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Tuesday November 3, 2009 Edition
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Tigers Fend Off Fierce Otters Comeback Bid in OT 20-14

Jubilant mud-caked Tigers celebrate their over time win against Otter Valley 20-14 on a rain swept Friday night October 30, 2009 at Doc Collins Field. The Tigers will now face undefeated Colchester in a Divisional play off game this weekend. The winner moves on to the Division II State Championship a week later.
photo by Mike Cameron
Jubilant mud-caked Tigers celebrate their over time win against Otter Valley 20-14 on a rain swept Friday night October 30, 2009 at Doc Collins Field. The Tigers will now face undefeated Colchester in a Divisional play off game this weekend. The winner moves on to the Division II State Championship a week later.

Tuesday November 3, 2009

By Mike Cameron

    It had all the pre-press going in that you would expect in a key play-off encounter. Two hard working teams, two excellent coaching staffs, great fan and community support and some quality kids suiting-up for possibly the final time at their respective high schools.

    It was Otter Valley Union High and Middlebury Union High teeing up the pig skin in a big Division II show down at Doc Collins Field under Friday night lights October 30th, 2009.

    For the Otters (3-3) in the league, it was a chance to prove that they are the real deal after some frustration during the year in which they lost a couple of league games early. The Otters were on the come back trail under coach Dennis Perry and Perry had a decent book on Middlebury, a team his Otters had never beaten. The math still existed for them to make the playoffs with plenty of help from others.  For example if they beat the Tigers and Milton also lost, the QPR would allow them the 4th seed, is one scenario?  

    For the Tigers (4-2) in the league, the time had arrived to punch their ticket to the post season.  After loosing two key league encounters early in the year, Middlebury had learned their lessons well and Coach Dennis Smith would bring them along the road to self confidence which they displayed large at Bennington by defeating D-I Mt. Anthony and getting some help the same weekend from Rice  Memorial who knocked off Milton.

    The Tigers knew going into the October 30th contest that the Otters were just as hungry as they were.  Parking was at a premium at Doc Collins and press coverage was abundant.  The game was a D-II biggie.  A loss would mean curtains.

    The Tigers got on the board first in this one when Devon Bradford snared a Brendan Burrell 8-yard pass in a jump ball situation deep in the corner of the end zone.  Bradford’s great effort was one of a multitude of truly spectacular individual efforts for both teams in this hard fought contest.  The point after failed.  Tigers were up 6-0 after one.

    The Otters came roaring back off the power running of bruising tail back Pete Bautista and some excellent up-front blocking support..  He powered in from the 1-yard line after a sustained drive.  The drive was also propelled by some nice ball handling from OV quarterback Zakk Williams in a driving rain squall and mean wind.  The Otters converted the point-after and were up 7-6 just before the end of the first half.  Both teams played well in the trenches and in the secondary in the first half and penalties were few and far between.  The Tigers were glad to have the services of big two way starter and Co-Captain Jimmy Danyow once again.  The Otters were getting yeoman efforts from Tri-Captain Garrett Gregorek at the corner and Co-Captain Jessey Chapin in the secondary.  OV led at the half, 7-6.

Interceptions a Tiger Trademark in 09

    The Tigers picked off the Otters no less than 5-times in this one and the giveaways took their toll in the end.  Co-Captain Ryan Foley led the Tigers secondary out of his DB position.  
 

   With a battle in the trenches taking place in the third both teams were able to stop the running game.  Midway through the third quarter Tiger Senior Kaden Odel made one of his best plays of the year as he picked off Williams and raced 25-yards down the sidelines for a Tiger TD.  That made it 13-7.  A bad snap on the point after produced a pass to the end zone, a deflection and an alert grab by the Tigers Bryan Ashley-Selleck  for a two point conversion and a 14-7 Tiger lead.  The Otters came right back with their best drive of the ball game and Williams threw a perfect 35-yard pass to Tri-Captain Joey Massores who got open and was alone in the end zone for the TD catch.  The game was tied and the Otter fans were screaming for more but time was running out. A Tiger bid for the win outright was thwarted by a three great Otter Valley defensive plays inside their own 10 yard line.  Regulation time then expired.

Anything Can Happen In OT

    It was interesting to note that of the relatively few penalty flags thrown in the entire game, the Otters were called for having a defender in the neutral zone on the first play of the overtime series.  Tigers had won the coin toss to begin OT.  With first and goal from the 5-yard line, Ryan Foley capped one of his best varsity games ever and his last at Doc Collins with a 5-yard off tackle misdirection jaunt for the go-ahead score.  The point after was snuffed with a blitz.  Tigers led 20-14 and the Otters were on deck for their shot at first and goal at the 10.  Bautista was slowed down and stopped for a short gain.  Then Williams took a direct snap and looked for a target, threw the ball to the post and the Tigers Marshall Hastings made the most important play of his young career.  Hastings intercepted in the end zone, ran it out…Game over.  The Valley Voice asked Hastings about his defensive read on the play.  “I wanted to make sure that I kept the play in front of me and when I saw the ball it looked as big as a beach ball,” Hastings explained with a huge smile. The Otter Valley season was over but they will be back next year with a ton of talent and a mission.  What a game it was.  20-14 Tigers over Otter Valley and a chance to play Colchester’s Lakers in a Division II play-off game this weekend for a shot at the Division II title.   


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