ADDISON COUNTY – The Otter Valley Union High School football team won a big Division III matchup on the road on Friday, but at the same time Middlebury came up short in a pivotal D-I game and the Mount Abraham-Vergennes cooperative team saw its two-game winning streak end.
OTTERS
The Otters defeated host U-32, 26-15, to improve to 4-2 and drop the Raiders to 3-3. The game was crucial for the defending champion Otters if they wanted to host a first-round D-III playoff contest, something they now can clinch if they win their remaining league games.
U-32 took an early 9-0 lead on a safety caused by a bad snap and a 25-yard Quintin Pelzel run early in the second quarter.
The Otters answered with two touchdowns before the half to take a 14-9 lead. Quarterback Tyler Rowe tossed a 55-yard pass to Tyson Cram, and later in the period Brent Nickerson punched the ball into the end zone after a Raider fumble.
OV made it 20-9 in the third on a drive that featured Rowe’s passing to Payson Williams and was capped by a 5-yard pass to tight end William Ross. 
In the fourth quarter, Collin Parker added a 25-yard run to it 26-9 before U-32 tacked on a late TD.
OV will host Mount Abe under the lights on Friday at 7 p.m. in a non-league contest.
TIGERS
Essex improved to 4-2 by blanking the Tigers, 17-0, a result that also dropped MUHS to 4-2. Essex broke on top early, 7-0, when Justin Hines picked up a botched option pitch and returned it 85 yards. The Tigers were threatening after they got the ball on the Essex 31 when Hines fumbled the snap on a punt.
The Tigers managed just three first downs through three quarters and fell behind at the half, 10-0, on a 24-yard Anthony Hope field goal just before intermission.
Essex back Liam Coulter (22 carries, 152 yards) broke a 59-yard run in the third quarter to make it 17-0.
The Tigers twice moved inside the Hornet 10 in the second half. But a penalty moved them back late in the third period, and they missed a 35-yard field goal. They also turned the ball over on downs at the Essex 9 with 4:32 to go.
The Tigers will look to bounce back when they host Rice at 7 p.m. on Friday.
EAGLES
In D-II, defending champion Burr & Burton remained undefeated at the visiting Eagles’ expense, 43-0.
Bulldog QB Griff Stalcup completed eight of 13 attempts for 24 yards and four touchdowns before taking a seat before halftime as BBA improved to 6-0.
The Eagles will look to improve on their 2-4 mark at OV on Friday.