Photos by Chad Koenen
Above: Tanner Arndt tries to shake off an Underwood defender during Friday’s game against the Rockets in Battle Lake. Below: A group of Otter Tail Central defenders take down an Underwood ball carrier. 

Otter Tail Central improved to 3-0 with a dominating 37-14 win over Underwood on Friday night. The Bulldogs rushed for nearly 250 yards and threw for another 107 yards as they controlled the tempo of the game from the onset.

The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the first quarter when OTC marched down the field and Mason Hammer from the end zone on a 10-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion was good to make the score 8-0. Later in the quarter, Tanner Arndt completed a 37-yard touchdown pass and Owen Buehler converted the two-point conversion to give OTC a 16-0 lead.

The Rockets fought back in the second quarter to make the score 16-8 when they ran it into the end zone from 5-yards out. Brien Poser converted the two-point conversion to make the game 16-8. 

The Bulldogs answered right back when Arndt ran the ball into the end zone from just 1-yard out and Calvin Stueve converted the two-point conversion to leave the game at 24-8 heading into halftime.

In the third quarter the Rockets scored their second and final touchdown when Tristian Evavold rumbled into the end zone from 33-yards out. The two-point conversion was no good to leave the score at 24-14.

Stueve answered right back for the Bulldogs as the senior running back scored on a 43-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion failed to leave the score at 30-14. 

The final score of the game came when Arndt scored on a 5-yard run and Buehler converted the point after kick to make the score 37-14. 

Arndt led the way passing by going 4-7 for 107 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 5 times for 33 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

Hammer and Stueve both rushed for 100 yards on the ground and 1 touchdown. Bricker Bladow rushed 3 times for 16 yards. 

As a team the Bulldogs outgained the Rockets by a 356 to 180 margin, while OTC did not give up a yard on the ground. OTC went 5-7 on third down and was 3-3 on fourth down. Neither team turned the ball over in the game. 

This week the Bulldogs will take on the Roseau Rams on Saturday afternoon. The game will be in Roseau at 1 p.m. 

Roseau comes into the game with an 0-3 record after falling to Warroad 22-0, Underwood 38-18 and Parkers Prairie 32-6.