CUBA — Building up a 28-0 halftime lead, Nathan Cabot’s Owensville Dutchmen were well on their way to their third-straight victory to open the 2021 high school football season.

Nearly doubling their point total in the second half, OHS claimed Highway 19 gridiron bragging rights over Cuba’s Wildcats by a 53-8 final score.

“We’re proud of the things we did right tonight,” Cabot said. “There are still things we need to work on but we’re heading in the right direction going into (Four Rivers) conference play.”

Winning the toss and deferring to the second half, the Dutchmen defense was tested first against the Cuba Wildcat offense.

Allowing Cuba to reach midfield, a Hunter Boyer sack led to a Wildcat punting situation putting the OHS offense on the field.

Traveling 88 yards in three plays, Austin Lowder capped the drive with a 76-yard touchdown run at the 6:35 mark of the opening quarter. Charlie Whelan’s extra point gave the Dutchmen an early 7-0 lead.

Lowder ended his night with a team-high 165 yards rushing on eight carries and two touchdowns.

Cuba nearly answered Owensville on their next drive.

Seeing the Wildcats drive all the way down to their 5-yard line, OHS forced a pair of incomplete passes causing a turnover on downs.

Eating up the rest of the first-quarter clock, Cabot’s Dutchmen doubled their lead two plays into the second quarter.

Set up by a Derek Brandt 31-yard run to close the first quarter, Dutchmen senior quarterback Brendan Decker scored on an 11-yard TD run two plays into the second quarter.

Whelan’s kick doubled the Owensville lead to 14-0 with 11:51 until halftime.

Cuba once again drove into OHS territory only to be turned away after three consecutive incomplete passes at the 5:31 mark of the half.

Taking over at their 32-yard line, OHS traveled 68 yards in five plays capped by a Decker 49-yard TD run with 1:27 until halftime.

Decker rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries to go with his 167 yards through the air on 7-11 passing and three more scores.

Whelan’s kick pushed the Dutchmen lead to 21-0.

Four plays into Cuba’s next drive, Tanner Meyer intercepted an Evan Highley pass giving the OHS offense one more shot at the end zone before halftime.

Starting from the Cuba 38-yard line, Owensville scored four plays later when Decker hooked up with Bryce Payne on a 14-yard TD pass.

Payne led OHS receivers 79 yards on two catches both going for touchdowns.

Whelan’s kick with 34.6 for the first half gave the Dutchmen a 28-0 halftime lead.

Overcoming a Cuba interception to open the third quarter, Decker redeemed himself on OHS’ next drive.

One play after getting sacked, Decker found Payne wide open on a 66-yard TD strike at the 9:10 mark of the third quarter.

Whelan’s missed extra point left Owensville’s lead at 34-0.

After the Dutchmen defense forced a quick three-and-out, OHS looked to start the running clock with a score on their next drive.

Five plays later, Decker found Brandt on a 39-yard TD pass at the 5:43 mark of the third quarter.

Whelan’s second missed extra point of the game left the Dutchmen lead at 40-0.

Taking a 40-0 lead into the fourth quarter, Owensville was 12 minutes away from a shutout.

Nearly two minutes into the final quarter, Cuba found the end zone for a touchdown and the ensuing 2-point conversion cutting the Dutchmen lead to 40-8.

A Lowder 53-yard TD run along with a Dominic Grigaitis 25-yard fumble return for a score capped the scoring for Owensville.

Dezmyn Moore forced the fumble that Grigaitis returned for the final touchdown of the game.

Brent Helmig and Brandt both registered a team-high 14 tackles to lead the Dutchmen defense.

Lowder, Helmig and Boyer each had a quarterback sack.