Otte Blair Middle School boys basketball teams opened their seasons Tuesday.
While the seventh-graders hit the road for their first games, the eighth-graders hosted Bennington South. The B squad fell in a tight, 30-27 game, while the A squad lost 44-16.
Thomas LeGrand scored the Bears' first points of the A game on free throws before Luke Donner scored the first bucket. Bennington, however, led 16-5 after one period and 23-9 at halftime.
The Otte boys nearly went scoreless during the third period before Drew Brandl pulled down an offensive rebound and scored it just before the buzzer.
Bears Brooks Ray and Brogan Steffen made field goals during the fourth period, too, but it wasn't enough as the Badgers claimed a 28-point victory.
Donner finished as Otte's leading scorer with six points, while LeGrand, Brandl, Ray and Steffen had two apiece. Tucker Storjohann and Nate Murray made free throws during the opener as well.
The eighth-graders are coached by Scott and Dallas Flynn. The Bears were scheduled to play their second game Thursday and host Elkhorn North Ridge Middle School next Monday at 4:15 p.m.
