Two dominant in Rhyder Bayne and Erick Thorn are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Peetz Bulldogs will be playing at home against the Otis Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Friday, Peetz really took it to Weldon Valley for the full four quarters, racking up a 56-6 win at home. With Peetz ahead 48-0 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Peetz's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Chance Segelke, who threw for 101 yards and three touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes. Another player making a difference was Bayne, who rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Otis faced Arickaree in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Otis simply couldn't be stopped two weeks ago as they easily beat Arickaree 78-36 at home. The victory was just what Otis needed coming off of a 73-6 loss in their prior game.
Otis got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Tayte Smith out in front who rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.8 yards per carry. Austin Hornung was another key contributor, throwing for 185 yards and four touchdowns while completing 76.9% of his passes.
Peetz's win was their fourth straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 7-1. That said, the team wasn't facing the toughest opposition over that stretch, as it included 0-8 Hi-Plains and 2-6 Weldon Valley (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 28.5% over those games). As for Otis, their win bumped their record up to 7-1.
Friday's match might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Peetz has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 228.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Otis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 225.1 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Peetz against Otis when the teams last played back in September of 2019 as the squad secured a 42-14 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Otis' Christian Nation, who rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown on only 15 carries. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Peetz to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
