Football team makes huge comeback, defeats Ottawa 28-27
DHS defensive line gets ready to face the Ottawa offense, leading to several huge stops and a Wildcat win for the first game of the season on Sept 2.
The De Soto High School football team won its season opener in dramatic fashion with a 28-27 comeback battle against Ottawa High School on Sept. 2.
The Wildcats had a slow first half and found themselves down to the Cyclones 14-0 with 4:26 left in the second quarter. Junior Jack Barger scored the Wildcats’ first touchdown with 2:00 left in the second quarter, but Ottawa scored quickly with 37 seconds left in the half, leaving the Wildcats trailing 21-7 at the break.
DHS overcame the first-half mistakes starting in the third quarter with a touchdown by senior Max Barger, to close the gap to 21-14. With several huge stops by the defense, junior Bryce Mohl was able to tie it up 21-21 with 9:53 left in the game.
Ottawa made two big passes, scoring soon after Mohl’s TD with 8:56 left on the clock. However, a pivotal block on the PAT by junior Trevor Gress left the Wildcats only trailing by six, 27-21.
The Wildcats were able to claim their victory when Mohl connected with junior Darren Winans for a 52-yard touchdown pass. With a PAT by junior Ethan Rodriguez, DHS took its first lead of the night, making the score 28-27.
Nearing the end of the game, the defense was able to make another crucial stop, and the Wildcats took 28-27 win over the Cyclones.
“[The game] honestly kind of played out the way we thought it was going to. [OHS] is a really good, physical team,” head coach Brian King said. “We just kept talking this week about how we’re going to have to learn to overcome adversity. Every time we have adverse situations, we have to come together, pick each other up, and come back a little sharper and a little more physical. The kids just kind of stuck to that mentality and overcame it towards the end of the night.”
King credited the offensive line, as they were able to overcome Ottawa’s size and “get it done,” but said that the win was overall a full team effort.
The team will spend the next week preparing for their second game of the season against Bonner Springs High School on Sept. 9.
Senior Daric Coffee has high hopes for the next game and the rest of the season, saying that the team is going to “keep preparing hard every week and bring out the same intensity like we did tonight.”
