After Mother Nature’s lightning show forced Friday night’s scheduled football game between Dustin Howard’s Owensville Dutchmen and Central’s (Park Hills) Rebels to be played Saturday morning, both teams had multiple opportunities to help themselves open week one of Missouri high school football with a win.

Going for it on fourth-and-six, Owensville junior quarterback Adam Wilson found senior wide receiver Zaiden Gates on a 22-yard touchdown pass tying the game at 6-6 with 7:42 until halftime.

Lex Moseler’s extra point attempt was deflected before glancing over the cross bar giving the orange and black a 7-6 on the defending Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3 State Champions with 7:42 until halftime.

CPH’s August Black then returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown just 12 seconds later. Jaxon Jones then found Karras Foster on the two-point conversion giving the visiting Rebels a 14-7 lead.

In spite of a 16-yard TD catch by Chase Crosby from Wilson at the 3:55 mark of the second quarter, Owensville came up just short of knocking off the defending state champions with a final score of 22-13.

“We had some mental mistakes that gave our game plan away,” Howard said. “We have to do a better job of coaching these guys up.”

Winning the opening coin toss, Owensville opted to receive the opening kickoff.

Proverbial lightning nearly struck for the Dutchmen.

Gates returned the ball nearly 50 yards all the way to the CPH 37-yard line setting the orange and black up with excellent field position.

Consecutive runs of nine and two years from senior running back Logan Bailey gave OHS their first first down of the game at the Rebel 26-yard line.

Bailey ran the ball seven times for 22 yards on the ground while Wilson led the Dutchmen rushing attack with 34 yards on eight carries.

Faced with a third-and-14, OHS benefited from a pass interference call on the Rebels giving them another first down at the CPH 15-yard line.

Unable to get 10 yards in four plays, Owensville turned the ball over on downs.

Later in CPH’s first drive, tackles-for-loss by Henry Loeb and Steven Buddemeyer forced the Rebels into a fourth-and-11 and a punting situation.

During the punt, the football glanced off a Dutchmen body making it a live ball which CPH recovered giving them the ball back at the OHS 30-yard line.

Two plays after Jones converted a fourth-and-five on an 18-yard pass completion to Devon Graf, Jones capped the drive with a 4-yard TD run at the 11:54 mark of the second quarter.

A high snap on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt kept the Rebel lead at 6-0.

Owensville’s next offensive drive saw them deliver a couple of key conversions.

On third-and-two from the Rebel 39-yard line, Wilson called his own number on a 13-yard run for a first down at the Rebel 26-yard line.

After an incomplete pass on first-and-15, a 3-yard run from Crosby and a 6-yard scamper from Wilson set up fourth-and-six from the CPH 22-yard line.

Had this been last fall, Johannes Berg would have trotted on for a field goal attempt.

Instead, the orange and black went for it with Wilson finding Gates on the aforementioned touchdown pass to get Owensville on the board.

Gates led OHS’ receiving corps with six catches for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Even with the ensuing kickoff returned for a score, OHS was able to drive down the field to answer the Rebels’ latest touchdown.

Faced with a third-and-five at their 31-yard line, Owensville initially got a 2-yard run from Wilson before a penalty flag for a personal foul face mask was called on CPH giving the orange and black a fresh set of downs.

Two plays later, Wilson connected with Gates on a 25-yard completion moving OHS into Rebel territory at the 25-yard line.

Finishing with 139 yards through the air on 11-18 passing, Wilson also threw for a pair of touchdowns and an interception.

Bailey then carried the ball five more yards having that doubled thanks to another penalty flag on CPH for a five-yard face mask.

A pair of plays after Wilson recovered a fumble, he found Crosby on a third-and-11 for Owensville’s second and final touchdown of the game.

Crosby finished with 49 yards receiving on three receptions and a touchdown.

Trailing 14-13 late in the first half, CPH nearly added to their lead on their next drive.

Jones launched a pass for the end zone only to have Gates intercept for a touchback giving OHS the ball at their 20-yard line with 1:00 until halftime.

Behind a couple of pass completions to Gates, Wilson was able to drive the Dutchmen down to the CPH 23-yard line before time ran out in the first half.

Near the end of the third quarter, Owensville’s defense kept the visiting Rebels from cashing in a turnover for points.

After recovering a fumble at their 34-yard line with 5:25 for the third quarter, CPH drove it down to the Dutchmen 15-yard line when they could not convert a fourth-and-10.

Getting the ball back after three CPH false start penalties early in the fourth quarter, Owensville turned it back over when Wilson’s pass intended for Gates was intercepted by Foster after he missed out on two previous opportunities for picks.

“We were pretty fortunate to get out of Owensville with a win,” CPH head football coach Kory Schweiss said. “It is very rare to win a football game after being penalized as much as we were throughout the game. I think we had probably 150 yards in penalties and if that happens against anyone else on our schedule, we may not be as fortunate.”

That turnover proved costly as the Rebels ran 12 plays chewing up seven minutes of clock before Jones plunged into the end zone from a yard away with 50.5 ticks left.

Senior linebacker Jaden Gerlemann led the Dutchmen defense with 17 total tackles including nine solo stops.

Henry Loeb also reached double digits with 10 total tackles (four solo).

Landen Diestelkamp added six total tackles including Owensville’s lone sack of the game.

With a shorter-than-normal time period to prepare for their week two contest, Owensville will look to even their record at 1-1 on the young season tomorrow (Thursday) night on the road in Washington against St. Francis Borgia’s Knights with a 7 p.m., kickoff.

This will mark the first time the Dutchmen have played under Thursday night lights since back on Oct. 27, 2011 when Dale Long’s Dutchmen won an 80-75 shootout against St. James’ Tigers in Phelps County.