4A Football | Ottorbech steps up as Bothell dominates Oak Harbor
BOTHELL - Bothell coach Tom Bainter paced vigorously, each step met with a short, heavy breath, in the locker room before Friday’s night’s Class 4A football quarterfinal against defending state champion Oak Harbor.
Bothell senior linebacker Cory Burk finally said something.
“I said, ‘Coach, you don’t need to be nervous. It will be OK.’ ”
It was more than OK Friday night, when top-ranked Bothell walked off the field at Pop Keeney Stadium with a 42-14 victory. Even when Bainter thinks his team might be in trouble, the top-ranked Cougars (12-0) keep rolling along. That realization was never easier than Friday night.
“I’m starting to learn this team a little bit,” Bainter said. “I’ll tell you what, they just have this attitude of, ‘Coach, settle down.’ I don’t know if I like that. I’m starting to like that a little more.
“They were ready.”
This year’s quarterfinal was nothing like last year’s state-championship game against Bothell, which Oak Harbor won 21-14. This time, the Cougars took a 28-7 lead into halftime, and they never allowed fourth-ranked Oak Harbor to get anywhere near them.
“I thought it was going to be a down-to-the-wire fight,” Bothell quarterback Johnny Hekker said. “This is just amazing.”
In next week’s semifinals, the Cougars will play the winner of today’s game between unranked Graham-Kapowsin and No. 2 Ferris of Spokane.
Oak Harbor (11-1) had won 18 consecutive games dating to Oct. 13, 2006. But the Wildcats never got in a rhythm against the Bothell defense, which forced two fumbles and intercepted quarterback Johnny Encinas twice.
Oak Harbor never forced Bothell to punt, and couldn’t stop the Cougars’ running game, especially junior Patrick Ottorbech.
By halftime, Ottorbech already had set season highs with 13 carries, 138 yards and three touchdowns. And with Bothell way ahead in the second half, his day was done.
“He’s a ticking time bomb,” said Hekker, who threw for two scores. “You never know when he’s going to go off.”
Ottorbech ran for touchdowns of 15, 10 and 36 yards. The final one came on a draw with 55 seconds left in the half.
“I saw the linebackers back up and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this play’s going to the end zone,’ ” Ottorbech said.
Bothell’s starting running back, Jonathan Kirchner, ran for 97 yards and a third-quarter touchdown. And when Hekker threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Perry Conricode with 2:54 left in the third quarter, Bothell led 42-7 and the backups got ready.
When it was done, the Bothell seniors met at the 50-yard line and lay down for one last time on the Pop Keeney turf, where they won their final 17 games. Senior lineman Theo Hunt, who had a sack Friday, made fake snow angels on the turf.
“We’re gonna miss this place a lot,” Hunt said. “It feels good to walk off as a winner. Hopefully, we’ll keep going and win it all.”
Tom Wyrwich: 206-515-5653 or twyrwich@seattletimes.com