ADDISON COUNTY — The Middlebury and Mount Abraham/Vergennes football teams posted road wins over the weekend, but Otter Valley came up short away from home in a pivotal Division III clash.
TIGERS
On Friday night, the 3-0 Tigers got their ground game going in a 28-6 D-I win at Colchester. Nick Felkl (156 yards on 11 carries) and Jakob Trautwein (133 yards on 12 attempts) rushed for almost 300 of the Tigers 397 yards, and each also scored two touchdowns.
Colchester (0-3) took a 6-0 lead on its opening possession, but a 39-yard Trautwein run and the first of two Josh Stearns point-after kicks made it 7-6. In the second quarter, Felkl busted loose for a 78-yard scoring run, and it was 13-7 at the half.
Felkl added an 11-yard run in the third, and a two-point conversion made it 21-6. A five-yard Trautwein run and a Stearns kick in the fourth quarter created the final score. Tiger quarterback Austin Robinson completed four of seven passes for 49 yards and ran 11 times for 43 yards.
The Tiger defense held the Lakers to 193 yards, including 72 yards rushing on 25 attempts. Laker QB J.P. Olson went 14 for 29 passing for 121 yards, including a 10-yard TD pass to Pascal Bechade.
OTTERS
On Friday night, host Mill River improved to 3-0 in D-III action by topping OV, 33-12. MRU QB Mark Goyette ran for two scores and tossed for two to tight end Tyler Pitts, and Minuteman tailback Dan Blanchard ran for 202 yards in 55 carries and scored MRU’s other TD on a 66-yard run. MRU racked up 16 first downs and 337 yards in taking a 26-6 halftime lead.
OV scored in the first half on a 40-yard pass from QB John Winslow to Joey Scarborough, who caught seven passes for 134 yards.
OV dug in in the second half and cut MRU’s final yardage advantage to 428-415. Overall, Winslow completed 20 of 35 passes for 289 yards, including a second-half score to Vytas Nielson, but he was intercepted three times. Winslow also ran seven times for 66 yards. MRU held OV back Mike Winslow to 24 yards on seven carries.
OV dropped to 1-2, with its other loss to undefeated D-II team Fair Haven.
EAGLES
On Saturday, Tommy Lee Hodsden rushed for 300 yards on 23 carries and scored three touchdowns as the Eagles topped host BFA-Fairfax, 28-20. Mount Abe improved to 2-1.
Hodsden’s third TD came on a three-yard run in the fourth quarter and snapped a 20-20 halftime time. In the second quarter, he ran for scores of 82 and 90 yards.
A full report on this game will appear in Thursday’s Independent.