HERMANN — Spoil Hermann’s homecoming and bring back the Gasconade County Bowl trophy.

Those were two of among several things Dustin Howard’s Owensville Dutchmen football team looked to do Friday night at Hermann High School’s Bearcat Memorial Stadium during Four Rivers Conference (FRC) gridiron action in northern Gasconade County.

Trailing 14-6 after one quarter, Owensville made two trips into Hermann territory coming away scoreless.

Only able to score one more touchdown in the second half, Howard’s Dutchmen will now have to wait another year to bring the Gasconade County Bowl trophy back to Owensville after falling 35-12.

“We were outplayed and outcoached by a very good Hermann football team tonight,” Howard said. “We moved the ball on offense but could not finish drives when we needed to.”

Owensville started the game with the football but were forced into a quick three-and-out by the Bearcat defense.

“I’m proud of how my guys played and represented themselves,” Hermann head football coach Jed Leeper said.

Forcing Hermann into a fourth-and-three situation at the Owensville 39-yard line, the Dutchmen were one play from keeping the game scoreless near the midway point of the first quarter.

Hermann senior quarterback Trenton Lampkin found Nolan Brune on a 39-yard touchdown strike at the 6:56 mark of the first quarter giving the host Bearcats a 7-0 lead following Brune’s kicked extra point.

Over four minutes later, Owensville answered on their next drive.

Dutchmen senior quarterback Blake Elliott utilized his arms and legs on the drive.

An Elliott to Chase Crosby 11-yard pass completion gave OHS their first first down of the game before an Isaiah Gates 12-yard run moved the Dutchmen offense into Hermann territory.

Isaiah rushed for a team-high 130 yards on 20 carries and a score.

Facing third-and-15 at the Hermann 39, Elliott connected with Zaiden Gates on a 32-yard pass play setting up first and goal at the Hermann 7-yard line.

Zaiden led Dutchmen receivers with five catches for 62 yards.

On the very next play, Elliott found fellow senior Tanner Meyer for a 7-yard TD pass at the 2:29 mark of the first quarter.

Elliott was 10-20 passing for 92 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Without the services of Johannes Berg due to a violation of team rules, OHS went for two.

Seeing it fail, the Dutchmen trailed 7-6 late in the opening quarter.

Two plays and 24 seconds later, Hermann answered on a Lampkin 43-yard TD run giving the Bearcats a 14-6 lead after Brune’s second extra point of the game.

Lampkin ran for 95 yards on 12 carries while throwing for 194 yards on 14-19 passing with three touchdowns and an interception.

Trailing 14-6 after one quarter, Owensville traded turnovers with Hermann before the Bearcats got a 5-yard TD pass from Lampkin to Daeden Hopkins on the final play of the half for a 21-6 lead.

Owensville’s last score came with 1:47 for the third quarter on an Elliott to Landon Ely 13-yard TD pass leaving OHS trailing 21-12 after another missed 2-point conversion.

Fourth-quarter touchdowns from Lampkin on the ground and another Lampkin to Hopkins connection gave Hermann their final margin of victory.

Jaden Gerlemann led the Dutchmen defense with a game-high 20 tackles while Luke Reed recovered a fumble and Meyer had an interception.

Brady Grosse led Hermann’s defense with 10 total tackles followed by nine from Cole Traub.