Ottawa can’t recover from early deficit
By GREG MAST, Herald Sports Writer
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DE SOTO — If anybody arrived late, they missed most of the scoring.
De Soto hit Ottawa with a 20-point blitz in the first nearly seven minutes of the game. After that, the two teams were pretty even in the Wildcats’ 33-7 victory Friday in De Soto.
“It was brutal,” Ottawa coach Marc Bergan said about the opening minutes. “We did not respond to their enthusiasm. We can’t put four quarters together.”
De Soto made quick work of its scoring. The Wildcats scored on their second play, a 61-yard run.
After an Ottawa three and out, the Wildcats took three plays to drive 51 yards for a score. It was 13-0 with four minutes gone.
Ottawa’s next possession saw Ottawa pick up a first down, but then was forced to punt. De Soto blocked the punt, picked up the loose ball and scooted the final 8 yards for a score.
De Soto led 20-0 with 5:23 left in the first quarter.
Then things settled down.
Ottawa did give up another touchdown drive to fall behind 26-0 with 8:47 remaining in the first half.
Ottawa followed that up with a nice drive that ended with a fumble at the De Soto 22.
Bergan wanted the Cyclones to win the second half, but it turned out to be even.
Ottawa’s best drive of the season came in the third quarter.
Ottawa went 69 yards in 11 plays. Ottawa had two big pass plays and a big run on fourth down.
Dustin Burnett caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Bellinger for the score to make it 26-7 with 5:05 left in the third quarter.
De Soto answered to go up 33-7 with 57 seconds remaining in the third.
The Cyclones put together another long drive, but this one ended on downs at the Wildcat 26.
Bergan said despite being down early, he stuck with the running game and it paid off in those drives.
“Blake [Firestone] and Gene [Dydell] ran the ball hard,” Bergan said. “They are very resilient. It would be better to not get in those situations.”
De Soto’s physical play turned the tide.
“It is seniors against sophomores,” Bergan said. “We have to get [our program] to that point.”
Ottawa (0-6) plays Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas.
Greg Mast can be reached at sports@ottawaherald.com.
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