Originally published Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 12:00 AM

4A Football | Bothell rolls over Bethel 41-7

As practice began this week in the wake of Bothell's near upset of top-ranked Skyline last week on national television, Bothell coach Tom...

By Tom Wyrwich

Seattle Times staff reporter

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BOTHELL — As practice began this week in the wake of Bothell's near upset of top-ranked Skyline last week on national television, Bothell coach Tom Bainter stood before the Cougars and asked a question.

What's a bigger game: this week or last week?

"They said the right thing: It's this week, no question," Bainter said.

Bothell had no letdown Friday night in a 41-7 win against Bethel that demonstrated last week was no fluke and advanced the ninth-ranked Cougars to the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs for the sixth time in seven years.

From the first time Bainter's mother pulled the chain before kickoff until the final second ticked away, that Bothell train whistle blared through Pop Keeney Stadium so many times Bethel probably kept hearing it all the way back to Spanaway.

After failing on fourth down on its first possession, Bothell (7-3) scored on its next four possessions. Senior Patrick Ottorbech ran for two of those touchdowns, including a 57-yard run on a draw play.

"I just had to run straight," said Ottorbech, who ran for 142 yards on 11 carries. "The hole was there."

Trailing 27-0 at halftime, Bethel drove 18 plays to start the third quarter and scored. But with no passing threat to accompany the Braves' double-wing rushing game, Bethel kept eating the clock before Bothell put the Braves (6-4) away with two long fourth-quarter scores.

With that unrelenting whistle and its packed crowds, Pop Keeney has been good to the Cougars. They won three games here each of the past two postseasons on their way to the Class 4A championship games each time. But if the Cougars are going to make another run to the Tacoma Dome, they must do it on the road. They will play at Curtis (9-1) next week.

"Sometimes it's fun to go into enemy territory, and I think the kids will handle it well," Bainter said.

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