The Ottawa Hills Bengals entered the 2021 season on a 15-game losing skid. In their opener, they nearly snapped the streak before falling to crosstown rival Union. In their second game, the Bengals took on Benton Harbor, and they finally got over the hump. A 20-12 victory against the Tigers was Ottawa Hills’ first since August 30, 2019.
Offense was at a premium in the first three quarters of this game, as the game was deadlocked at 6-6. Ottawa Hills would jump ahead in the beginning of the fourth quarter when Senior Captain Scharai Horton hauled in a pass up the seam from quarterback Anthony George, and 58 yards later, Ottawa Hills was ahead by eight.
Benton Harbor would respond with a touchdown pass of their own, but the Bengals’ defense held strong on the two-point conversion attempt. On the ensuing onside kick, Ottawa Hills recovered, securing the lead. Keymarion Gibson Jr. iced the game with a 52-yard touchdown run.
Scharai Horton finished this victory with 11 carries for 79 yards, and he added 2 catches for 68 yards, scoring two touchdowns. Keymarion Gibson Jr. turned his 12 carries into 137 yards. Anthony George was 3/7 passing for 79 yards, and he added 7 carries for 59 yards.
Defensively, Ottawa Hills was led by James McClenton, who had 11 tackles, 4 of which were TFL. Daten Strickland added six tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Kamarion Beal had three tackles and five pass break ups.
The Bengals will being OK Gold play next week when they take on Cedar Springs. Benton Harbor will take on South Haven next Friday.
