Othello drops 27-14 decision to Prosser
Bob Barrett Photo - Reese Jones takes Prosser's Noah Flores into the end-zone with him to score Othello's first touchdown Friday night.
OTHELLO — It is possible the Othello Huskie football team earned more respect for its 27-14 loss Friday night to the visiting Prosser Mustangs than they gained from their previous seven victories.
The Huskies’ victories over weaker league opponents did not require the same effort, determination and tough play the Mustangs demanded, and received, from the Othello side. Twice the Huskies led on the scoreboard against the defending state champs.
“If anybody doubted our team, I think they showed they can play,” Huskie coach Roger Hoell said. “Our kids played tough. Last year, they smoked us. We no doubt have things to clean up, but really this is the way to go into the play-offs with a nice progression of tough teams.”
Othello took over on its own 17-yard line after stopping a fourth down attempt by the Mustangs on Prosser’s first possession.
Kyler Villarreal took over at quarterback for D.J. Guzman, who injured his wrist on his throwing hand late in the previous week’s homecoming victory over Quincy.
After a pair of short incomplete passes and a shovel pass to Reese Jones, Villarreal broke loose on a quarterback keeper up the middle for a 65-yard gain to the Mustang 7-yard line.
Jones got the final two yards for the opening score and, after Jose Chairez kicked the extra point, Othello was up 7-0 just five minutes into the game.
Prosser responded with an effective ground game, moving the ball into Huskie territory and culminating with a 13-yard touchdown run by Kord Tuttle to tie the game at 7-7.
After Prosser’s touchdown, Guzman returned to lead the Huskies offense at quarterback.
The Huskie defense stepped up with big plays to stop the Mustangs. Twice the Huskies forced Prosser to turn the ball over on downs after recovering an Othello fumble.
Isaiah Perez and Mike Garcia tackled Prosser’s Kolby Swift for a loss, and Huskie cornerback Micah Giles knocked down a fourth down pass to give the Huskies the ball on their own 25-yard line.
After Hilmes gained a few yards up the middle on first down, Guzman fired a long bomb to Kyler Villarreal on the far sideline. Villarreal caught the ball and outran the Mustang defense for a 68-yard touchdown to give Othello a 14-7 lead with just 47 seconds left in the first half.
“The pass to Kyler was a great ball. He threw it up and, as soon as Kyler looked up, it was there,” Hoell said. “The line play was pretty clean.”
The Mustangs responded immediately. Prosser’s Noah Flores returned the ensuing kickoff to the Othello 13, and Tanner Bolt threw a touchdown pass to Chase Courtney to tie the score at 14-14 with 15 seconds remaining in the half.
“It was supposed to be a deep left kick, but we kicked it right into the middle and we ran into a nine-man wedge,” Hoell said. “That was a momentum changer. We hit a big play, but we gave it right back.”
Prosser’s line dominated the play in the second half. The Mustangs outgained the Huskies on the ground, rushing 40 times for 208 yards.
“They found a weakness in our defense, and they started attacking it in the second quarter,” Hoell said.
Prosser running back Kolby Swift scored on a 51-yard run early in the third quarter, and Bolt connected on a seven-yard score to Tyler Durbin with five minutes remaining to give the Mustangs their final 27-14 margin of victory.
The Huskies out-gained the Mustangs in the air. Guzman and Villarreal combined were 8 for 13 for 106 yards while Bolt was 9 for 21 for 92 yards.
Prosser loaded the box with eight defenders to shut down the Huskie running attack. Jones worked hard to gain 63 yards on 17 carries while Hilmes gained 32 yards on eight rushes.
The loss means the Huskies have to beat Ellensburg Thursday night and hope the Selah Vikings can upset the Prosser Mustangs. If Othello and Selah both win, the Huskies would be league champions and earn a berth into the state tournament.
An Othello loss or a Prosser win means the Huskies finish third. The third place CWAC team will travel to Pullman to meet the Great Northern League champion Greyhounds on Saturday, Nov. 5, with the winner earning a berth into the state tournament.