OTTO-ELDRED LOOKING TO CONTINUE NEW-FOUND SUCCESS

DUKE CENTER – A year ago at this time Otto-Eldred’s football team was just happy to say it had a win. A year later things are vastly different for the Terrors.

Entering the 2003 season, Otto-Eldred was coming off a 2002 campaign that saw them break a 27-game losing streak with a win in its final contest. In 2003, they used that win as a springboard to becoming the surprise team of District 9 finishing 6-3 overall and 6-3 in the AML North. The Terrors just missed out on the District 9 Class AA playoffs losing a tiebreaker to Moniteau.

"We finished last year playing the best football I’ve seen from this school in 20 years," head coach Kerry Snow told the Olean Times-Herald. Half the battle with this team was getting the players convinced they could do it. Now we have kids out for the team this year who have never experienced a losing season. They never went nine games in a row getting their butts kicked."

In 2004, Otto-Eldred has moved down to Class A, and with an expanded eight-team playoff field the Terrors could find themselves in the District 9 postseason for the first time in school history.

But it isn’t going to be easy. Otto-Eldred must replace 4/5 of its starting offensive line from last year as well as all four of its starters on its defensive line.

"This year’s team is already starting ahead of where the program has been over the last few seasons," Snow said. "Still, we do have some concerns."

Some of the top returning players for the Terrors include guard Mike Eaton, tight end/linebacker Tyler Ferguson, RB/CB Virgil Graham, WB/CB Ryan Little and RB Josh Mesler.

Graham was Otto-Eldred’s leading rusher last season and the eighth leading rusher in District 9 gaining 891 yards on 181 carries while scoring six touchdowns. He added 11 catches for 64 yards.

Little was the Terrors top receiver with 14 catches for 300 yards and one touchdown while also rushing 30 times for 54 yards and a score.

Ferguson added 23 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown, while Mesler rushed 30 times for 118 yards and a score and caught six passes for 36 yards.

Players to watch for Otto-Eldred include QB/S Dan Terrette, RB/CB Chad Bova, TE/DE Cory Brown and SE/S Max Peiz.

Terrette saw limited action behind center in 2003 going 8-for-13 for 111 yards and one interception. Bova rushed 13 times while also catching two passes, while Brown had two carries.

Otto-Eldred starts the season Sept. 3 at Kane.