The Bobcats improved to 2-0 for the second year in a row, breaking a 7-all tie at halftime by outscoring Ottumwa 19-7 in the second half.

Marshalltown marched the opening possession of the third quarter 51 yards after a personal foul penalty pushed up their starting field position on the kickoff, and Carson Beals capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge. A missed extra-point kick made it 13-7, and Ottumwa took its first lead of the game when Kie Glosser finished off a short field with a 2-yard touchdown dive less than five minutes later. Bryan Carapia’s point-after kick pushed the Bulldogs in front, just moments after Ottumwa’s defense stripped a Bobcat running back of the ball and nearly returned it to the end zone.

Marshalltown, however, continued to pound the ball on the ground in the second half and took the ensuing possession 70 yards — all via runs. Beals had a 32-yard carry and Patrick Landeros capped the drive with a 13-yard scoring scamper just 2:25 after Ottumwa hit paydirt.

The Bobcats claimed the 19-14 lead and made it stick by scoring again the next time they had the ball, buoyed by a 77-yard reverse run for Justice Richardson that moved MHS from its own 16-yard-line to Ottumwa’s 7. Beals capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown blast, and an extra point booted by Kabba Pins brought the score to its eventual final, 26-14.

PHOTO BY CHAD DRURY/OTTUMWA COURIER

Of Marshalltown’s 415 yards of total offense, 379 of it came on the ground. Beals ran 21 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns, Pins had 17 carries for 135 yards, and Richardson’s 77-yard scamper was his lone carry. Landeros had 34 yards and two touchdowns on four carries as well.

Landeros gave Marshalltown a 7-0 lead with his 10-yard TD run in the first quarter on a possession set up by Casey Linsenmeyer’s interception near midfield.

Untimely penalties and fumbles foiled the rest of Marshalltown’s possessions in the first half. MHS fumbled eight times but only lost two of them, and the team was penalized 10 times for 75 yards.

Bobcat quarterback Brendan Bates, who had 145 yards passing and four touchdowns in Marshalltown’s Week 1 win over Des Moines North, finished 3-for-7 for 36 yards. Will Van Buren had one grab for 18 yards and Casey Linsenmeyer had two catches for 18 yards.

The Bobcats stay out on the road next week with a non-district game at Mason City.

Marshalltown 26, Ottumwa 14

At Ottumwa

MHS 7 0 12 7 — 26

OTT 0 7 7 0 — 14

First Quarter

MHS — Patrick Landeros 10 run (Kabba Pins kick), 7:02.

Second Quarter

OTT — Gage Cole 2 run (Bryan Carapia kick), 7:38.

Third Quarter

MHS — Carson Beals 1 run (kick failed), 10:10.

OTT — Kie Glosser 2 run (Carapia kick), 5:47.

MHS — Landeros 13 run (pass failed), 3:22.

Fourth Quarter

MHS — Beals 3 run (Pins kick), 10:13.