Football Otters advance to championship game

The football Otters will face Bellows Free Academy in the Division III championship game at Rutland this Saturday, Nov. 8. The game will be played at 2 p.m. at Rutland High School.

QB John Winslow
(Burlington Free Press)

The Division III championship will be sandwiched between two other football championship games. The Division II title will be decided in an 11 a.m. matchup between Rice and Fair Haven. Middlebury and St. Johnsbury will compete for the Division I championship at 5 p.m. Separate admission - $7 for adults, $4 for students and seniors - will be charged for each game. Parking is limited. A shuttlebus will transport attendees from the Home Depot parking lot to the high school.

The top-ranked Otter Valley Union High School Otters defeated the visiting Windsor Yellowjackets, 43-14, in the semifinal playoff round last weekend. The Otters only loss of the 2014 season was a one-point heart-breaker in a non-division matchup against Fair Haven in Week 1. The Bullets of Bellows Free Academy, seeded second in the playoffs, blanked the visiting Mount Abraham Eagles, 14-0, last weekend.

The Otters team bus is scheduled to depart from Otter Valley Union High School at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday. Before heading south to the game site, the bus will travel north on Route 7 and loop around downtown Brandon. Fans in Brandon are encouraged to greet the team as it passes. [Update: This circle around Brandon has been removed from the team bus schedule. The bus will proceed directly to Rutland after leaving the school.]

The game will be available for online viewing through the NFHS Network (www.nfhsnetwork.com). This is a subscription service. A 24-hour pass can be purchased for $9.99.

Congratulations to Otter athletes

The football and field hockey squads of Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon, VT, finished at the top of the regular season standings this fall and moved on into the playoffs.

The football Otters posted an unblemished 5-0 Division III record in the 2014 regular season and suffered just one narrow loss through eight games overall. That lone loss was a season-opening one-point defeat at Division II Fair Haven. The Otters led their division in regular season scoring, despite playing in one less game overall than other top division teams. The last time the football Otters finished at the top of the standings was in 2005.

Entering the postseason with the Division III top seed, the Otters defeated visiting Poultney on Saturday by a score of 41-21. At 1 p.m., Nov. 1, the Otters will host fourth-seed Windsor in the  playoffs' semifinal matchup. Windsor advanced with a 47-20 quarterfinal win over U-32.

(In the other Division III football quarterfinal games, second-ranked Fairfax defeated Woodstock, 34-22, and third-ranked Mill River fell to visiting Mount Abraham, 20-15. Mt. Abraham was seeded sixth in the playoffs.)

The Otters field hockey team finished the regular season with a perfect 7-0 Division II record and an overall record of 11-2. This is the second consecutive year the Otters have finished atop the regular season standings.

The team entered the postseason as Division II's second-seed, behind 13-1 Rice. On Friday the team shut out the seventh-seeded Mount Abraham Eagles, 1-0, to advance to the Division II semifinal game to be held in Castleton State College's Spartan Stadium this afternoon (Oct. 27).

The Otters have won five field hockey championships in their history. The team's last state championship was in 1999.

Otters notch fourth blowout win

BRANDON, VT, Oct. 19, 2013 - The Otter Valley High School varsity football team completed a 5-2 regular season (5-1 division record) with a 48-7 victory over the visiting Oxbow Olympians on Saturday afternoon at Markowski Field in Brandon. It was the fourth consecutive blowout win for the Otters, who outscored opponents 237-63 during that stretch.

Otter Valley led Oxbow 14-0 after the first quarter and added 21 more points before halftime. The score was 48-0 in the final quarter, when the Otters JV went in to finish up, allowing an Oxbow touchdown and PAT.

The Otters concluded their regular season with a 3-1 record at home. (Their only home loss was a 36-20 season-opening defeat against Division II opponent Fair Haven.) Oxbow, 3-5 overall, did not have a win on the road in four tries this season.

Otters varsity football regular season 2013:
1. Loss 36-20 vs Fair Haven-Div II (0-1)
2. Win 42-14 vs Bellows Free (1-1)
3. Loss 33-12 at Mill River (1-2)
4. Win 77-24 vs Mt. St. Joseph (2-2)
5. Win 65-13 at Poultney (3-2)
6. Win 47-19 at Winooski (4-2)
7. Win 48-7 vs Oxbow (5-2).

Otter Valley Football Schedule 2013

SLATERS 36, Otters 27

The Otter Valley Union High School varsity football team dropped to 2-7 after a season-ending 36-27 loss to the Fair Haven Slaters last night. The Otters lost six consecutive games after starting the season 2-1. Fair Haven improved to 5-4 with the victory.

The final game of the Vermont Division II regular season will be played this afternoon, when the undefeated Green Knights of Rice Memorial High School visit the 5-3 Lyndon Institute Vikings. Lyndon Institute has lost three games in a row but has a stingy defense comparable to that of Rice. Heading into that final game, the Division II Standings look like this:

Team Name	Wins	Losses
Rice Green Knights	8*	0
Bellows Falls Terriers	8	1
Burr&Burton Bulldogs	6	3
Milton Yellowjackets	6	3
Lyndon Institute Vikings	5*	3
Fair Haven Slaters	5	4
Otter Valley Otters	2	7
Union-32 Raiders	2	7
Springfield Cosmos	1	8
North Country Falcons	0	9

(* Teams have one more game to play.)

TERRIERS 54, Otters 21

The visiting Bellows Falls Union High School Terriers defeated the Otter Valley Union High School varsity football team, 54-21, yesterday afternoon at Brandon's Markowski Field. It was the fifth consecutive loss for the Otters and the third time in the past four games that the opposition has won by a margin of more than four touchdowns.

Otters quarterback John Winslow launched two long touchdown passes to receiver Brett Patterson in the game. But the Otters were overpowered by Bellows Falls' ground attack. Two Terrier ballcarriers each generated more than 200 yards of offense. Three Terriers scored two or more touchdowns on the ground.

Bellows Falls improves to 7-1 with the win and is scheduled to complete the regular season next week against the Springfield High School Cosmos. A Cosmos forfeit and a final Bellows Falls record of 8-1 are assured. The Springfield team began forfeiting games in mid-September after starting the season with two big losses and a number of injuries. (Springfield was outscored 108-6 in losses to Otter Valley and Fair Haven.) Springfield High School announced that the rest of the Division II varsity schedule had been canceled, but ten days ago rearranged the schedule to include a varsity contest against winless Montpelier.

Otter Valley, 2-6, is schedule to conclude its season on the road Friday night against the Fair Haven Slaters. The Slaters are 4-4 on the season after defeating Union-32, 40-32, yesterday.

Otters varsity hosts Bellows Falls

After four straight losses, the 2-5 Otter Valley Union High School varsity football team is taking on the Bellows Falls Union High School Terriers today at Markowski Field in Brandon.

The Terriers are in second place in Vermont Division II, behind undefeated Rice Memorial. Winners of five straight, the Bellows Falls Terriers have scored 246 points this season, while permitting just 128.

After a strong defensive start to the season, the Otters have been abused lately. They have scored just 125 points on the season, while allowing 187.

BULLDOGS 60, Otters 25

The Burr and Burton Academy offense proved too strong for the Otter Valley Union High School varsity football team yesterday afternoon. The Burr and Burton Bulldogs left Brandon with a 60-25 victory over a stunned Otters team. It was the most lopsided game Otter Valley's gridders have played this year and their most points allowed on the season.

Burr and Burton improved to 4-3 overall with the win, while the Otters fell to 2-5. After strong showings in losses against highly regarded teams the previous two weeks, the Otters had been expected to take advantage of the defensively challenged Bulldogs.

The Otters close their home season next Saturday, battling the 6-1 Bellows Falls Union High School Terriers. The final game of the Otters season will be on the road, Oct. 26, against the Fair Haven Union Slaters.

Otters host Bulldogs this afternoon

The 2-4 Otter Valley Union High School varsity football team plays host to the 3-3 Bulldogs of Burr and Burton Academy one o'clock this afternoon at Markowski Field in Brandon.

While Burr and Burton sits a notch above the Otters in the standings, the Bulldogs are not quite the caliber of team the Otters have been playing lately. Two weeks ago, Otter Valley hosted Division I powerhouse Middlebury, and last week the Otter gridders traveled to Division II leader Rice Memorial. The Otters proved a tough opponent for even the highly regarded Rice but slipped to 2-4 on the season with the 14-6 defeat.

That the Otters found ways to score against the stingy defenses of Middlebury and Rice makes them the favorite to defeat the defensively challenged Bulldogs today. In Vermont's Division II, only one team has allowed more points (through six games) this season than the 190 permitted by Burr and Burton's defense. The North Country Union Falcons gave up 263 points while going 0-6. (The Falcons dismal season continued in their seventh game last night with a 53-0 loss against Woodstock.)

Yet the Bulldog offense remains a concern. Burr and Burton has been generating a lot of points, 201 so far this year, and managed to edge a strong Lyndon Institute team, 32-38, last week. The Bulldogs other wins this season have come against the winless Springfield Cosmos and the Division I cellar-dwelling Mount Anthony Patriots.

Otters JV battles Minutemen to a 20-20 tie

The Otter Valley Union High School junior varsity football team battled the visiting Mill River Union Minutemen to a 20-20 tie in Brandon this afternoon. After bouncing back from an early deficit, the Otters dominated much of the action and held an eight point lead late in the game. A turnover, a pair of injuries and a costly penalty helped the Minutemen to a touchdown in the final minutes. A successful Mill River two-point conversion knotted the score for good.

The JV Otters are now 3-2-1 on the season. They will host the Poultney High School Blue Devils in the final home game of the season next Monday afternoon. The JV's final game of the year will be Oct. 22 at Woodstock Union.

The Otters QB Collin Eugair prepares to pass against the Minuteman defense.

Otters JV hosts Mill River Union

The Otter Valley Union High School junior varsity football team hosts the Mill River Union Minutemen this afternoon at 4 o'clock. The JV Otters are 3-2 on the season. Mill River Union is a Division III school.

GREEN KNIGHTS 14, Otters 6

The league standings don't reflect moral victories, but the Otter Valley Union High School varsity football team notched one yesterday afternoon.

The Otters fell to the undefeated Rice Memorial Green Knights by a score of 14-6. Until that game, Rice Memorial had been outscoring its opponents by an average of better than 29 to 3. The Green Knights had given up just two TDs through the first five games of the season.

The Otters slip to 2-4 on the season, while the Green Knights improve to 6-0.

Otter Valley will earn its third win of the season next Saturday afternoon, when the green and gold Burr & Burton Bulldogs come to Markowski Field in Brandon.

TIGERS 35, Otters 6

We noted in our preview that the Middlebury Union High School Tigers were highly motivated to play a strong non-conference game against the Otter Valley Union High School Otters. The Tigers certainly did play a strong game against the Otters varsity football team at Brandon's Markowski Field yesterday, winning 35-6.

Aside from attendance, there were few bright spots in the game for the smaller Otter hosts. However, it must be noted that Division II Otter Valley fared just a bit better than one of Middlebury's Division I opponents this season (Middlebury defeated Mount Anthony, 41-6, two weeks ago).

The game result drops Otter Valley to an overall record of 2-3 and improves Middlebury to 3-2.

The contest against Middlebury should be good preparation for next week, when the Otters visit South Burlington to take on the undefeated, division-leading Green Knights of Rice Memorial High School. Rice, now 5-0, defeated Division I Burlington, 16-8, on Friday and has surrendered a total of only 14 points this season while scoring 147. In a similar matchup earlier this season, the Otters were shut out, 16-0, by Lyndon Institute (also 5-0 this year, with 131 points scored and 16 points allowed).

Middlebury gridders to visit OVUHS

Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., the Otter Valley High School varsity football team hosts the Tigers of Middlebury, the only Division I opponent on the Otters' 2012 schedule. The game will be played at Markowski Field in Brandon.

The Middlebury Union High School Tigers are a perennial Division I powerhouse (7-3 in '09, 10-1 in '10 and 9-2 in '11), who have struggled at times this year. The Tigers trounced defensive pushovers Mt. Mansfield, 28-6, and Mount Anthony, 41-6, in Weeks 1 and 3 of the season. However, they lost very close contests to Essex and Rutland in Weeks 2 and 4.

(Division I is led by the Hartford High School Hurricanes and the Essex High School Hornets, both 4-0. Essex narrowly defeated Middlebury, 21-20, in Week 2 of the season. Hartford and Middlebury are not scheduled to face each other in the 2012 regular season.)

Defense has been Middlebury's strength. The 2-2 Tigers have allowed only 48 total points through the frst four games. Coming off a painful 15-13 loss to Rutland last Friday night, the Tigers will be highly motivated to capitalize on Saturday's matchup with the Division II Otters.

Otter Valley, also 2-2, had been turning in good defensive performances of its own until last week's game against Milton, in which the Otters surrendered a season-high 38 points. Before that contest, the Otters had been allowing just 13 points per game. That figure shot up to 19.5 after the Milton contest.

The Otters have not ranked among the top scoring teams in their division. Through four games, they are averaging 22 points. However, their scoring numbers are held back a bit by a Week 2 shutout by Lyndon Institute. Ignoring that game brings their per-game total up by more than a touchdown.

Otters JV defeats B&B Academy

The Otter Valley Union High School junior varsity football team bounced back from last week's disappointing home loss to Mount Abraham to notch a big win at Burr & Burton Academy yesterday afternoon. The JV Otters turned in a season-best 32 points, while holding the Bulldogs to 14. The JV squad next plays Oct. 8, when it hosts the Mill River Union Minutemen.

Varsity notes
The varsity Otters host the Division I powerhouse Middlebury Tigers at one o'clock this Saturday afternoon at Markowski Field in Brandon. They then head out on the road to face the Division II-leading Green Knights of Rice Memorial High School on Oct. 6.

YELLOWJACKETS 38, Otters 20

The Otter Valley Union High School varsity football team surrendered a season-high 38 points in a 38-20 loss to the hosting Milton High School Yellowjackets last night. Both teams are now 2-2 on the Division II season.

Milton had not been expected to put on an offensive show against the stingy Otters defense. The Yellowjackets had scored an average of just 16 points through their first three games. But those three included contests against league-leaders Rice Memorial and Lyndon Institute.(The Otters were shut out by Lyndon two weeks ago and haven't yet played Rice Memorial.) Rice Memorial has allowed only six points this season - those were all scored by Milton. Lyndon Institute has allowed just 16 on the season - those were all scored by Union-32 while Lyndon strolled to a 53-16 win last night.

Next Saturday, the Otter Valley varsity plays host to Division I powerhouse Middlebury. The black and orange Tigers of Middlebury are coming off a disappointing loss to Rutland and are just 2-2 this season. The Tigers have not had more than three losses in a season since 2008.

On Monday afternoon, the Otters junior varsity visits Manchester for a game against the Burr & Burton Academy Bulldogs.

Springfield surrenders season

Springfield High School football has reportedly decided to forfeit the remaining games on the Cosmos' Division II varsity schedule. The Cosmos had few upper classmen on the roster, and injuries have deprived it of experienced players. First-year coach Kevin Tallman and school officials decided to forfeit last Saturday's game against powerful Lyndon Institute, citing the risk to the health of inexperienced players. The school has since given up on its varsity schedule and will play in just junior varsity matchups the rest of the way.

The 0-2 Cosmos varsity was outscored by 108-6 in its two defeats this season. More significant, according to Springfield High School Principal Bob Thibault, has been the injuries. "It's not about the scores for me. It's about safety," Thibault told the Burlington Free Press. "We have young guys going up against full size, Division II opponents, who are big. It's hard for us to physically compete." Several Springfield players have suffered concussions during varsity games.

The Otter Valley Union High School varsity team defeated the Cosmos, 48-6, on the season's opening night in Springfield. Ten days later, the JV Otters beat the JV Cosmos, 30-0, on Springfield home turf.

OTTERS 20, Raiders 18

The Otter Valley Union High School varsity football team improved to 2-1 on the season with a 20-18 win yesterday afternoon over the Union-32 Raiders at Brandon's Markowski Field. The well-attended contest was the featured event of the Otter Valley Homecoming Weekend.

Union-32 drops to 1-2 with the loss. So far this season, the Otters have scored 68 points while giving up 40.  Union-32 has surrendered 90 points on the season, while scoring 58.

The Otters travel to Milton High School on Friday night to face the 1-2 Yellowjackets. Milton beat high-scoring Burr & Burton (Week 2) and lost to Lyndon Institute (Week 1) and Rice Memorial (Week 3). Its six points against Rice Memorial yesterday were the first points scored against the Green Knights of South Burlington this season. Milton has been outscored this season by a per game average of 27-16.

Otters host U-32 in homecoming

There are some similarities between the Otter Valley Union High School and Union-32 High School football teams, even beyond their common blue-and-white uniform colors. The two teams enter this afternoon's (1 p.m.) contest at Markowski Field in Brandon tied at 1-1 on the season. Each team's loss occurred as a shutout against league defensive powerhouse. (The Otters were shut out by Lyndon Institute last week, and the Raiders were shut out by Rice Memorial two weeks back. Neither Lyndon nor Rice have surrendered a single point yet this season.). The Otters and Raiders both racked up 40-plus points in their victories over winless, defensively challenged squads (the Otters beat Springfield 48-6, and the Raiders beat North Country Union 40-30.

But there are important differences between the teams, as well. And those appear likely to determine this week's outcome. 

• Otter Valley's defense has been an asset. The Otters have allowed an average of only 11 points per game this year. U-32's defense has been absent. The Raiders have permitted 70 points on the young season, an average of 35 per game.
• Otter Valley's victory over the lowly Springfield Cosmos was never in doubt. The Otters were clearly the better team from the opening kickoff. U-32's win against North Country Union was more of a contest. In a seesaw battle, the Raiders needed to come from behind twice to seal the victory.
• Finally, the Otters are playing at home today and should be fired up on Homecoming Weekend. Coach Hill reportedly fanned the flames with his remarks to the team late in the week. The Otters enter the game feeling that they have something to prove, and the Raiders are standing in their way.

Otters JV blanks Springfield

The Otter Valley Union High School junior varsity football team shut out the Springfield High School JV, 30-0, at Springfield yesterday evening. The JV Otters are now 1-1, having lost their season opener at Fair Haven last week.

Otter Valley scored four touchdowns, two extra-point kicks and two two-point conversions in the contest. Alex Hunt (oldest son of this writer) had his first statistically significant action for the Otters, breaking off a nifty run over the middle before being tripped up by a fallen Cosmos defender.

The JV next plays on Sept. 17, when the Mount Abraham High School Eagles visit Brandon for a contest at Markowski Field. The varsity gridders battle the Union-32 High School Raiders this Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Otters homecoming game.