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.

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.