OTTUMWA —
The Ottumwa football team looks to revive it’s winning tradition this season under first-year coach Zach Pfantz.
It will be a season defined by changes: A new coach, a new offense, a new league, a new playoff system and, hopefully, a new result.
Ottumwa will try to prove that last year’s 3-7 season — the Bulldogs’ first losing season in 21 years — was an aberration rather than a new trend.
Hopefully, an energetic new coach coupled with a brand new offense will be the perfect antidote for what ailed the football team in 2011.
Pfantz, a former Central College co-defensive coordinator, said he’s satisfied with the work his players and coaching staff put in to practice and throughout the summer.
“I feel very good about our preparation,” he said. “As players and coaches we feel good about what we’re doing.”
The Bulldogs put forth a gallant effort in their 27-0 loss to West Des Moines Valley in their home opener last Friday. The boys held the defending state champions to just seven points in the first half.
Kyle Keck turned in an inspired performance, pulling down eight receptions for 127 yards. The Bulldogs’ run defense was solid throughout; they held Tiger running back Tyus Mason to just 66 yards on 22 carries. Free safety Shawn Foster led the Bulldogs with 14 tackles and Chris Peden followed him with 13.
Despite the gritty effort, the mighty Tigers scored three touchdowns in the second half on their way to a victory.
The Bulldogs play at old Southeast 7 Conference rival Keokuk this week. The game and Ottumwa’s schedule is a direct result of decisions made by the Iowa High School Athletic Association in November 2011 and January 2012. The IHSAA decided to preserve conference play for the 24 teams participating in Class 4A football on the eastern side of the state, but it elected to split the 23 teams on the western side of the state into three divisions.
Ottumwa is among the western teams. The decision had the effect of making the CIML Metro league history and placing Ottumwa in Division 3, along with Mason City, Marshalltown, Dowling Catholic and CIML Metro rival Des Moines Hoover. The new division also will include the new school Ankeny Centennial, which won’t begin varsity play until 2013.
The IHSAA also changed the playoff qualification criteria for teams in western Iowa: The top four teams in each division will now qualify for the playoffs. This decision scrapped the old playoff point system, which hurt the Class 4A teams who played against Class 3A schools. Since the old point system is no more, Ottumwa now has a green light to play old rivals like Keokuk and Mount Pleasant — two Class 3A schools — from the Southeast 7 Conference. Since 1907, the Bulldogs have played Keokuk 64 times and Mount Pleasant 57 times.
Ottumwa will look to its team captains for leadership and inspiration. And the coaches and players decided this year’s captains are Tyler Johns, safety; Keck, wide receiver and quarterback; Jonah Wright, defensive tackle; Seth Griffiths, running back; and Foster; safety.
Griffith’s talents were on full display at the Bulldogs’ intra-squad scrimmage; he scored three touchdowns and rushed for more than 100 yards. In the home opener, Griffiths only managed to gain 34 yards on 16 carries. He did, however, get a big block on a punt early in the second half that gave the Ottumwa offense a short field to work with. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs were unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
Alex Goodvin is behind center this season for the Bulldogs. Goodvin completed 13 of 25 passes and was picked off once in the Bulldogs game against the Tigers.
The “pistol” offense Pfantz has instituted is designed to spread the defense out, the coach said.
“It’s an offense where we have a lot of options,” he said. “It provides a lot of versatility.”
The new offense worked well early against the Tigers as Goodvin was able to find Keck on several occasions.
Aside from introducing a new offense, Pfantz also is going with a platoon strategy: His players will only play on one side of the ball.
“You can stay fresher, you can get more people involved, too,” Pfantz said. “You can devote all your practice time on that side of the ball.”
Pfantz’s affinity for the platoon approach isn’t solely influenced by pragmatic on-the-field calculations: It’s also a way to reward effort.
“If our guys are going to work hard in the offseason, we’re going to try and reward them,” he said.
The platoon strategy, however, isn’t set in stone.
“There are some guys who might see some time on both sides of the ball,” Pfantz said.
Sports
August 23, 2012
PIGSKIN PREVIEW: Bulldogs look to revive winning tradition
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