It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Otis Bulldogs had no problem doing just that on Saturday. They took their game at home with ease, bagging a 61-18 victory over Branson/Kim. Considering Otis has won eight games by more than 28 points this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Otis found their leader in underclassman Mitchell Stivers, who rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Erick Thorn, who gained 103 total yards and two touchdowns.
Despite the loss, Branson/Kim still got an impressive performance from Kolter Cranson, who picked up 90 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown. Cranson was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 55 yards. Brock Doherty was another key contributor, rushing for 124 yards on only 14 carries.
The win (which was Otis' fourth in a row) raised their record to 10-1. It's not like the team was facing easy opposition over that stretch either, as it included 7-3 Peetz and 6-4 Primero (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 65.7% over those games). As for Branson/Kim, their loss dropped their record down to 8-3.
Otis will take on Cheyenne Wells at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Cheyenne Wells knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past seven games -- so hopefully Otis likes a good challenge. Branson/Kim does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
