Overtime Games

 In 1972, Iowa was the first  state to adopt an overtime procedure in cases of times in conjunction  with the Iowa High School Athletic Association Board of Controls   initiating a playoff system for its high school playoffs.  In Overtime,  each team is given the ball on the 10-yard line with four plays and an  opportunity to score; if the game is still tied at the end of the  Overtime period, then a second (and subsequent period) shall take place  until a winner emerges.  

From 1951-1971, the Bettendorf Bulldogs played in a total of 186 football games and 9 of them ended in ties; however, of the 410+ games  they’ve played since 1972, only 11 have gone into Overtime.         

1. To date, Bettendorf has a 7-4 record in Overtime (64% winning record).

2. Three (3) overtime games have taken place against Davenport Assumption where Bettendorf owns a 2-1 advantage.

   3. The very first Overtime game in school history took place against Cedar  Rapids Washington during Week 3 of the 1975 season that ended with the  Bulldogs losing, 28-21, in a four-Overtime thriller at home.  After a  hard-fought game that ended tied in regulation, 7-7, Bettendorf had the  ball first in the opening overtime and took four plays to score a  touchdown and extra point.  However, their score was soon matched by  Washington to tie the game, 14-14.  In the second period, the visitors  then scored a touchdown which was equaled by the Bulldogs to even the score, 21-21.  In the third  overtime period, Bettendorf failed to score and the Warriors’ 32-yard  field goal attempt was long enough but wide to the left.  Washington then had first possession for the fourth overtime and scored an aerial  touchdown that decided the game after the Bulldogs failed to convert.

4. The first playoff Overtime game took place against Dubuque Hempstead in  the 1st Round of the Class 4A playoffs—which, incidentally, was the  first season that the Bulldogs qualified for the playoffs—and ended in favor of Bettendorf when Wayne Perkins blocked a Mustang field goal attempt;  the Bulldogs then scored a touchdown to win, 20-14.  At the time, this  overtime game was only the sixth (6) one to occur in Iowa since the  inception of the rule.

5. To date, the 1981 season currently is the only one in which the  Bulldogs have had two (2) Overtime games.  To open up the season, the Bulldogs  played Madison West (WI) and the game ended in regulation with a score of 7-7 which resulted in just the third Overtime game in school history.  Bettendorf had possession first and took a 14-7 lead; Madison then took over and after throwing four straight incomplete passes, the Bulldogs  prevailed.  Four games later during Week #5, the Bulldogs Bettendorf’s fourth-ever  Overtime game took place and resulted in a 3-10 loss to Davenport Assumption  after  Bettendorf failed to score after first getting the ball; as the story goes according to longtime assistant coach John Lavelle, an official signaled an Assumption touchdown when in fact the ball carrier was short of the goal line.

6.  In 2007 the fifth Overtime game in school history didn't occur until the Semifinals versus the Little Hawks of Iowa City when regulation ended   in a deadlocked score of 3-3. After the Bulldogs defense stuffed Cedar Falls on three consecutive plays,   junior Kyle Lichtenberg then blocked a Tigers' field goal.  Bettendorf then wasted no time winning the game as on 1st down a successful field goal was converted to win, 6-3.

7.  In Week #9 of the 2009 season, a   typical knockdown, drag-out Bettendorf-Assumption game tool place and ended   in regulation with a score of 12-12.  Bettendorf opened a 19-12 lead in the first extra session, but the Knights forced the second overtime with a   10-yard run on the first play from scrimmage.  Assumption then retained possession to open the second Overtime, but an interception by Matt Bettenhausen put the ball back in Bettendorf's hands and Bulldog running  back Joey Trizzino then scored the deciding points on a 3rd-and-goal play  from the 2-yard line.

8.  In 2013, the Bulldogs when Bettendorf played the Iowa City West Trojans in which the game ended tied 21-21 in regulation.  The Trojans received the ball first and after being stuffed by the Bulldog defense, took a 24-21 lead.  Bettendorf then netted 1 yard on two plays before quarterback Cyle Cox threw a 9 yard  strike to receiver Tyler Scheib for a 27-24 bulldog win.

9.  Barely one year later in 2014, the Bulldogs again played Iowa City West in their ninth Overtime game of school history.  The Bulldogs blew a comfortable 20-3 lead in the middle of   the 4th quarter and the game ended 20-20 in regulation after the Trojans hit   a 25 yard field goal with one second left on the clock.  Retaining possession first, the Trojans scored on 3rd down to take a 27-20 lead; however, the Bulldogs didn't flinch and scored three players later when back-up running back Xavier LaDouceur scored from three yards out to close the gap, 27-26.  However, rather than kick the extra point and force another period, Bettendorf head coach Aaron Wiley decided to go for the win and quarterback Cyle Cox bullied his way into the endzone for a 28-27 Bulldog victory.  After the game, Cox said, "We don't train to tie, we train to win and that's what we had to do."

10.  In 2016, the Bulldogs played in the school's tenth overtime game when it faced off against Cedar Rapids Washington in the third week of the regular season.  Tied 21-21 at the   end of the game, Washington scored first to take a 28-21 advantage. However,   Bulldog running back Keegan Glaus then answered the score with a 1-yard plunge; Bettendorf immediately made the decision to go for two and while Glaus was lined up to take the snap and run it in, a botched snap squelched the opportunity as Bettendorf lost only its third overtime game in (at that time) ten tries.

11.  In 2018 vs Dowling