo touchdown with a pair of second quarter touchdown runs of his own from both eight yards and one yard out to give OTC a narrow 20-16 lead at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Bjerke scored his third touchdown of the game on a three-yard run. Cameron converted the two-point conversion to give the Bulldogs a 26-16 lead. 

Tayden Soma gave OTC a bit of breathing room as he scored on a 38-yard scamper down the sidelines to give the Bulldogs a 24-16 lead. The Tigers added a late touchdown on a 78-yard run to make the final score 34-24.

Despite running 10 fewer plays than the Tigers, OTC outgained the Tigers 379-267 in total offense. The Bulldogs passed for just 34 yards, but rushed for 345 yards. They also picked up 21 first downs and were 6-7 on third downs. 

William Schwartz led the way on the ground with 117 yards on just 14 carries, while Bjerke rushed 21 times for 115 yards and three touchdowns. Soma rushed three times for 56 yards, Cameron rushed six times for 52 yards and Elijah Fronning rushed one time for five yards. 

Cameron was just 2-4 passing for 34 yards, while Mekalson caught one pass for 27 yards and a touchdown and Schwartz caught the other for seven yards.