By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Throughout the season, the Otis-Bison prep football team has continued the state's biggest turnaround with an electrifying offense and a dominant defense. The Cougars, 12-24 in Coach Travis Starr's first four seasons, started 2009 with a 7-0 record. They've been tested just once, a double-overtime victory versus Macksville.

As Otis-Bison has rolled up victories and earned its first postseason berth since 2003, it also has looked at an important Week 8 matchup with 7-0 Victoria, a state power and last year's Eight-Man, Division II runner-up.

"We have been thinking about this one for a while," sophomore receiver and defensive back Matt Crotinger said. "We said this one would probably be our toughest game."

On Friday, Victoria -- No. 1 in the media poll -- plays host to No. 5 Otis-Bison in one of the most anticipated eight-man games of the season. Otis-Bison has the state's highest-scoring offense with 406 points, while Victoria ranks fifth with 384 points, according to preppowerindex.com.

The winner earns the district championship. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Knights Field.

"I think it is going to be huge," Victoria senior fullback Austin Roth said.

The two squads come from different backgrounds. Victoria, long a state power, has won 21 straight regular-season contests and is 38-4 under fourth-year head coach Doug Oberle. The Knights have won two state championships and have a runner-up showing since 2004.

This season, Victoria has retooled under a senior class that includes quarterback-safety Garrett Dreiling, running back Brett Ottley, Landon Cook, Andrew Karlin and Roth. Victoria has one close game, a last-second victory versus rival Bushton-Quivira Heights.

"You can't have doubt," Cook said. "You know we lost a lot of good people, but I think all of us as a senior class -- junior, sophomore, freshman -- we all believe in each other."

"I think we kind of surprised ourselves, but I kind of think that everyone wanted to be here at this spot," Roth said.

Victoria, long a run-oriented team, has incorporated a spread look and has thrown more this season. The 6-foot-5 Dreiling has completed 43-of-85 passes for 754 yards and 16 TDs, while Roth is the team's leading rusher with 841 yards on 109 carries. Overall, the Knights average 291 yards rushing a game and 110 through the air.

"We have tried -- emphasize the word tried -- to throw the ball a little bit more," Oberle said. "Obviously, Garrett has a very strong arm and throws a great football, and we have tried to utilize that a little bit more. In the context of that spread as far as opening it up, it does give us some different looks as far as running the ball."

Otis-Bison, which has just two playoff appearances since 1995, has seen the most improvement among the state's 36 undefeated teams. The Cougars were 2-7 last season, the fewest wins in 2008 among any undefeated team this fall. Lebo moved from 3-6 to 7-0 in Eight-Man, Division I, while Class 5A Hays High School's jump from 4-5 to 7-0 is the best in the 11-man ranks.

"We weren't too successful our first two years, and now that we are successful, this is going to be fun, going up against a big team," Otis-Bison junior receiver-defensive end Dominic Trapp said.

Senior quarterback Kevin Wissman, hurt most of 2008, has been healthy all fall and has gained 1,370 total yards, including 718 on the ground.

"He is a good player," Trapp said. "When I'm open, he will give me the ball. When I'm not, he will even get it in there to those tight spots. That's always a big help."

Wissman has tallied 29 total TDs, 18 rushing, seven passing and four on special teams. In addition, he leads the team with 34 tackles as a safety.

Junior running back Mike Hlavaty has 763 yards rushing and 16 TDs. The offensive and defensive lines include junior Josh Krom, hurt nearly all of 2008. Krom has a team-high 81âÑ2 tackles for loss and five sacks. Senior Matt Suppes and junior Robert Kolas anchor the front, too.

"Wissman and Hlavaty, we have known for years and years that they are great athletes," Oberle said.

"I think where they have really set their table is up front. I think their offensive line is really, really good. Obviously, the Krom kid coming back makes them so much better. He is a big, athletic body. They get off the ball on both sides."