Home Sweet Homecoming: Bulldogs blast Roosevelt, 52-27

By KELLY TERPSTRA, Courier sports writer

OTTUMWA — The thunder that emanated from Schafer Stadium on Friday night sent shockwaves through the state and sent a clear message to the CIML Metro — the Ottumwa Bulldogs are back.

Head coach Tom Kopatich’s squad rolled over Des Moines Roosevelt 52-27 as the Bulldogs bulldozed their way to first place in the Metro.

The Ottumwa offense was simply electric on this night as the Bulldogs cranked out 550 yards of total offense — 441 coming on the ground.

The Roughriders amassed 340 yards rushing as the game saw 79 points scored and almost 900 yards of total offense.

Ottumwa senior Connor Daily blitzed the Roughrider defense for 183 yards on the ground and three long scores on just nine carries. He found paydirt from on a 66-yard score, a 16-yard scoring blast and a 56-yard scamper. He went untouched on two of the amazing runs. Daily also had a 65-yard run called back on holding.

Ottumwa quarterback/receiver Jon Rusch also cracked the century mark in rushing, as he tallied 125 yards on 16 carries. Rusch scored on touchdown runs of 21, 1, and 20.

As is the case when any team piles up yardage on the ground, the offensive line has to be given credit.

“I think we’re getting better up front. Roosevelt has been good defensively, and to put that many points on them, we had to be blocking some people,” said Ottumwa head coach Tom Kopatich.

“It was the whole line. It was receivers cracking down and the fullback cleaning up on the linebackers. It was everybody tonight,” said OHS junior center Chris Rupe.

Cody Thie accounted for Ottumwa’s other touchdown as he found Jon Duree in the back of the end on a majestic two-yard scoring strike on a fade route.

OHS senior kicker and homecoming king Spencer Steffen kicked a 28-yard field to round out the scoring.

The point total was made even more amazing as Roosevelt came into the contesting allowing just 28 points on the season, having shut out two squads.

Roosevelt defeated 2005 CIML Metro conference champ Des Moines Lincoln 6-0 this year.

Friday night’s contest saw seven touchdowns scored of more than 20 yards. Roosevelt’s two star backs gained a total of 320 yards. The Roughriders’ Jeremy Batiste gained 164 rushing yards on 22 carries and DeSean Woods gained 156 yards on the ground. Batiste rushed for 198 yards in last season’s Ottumwa game as the Bulldogs won 35-27.

Ottumwa did not allow a passing yard as Roosevelt quarterback Roosevelt Joey Keller was 0-5 passing.

Ottumwa led 35-21 at intermission.

Ottumwa overcame a fumble on the very first play of the game that Roosevelt recovered and head coach Joe Hornback’s squad scored three players later to strike first.

“Obviously we didn’t get off to a good start with our first play but the important thing is we came right back and answered,” said Kopatich.

Two other key plays came on a fake punt by Duree and the final score before the end of the first half.

Ottumwa faced a 4th-and-3 at the Roosevelt 40-yard line midway through the second period. Duree received a high snap in punt-formation but took off running rightside for a five-yard first-down run.

Thie hooked up with Rusch left-sideline on a long 35-yard pass play a player later to make it first and goal Ottumwa at the one.

Rusch would find the end zone two plays later and the Bulldogs led 21-14 with 6:08 remaining in the half.

The Bulldogs’ final drive of the first half started as the result of a Kris Proctor fumble recovery at the Roughrider 44-yard line with 52 ticks left. Proctor also had a sack on the evening.

Duree caught a 37-yard pass along the sideline in double coverage on a 2nd-and-22 from the Roosevelt 48-yard line that had Ottumwa knocking on the door once again.

Thie’s nine-yard scramble underneath 10 seconds made it first-and-goal at the two-yard line with eight seconds left. Duree would haul in the fade-route touchdown a play later.

Each squad also had to deal with a rain that picked up late third quarter and came down relatively hard during the whole fourth quarter.

Rupe mentioned even though the big win is in the books, there is plenty of work left to do.

“It’s another step up on the ladder. We have to keep going and building on it,” said Rupe.

Ottumwa (3-2, 2-0) plays at Des Moines North on Friday.



Ottumwa 52, Des Moines Roosevelt 27

DMR 7 14 6 0 — 27

OTT 14 21 14 3 — 52

Scoring By Quarters

First Quarter

R — Jeremy Batiste 5 run (Sam Lepley kick) 10:17

O — Connor Daily 66 run (Spencer Steffen kick) 10:00

O — Jon Rusch 21 run (Steffen kick) 2:53

Second Quarter

R — DeSean Woods 32 run (Lepley kick) 9:47

O — Rusch 1 run (Steffen kick) 6:08

R — Batiste 60 run (Lepley kick) 5:55

O — Daily 16 run (Steffen kick) 1:42

O — Duree 2 pass from Cody Thie (Steffen kick) 0:04

Third Quarter

Batiste 39 run (kick blocked) 10:37

O — Daily 56 run (Steffen kick) 10:02

O — Rusch 20 run (Steffen kick) 5:07

Fourth Quarter

O — Steffen 28 field goal 8:39

TEAM STATISTICS

DMR OTT

Rushes-yards 48-340 54-441

Passing yards 0 109

Total Yards 340 550

Comp-Att-Int 0-5 6-11-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Des Moines Roosevelt

RUSHING — Batiste 22-164, Woods 20-156, Fabian Brown 1-0, Joey Keller 1-(-8), James Conley 2-24, Vicent Hanna 2-4.

PASSING — Keller 0-5-0.

RECEIVING — none.

Ottumwa

RUSHING — Daily 9-183, Rusch 16-125, Thie 5-10, Brian Wilharber 13-73, Marcus Bailey 10-45, Duree 1-5.

PASSING — Thie 5-8-95, Rusch 1-3-14.

RECEIVING — Duree 3-53, Rusch 2-41, Bailey 1-19.

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