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.