For the second consecutive year the Oskaloosa Bears opened up their season with a win, taking down the McLouth Bulldogs Friday night on the road 14-6.

Neither team was able to find a rhythm early, with the Oskaloosa defense forcing two McLouth turnovers in the first quarter which saw neither team find the end zone.

The offensive struggle continued for most of the second quarter, but with 7:10 remaining in the half, Oskaloosa sophomore quarterback Jaxson Webb connected with senior receiver Hunter Reed on a 50-yard fingertip touchdown reception to take a 6-0 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was pretty much a carbon copy of the first quarter with both offenses struggling and neither team finding the scoreboard.

McLouth finally got the big play they needed near the end of the third quarter, as sophomore quarterback Jeremy Carlton found senior receiver Brody Troupe on a flat route. Troupe caught the pass, made two defenders miss, and took the football 68 yards to the Oskaloosa one.

After two negative plays to end the third, the Bulldogs faced a fourth-and-goal to open up the final quarter. McLouth elected to go to the air again, and Carlton found senior receiver Dimitri Tullis from six yards out to tie the game up at six.

That score held for most of the fourth, but Oskaloosa was finally able to put a drive together late with Webb finishing off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run and the two-point conversion to give the Bears the win.

Webb finished the game 5-for-8 through the air for 88 yards and one touchdown, while on the ground senior Hunter Evans finished three yards short of the century mark.

Oskaloosa (1-0, 1-0) is home hosting Horton (0-1) next week, while McLouth (0-1,0-1) travels to Maur Hill-Mount Academy (0-1).