One thing is guaranteed for Nathan Cabot’s Owensville Dutchmen.

They will not have to leave Dutchmen Field in order to go for their first district title since 2016.

That is because they earned the top seed and a first-round bye in the upcoming Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3, District 4 Football Tournament thanks to their 48-44 victory Friday night over St. Clair and Priory’s 72-34 loss Saturday to Lutheran St. Charles.

Looking to go undefeated at home during the regular season, Cabot’s Dutchmen welcomed St. Clair’s Bulldogs to Owensville High School for senior night.

For OHS’ 17 seniors, it was certainly one they will remember for a long time.

That is because an Austin Lowder 11-yard touchdown run with 54.5 ticks remaining gave Owensville a 48-44 win over St. Clair.

Lowder ended his senior night with 133 yards rushing on 15 carries and four touchdowns to lead the Dutchmen ground attack.

“I’m proud of each and everyone of our guys, especially our seniors,” Cabot said. “St. Clair is a very well-coached football team that gave everything we wanted and then some.”

St. Clair started the game with the ball after Owensville won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.

A Bulldog fumble on their very first play recovered by Garrett Crosby quickly led to OHS’ first score.

Lowder found the end zone on a 3-yard TD run before Charlie Whelan’s extra point put the Dutchmen on top 7-0 at the 10:34 mark of the opening quarter.

St. Clair answered at the 4:31 mark of the period on a Cameron Simcox 8-yard TD run.

Owensville stopped the ensuing run for two points to stay in front 7-6.

Dutchmen quarterback Brendan Decker answered with a 4-yard TD run with 47.9 ticks left in the first quarter. Whelan’s kick made it 14-6 Dutchmen after 12 minutes.

Decker ran for 118 yards on 16 carries to go with 226 yards passing going 10-24 with two touchdowns.

Skyler Sanders scored for St. Clair on a 53-yard TD run cutting the Dutchmen lead to 14-12 with 9:30 until halftime after another missed two-point run.

Sixteen ticks later, Decker found Derek Brandt on a 78-yard TD pass giving OHS a 21-12 lead with 9:14 until halftime after Whelan’s kick.

Brandt caught five passes for 147 yards to lead OHS receivers.

Simcox answered for the Bulldogs on a 1-yard TD run with 5:17 for the half trimming OHS’ lead to 21-18 after the missed extra point.

Trading turnovers towards the end of the half, Owensville cashed in another St. Clair fumble on a 28-yard TD run from Lowder.

Whelan’s kick made it 28-18 at halftime following Lowder’s score at the 2:49 mark of the second quarter.

A pair of Sanders TD runs gave St. Clair a 31-28 lead after three quarters.

Decker found Bryce Payne from 34 yards away to open the fourth quarter putting OHS back in front 34-31 after the failed two-point conversion attempt.

Lowder’s final two TD runs of 33 and 11 yards in the fourth quarter helped the Dutchmen hold off the visiting Bulldogs.

Dutchmen lineman Brent Helmig suffered a knee injury in the second half and the extent of it was unknown at press time.

Sophomore defensive back Tanner Meyer led the Dutchmen with 14 total tackles on defense followed closely by Hunter Boyer with 10 total tackles and the teams’ lone sack against the Bulldogs.

“Owensville is a well-coached football team and they are tough on their home field,” St. Clair head football Brian Robbins said.