The Hermann Bearcats scored six touchdowns and their defense stifled their opponents once again en route to their fourth consecutive victory over their cross-county rivals, defeating the Owensville Dutchmen 41-6 Friday night, Sep. 27.

Hermann (5-0) put up 433 total yards of offense on the road against Owensville (0-5) to dash the Dutchmens’ hopes of a homecoming win, but it was the continued stout defense that the Bearcats have trotted out every week that earned the particular praise of head coach Jed Leeper.

“Our defense gives me lots of confidence to take some shots when we have the ball,” Leeper said. “Defensive Coordinator Chris Heldt with assistant coaches Jess Robb, AJ Purdy do a fantastic job getting our guys ready and confident during our week of preparation.”

Through their first five games, Hermann is allowing just 7.8 points per game on average. They have only given up more than six points in one of those five games.

Friday’s game was no different, with Hermann’s defense bringing near constant pressure on the Dutchmen quarterback and their linebackers doing well to close off their opponents’ runs, all coming together to largely quiet Owensville’s offense and force them to punt seven times in the game.

Although Friday’s blustery, drizzling game started out with a bit of a slippery back and forth that saw Hermann lose a fumble, promptly followed by Owensville losing a fumble, and then Hermann fumbling again but recovering it, they were soon able to get on track and find some offensive consistency.

Hermann quarterback Henry Allebach completed a pass to Aiden Eikermann for their first touchdown of the game just over four minutes into the game to put them up 7-0.

As coach Leeper noted, the Bearcats feel comfortable taking shots on offense thanks to the excellent play of their defense, and that was evident in their more aggressive passing offense against the Dutchmen.

Allebach put up his best numbers of the year through the air, completing 16 of 24 passing attempts for 269 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.

He did so with completions to five receivers, including six receptions by Noland Mercier for 89 yards and five by Daeden Hopkins for 40 yards. The Bearcats’ leading receiver was Cole Traub who had 95 yards on just two catches, one of which went for a long touchdown to put Hermann up 21-0 early in the second quarter.

While Hermann did pass frequently, their running offense remained the effective option it has been all season, including touchdowns by Traub and Eikermann in the first half that staked them to a 28-6 lead heading into halftime.

They picked up where they left off to open the third quarter, driving down the field and scoring in just over two minutes on the second touchdown from Allebach to Eikermann to extend their lead to 35-6.

Their defense got more effective as the game wore on into the second half and they began to wear down Owensville’s offensive line, allowing them to get after the ball carrier more quickly and all but prevent the Dutchmen from sustaining any offensive drive.

A big hit by Kegin Sperry on Owensville’s quarterback as he released the ball in the middle of the fourth quarter forced a turnover on downs at midfield and to set up the Bearcats’ final scoring drive, a long touchdown run by sophomore Tyler Woodle.

Woodle finished the game with 56 rushing yards on three carries, one behind the team’s rushing leader Caden Humphrey’s 57 yards on 11 carries. As a team, Hermann ran the ball 21 times for 164 yards.

“I feel like being balanced offensively is important,” Leeper said of his team’s varied offensive strategy. “We are fortunate to have a number of players that can help us be difficult to defend.”

With their offense now having scored three times on the ground and three times through the air, their defense and special teams went to work putting away the Dutchmen, something they were able to do over the game’s final six minutes to secure the 41-6 win.

Although they do not punt frequently, nor do they receive many kickoffs, their special teams are another area, in addition to defense, Leeper pointed to as something often overlooked but that has contributed to their overall success this season.

“AJ Purdy, our special teams coordinator has all phases playing at a high level as well,” he said. “While our offense seems to be getting most of the attention, it’s those other two phases [defense and special teams] that set us up for success on Friday or Saturday game days!”

The win keeps Hermann undefeated and gives them a 2-0 start in Four Rivers Conference play.

The Bearcats will next play the Sullivan Eagles at home Friday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. to start their homestretch of conference games to close out the regular season.