OTTUMWA — They're no longer talking like a team just hoping to win this season.
The Ottumwa Bulldogs are talking like a team expecting to win. After coming within 10 points of producing the program's first winning regular season since 2014 each of the last two years, returning Bulldog players expect to find plenty more than those 10 points to produce more than the four wins Ottumwa has produced each of the past two seasons.
"I'm ready. I think all the guys are ready," Ottumwa senior Cameron Manary said. "We want to get go out there and beat the crud out of (Keokuk) in our first game and set a much different tone for the season."
Ottumwa brought hopes of a winning season into the 2023 campaign, which kicked off at Calvert Stadium in Keokuk under less than ideal conditions. Bad breaks and bad weather would ultimately put the Bulldogs two losses down two weeks into the season, falling 23-8 to the Chiefs in a rain-shortened road opener before dropping a disappointing 29-20 home opener to Des Moines Roosevelt as late turnovers, a missed extra point, a missed two-point conversion and a missed field goal kept the Bulldogs from potentially taking down the Roughriders last September.
The nine-point loss to Roosevelt proved to be Ottumwa's closest setback of last season one year after losing 42-34 at Waterloo West, preventing the Bulldogs from finally breaking through by posting a winning record heading into an offseason for the first time since 2009. Ottumwa will carry a two-game winning streak into this season, racking up over 1,100 yards of total offense alone in wins over Des Moines East (52-32) and Waterloo West (21-19) to close out the 2023 campaign.
"Our guys are really physical. We hear that a lot from teams after games," Manary said. "Just as physical as our guys are, they also know their assignments. That's just as big of an impact. All it takes is one of big guys not knowing what he's supposed to be doing to clog the hole up."
Manary found plenty of holes to run through last season, becoming Ottumwa's first running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season since Isaiah Cox reached that milestone as a sophom*ore in 2013. After coming within two yards of breaking Abaya Selema's single-game rushing record for Ottumwa, finishing with 378 yards on 39 carries and five touchdowns against Des Moines East, Manary reached and surpassed 1,000 yards gaining 231 yards on the ground in Ottumwa's second-closing win at Waterloo West.
Manary's closing surge helped Ottumwa close out the regular season with consecutive wins since 2010, the last season the Bulldogs rushed for over 2,500 yards as a team when OHS gained 2,626 yards. Ottumwa finished this past season rushing for 2,537 yards, racking up 1,015 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns alone in the last two games of last season with nine of the 11 players that accounted for those rushing yards set to return this season.
"Our whole offense is great. We've got a great scheme," Manary said. "It's hard to keep up with us when we put points on the board because we can chew clock really well. If we can get on teams early, that's the best thing we can do."
Manary also finished second overall on defense with 34.5 total tackles, including 23 solo stops and a team-leading 6.5 tackles for loss last season. Matthew Mitchell returns for his third season at quarterback for the Bulldogs having completed over 50 percent of his passes (29-57) last season accounting for 646 yards and seven touchdowns through the air.
"Everything's been a lot more planned heading into this season. We've been lifting a lot during the offeseason getting stronger. You need to be stronger if you want to win in this sport," Mitchell said. "Hopefully, all that work we've been putting in during the offseason will pay off."
Of course, the Bulldogs will have a new man leading the charge this season as Phil Lite steps into the role of head coach after spending the past three seasons on Ottumwa's coaching staff under Brian Goodvin. Prior to coming to Ottumwa, Lite was the head coach at Staley High School in Kansas City for five seasons leading the program to a state championship in 2017, state semifinal appearances in 2016 and 2019 as well as the state quarterfinals in 2018.
"I believe that our kids are hungry. I think they're ready to really ride that hunger to having a lot of success on the field this season," Lite said. "I've been around the program for a few years now. The one thing I've noticed is that we haven't been consistent at being consistent. What I've noticed this year is the kids are starting to show up and consistent at putting the work in every day.
"We talk a lot about having a champion's mindset. How we talk to each other is huge. How we treat our teammates. My purpose as the head coach is to teach these kids the leadership skills they can use to be great leaders and great men in life. We've gotten quality work in and had the best dedication I've seen since I've been here. We're at that point where we're ready to take the field and play at a much higher level."
