Picking up from last week’s recap of Owensville Dutchmen football’s district-championship season last fall, Cabot’s Dutchmen entered a key week seven match up with Union’s Wildcats looking to stay in the hunt for a Four Rivers Conference (FRC) title.

Leading 26-14 just beyond the midway point of the third quarter on the road in Franklin County, OHS saw the host Wildcats score a pair of touchdown in the final 4:57 of the period to hand the Dutchmen just their second loss of the season by a final score of 28-26.

Finding the end zone for Owensville against Union were senior running backs Austin Lowder and Alan Kopp in addition to senior wide receivers Dezmyn Moore and Derek Brandt.

Lowder rushed for a team-high 119 yards while senior quarterback Brendan Decker threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns in the air.

Senior linebacker Alan Kopp recorded a team-high 14 tackles for the Dutchmen defense.

Returning to the friendly confines of Dutchmen Field for the first of their final two regular season games, Owensville took on Sullivan’s Eagles in Four Rivers Conference (FRC) gridiron action with the possibility of these two teams meeting again in the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3, District 4 tournament.

Falling behind 6-0 midway through the first quarter, Owensville rattled off 35 unanswered points the rest of the game before going on to a 35-6 victory over the visiting Eagles.

Taking a 7-6 lead late in the first quarter on a Brendan Decker to Charlie Whelan 5-yard touchdown pass, Cabot’s Dutchmen defense forced Sullivan into four turnovers with two of them leading to touchdowns in the second quarter in the form of a Decker to Austin Lowder touchdown pass and a Derek Brandt 30-yard interception return for a score.

Owensville’s victory over Sullivan set up another crucial showdown in week nine with St. Clair’s Bulldogs visiting Dutchmen Field for senior night.

After members of the OHS band, color guard, cross country and football teams were recognized, Owensville and St. Clair engaged in a classic shootout on the football field.

Scoring a touchdown with 54.5 seconds remaining in regulation, senior Austin Lowder helped Owensville make it a memorable night with a 48-44 victory that in combination with a 72-34 loss by Priory to Lutheran (St. Charles) gave the Dutchmen home-field advantage throughout districts.

Earning a first-round bye as the top seed, Owensville once again met up with Sullivan’s Eagles in the district semifinals.

Leading 35-14 near the midway point of the third quarter, OHS nearly saw their season end via a second-half rally by the Eagles who were looking to avenge a loss to the Dutchmen just weeks ago.

Thanks to a Garrett Crosby fumble recovery and a turnover on downs, Owensville held on for a 35-28 victory advancing them to the district championship game against Priory’s Ravens.

Tied at 20-20 going into halftime, Owensville outscored the Ravens 20-6 in the second half to go on to win their first district title in football since 2016.

Matched up against Cardinal Ritter’s Lions in the Class 3 quarterfinals on the road, Owensville could not overcome an early turnover which sent the momentum over to the Lions before they ended Owensville’s season after a 48-6 loss in St. Louis.