MOKANE — A chance to play against someone other than themselves.

That is what Nathan Cabot’s Owensville Dutchmen football team got Friday night during a six-team preseason jamboree hosted by South Callaway High School in Mokane.

“Getting out here and going against somebody besides ourselves is always a good preseason warm up,” Cabot said. 

One side of the field was a sea of blue and white with Hermann’s Bearcats, Montgomery County’s Wildcats and Russellville’s Indians all facing off against each other.

Owensville’s Dutchmen were on the opposite side of the field taking on the host Bulldogs and Fulton’s Hornets.

Starting out with a fumble on the opening play of the jamboree against South Callaway, Cabot’s Dutchmen offense quickly bounced back from the miscue.

Junior quarterback Blake Elliott kept the ball himself taking off 40 yards for a touchdown with help from his offensive line opening up a nice hole.

“Blake (Elliott) is going to be an integral part of our offense,” Cabot said. “We’re going to be a time that can move the ball a little bit and put it in other athlete’s hands.”  

Two plays after a 30-yard run by Tanner Meyer, Elliott found the end zone once again on a 4-yard touchdown run.

Also among the 18 plays on offense, Elliott completed a 15-yard pass to Whelan.

Sophomore quarterback Connor Fisher had a 10-yard run before completing a 36-yard pass play to Luke Reed on Owensville’s last offensive play before switching to defense against the Bulldogs.

Defensive highlights for OHS against South Callaway saw Austin Long with a fumble recovery to go along with four tackles from sophomore linebacker Jaden Gerlemann.

“He (Gerlemann) has really come a long way for us working hard and doing the right things in practice,” Cabot said.

Closing their portion of the jamboree from Callaway County, Owensville took on Fulton’s Hornets out of the North Central Missouri Conference (NCMC).

Following a fumble on the opening play against the Hornets, Meyer picked up the offense with a 29-yard run setting up Elliott’s third rushing touchdown of the night from six yards away.

Fisher nearly joined the touchdown fun on a 26-yard completion to Charlie Whelan before a penalty flag for an ineligible man down field took the score away.

Down to their last play on offense against the Hornets, junior running Braydan McDaniel ran it in from two yards out giving the Owensville offense two scores against Fulton.

Adding to his four stops against the Bulldogs, Gerlemann recorded a tackle-for-loss against Fulton to cap a solid night for him.

Cabot’s Dutchmen will open their season Friday night against Cuba’s Wildcats marking the first time in a handful of years that Potosi’s Trojans will not be Owensville’s season-opening opponent on the gridiron.

In addition to the opening of another football season at Owensville High School, the OHS Class of 1972 will be holding their 50-year class reunion over the weekend.

As part of their festivities, members of the 1972 Owensville Dutchmen football in attendance for the reunion will present football plaques to then head coach Jack Blount and his assistant coach Marshall Schaefferkoetter during halftime of OHS’ Highway 19 showdown with Cuba.