Prep football: Bulldogs pull away from Osky

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OSKALOOSA — It's taken a total team effort just to get ready for the season.

It took a total team effort on Friday for the Ottumwa High School football team to secure a season-opening win.

Spencer Dalbey threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another, scoring from two yards out on a game-clinching drive in the fourth quarter. Ottumwa's defense and special teams also got into the act, forcing Oskaloosa into six turnovers on the way to a 31-12 victory over the Indians on Friday night at Community Stadium.

The win was the first for Jeremey Frueh and Luke Goemaat in their new roles this season as interim co-head coaches for the Bulldog varsity football team. Frueh and Goemaat took over the reigns following the sudden departure of Phil Lite, who accepted the head coaching position at Davis County this past spring.

Dalbey put the first points of the season on the board after Oskaloosa's first possession resulted in a turnover as the Bulldogs forced a fumble on their own 24-yard-line. Dalbey found Corbin Wilson on a 16-yard touchdown pass, completing a 10-play opening drive.

Oskaloosa tied the game on a deflected pass from Tyler Edgar off Owen Johnston into the hands of Ayden Plumb for a touchdown with 3:03 left in the opening quarter. The Indians forced the Bulldogs into a punt on the next possession, but a the first of two fumbled returns resulted in a go-ahead touchdown for the Bulldogs giving Ottumwa a 12-6 lead.

Oskaloosa's fifth turnover of the game set up Dalbey's second touchdown pass as the Bulldogs recovered the ball on Osky's 11-yard-line. Dalbey fired a pass into the end zone three plays later, finding Nick Carlson for the score giving Ottumwa an 18-6 lead.

Oskaloosa drove down the field to get back in the game as Edgar scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 7:47 left, cutting Ottumwa's lead back down to six. Ottumwa responded with a 57-yard drive down the field culminating with a two-yard touchdown keeper by Dalbey with 4:30 left, giving Ottumwa a 24-12 lead.

Mason Gravett picked off a pass from Edgar, resulting in Ottumwa's sixth forced turnover of the game on the very next offensive snap of the game. The Bulldogs closed out the contest with a four-yard touchdown run by C.J. Vance with 2:12 left to secure the victory.

Ottumwa (1-0) hosts Dallas Center-Grimes next Friday at Schafer Stadium. Oskaloosa (0-1) heads to Burlington to face the Grayhounds at Bracewell Stadium on Sept. 4.

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