Dustin Otteson breaks national 8-man football records

Tonopah senior Dustin Otteson added another chapter to an already historic career Friday, extending national 8-man football records for career scoring and touchdowns as the unbeaten Muckers rolled past Spring Mountain 62-20.

Otteson now has 1,161 career points and 166 touchdowns, according to Tonopah coach Duffy Otteson.

Those totals surpass the previous marks in the MaxPreps National High School 8-Man Football Record Book. The record book listed the career scoring mark at 1,076 points and the touchdown record at 156 before Otteson surpassed both this season.

Otteson had already moved past the career scoring record before Friday’s game. KOLO-TV reported after Tonopah’s Oct. 9 victory over Pahranagat Valley that he had reached 1,121 career points and 160 touchdowns.

He continued adding to those numbers against Spring Mountain.

Otteson rushed for 281 yards and six touchdowns on 22 carries as Tonopah improved to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in league play. The Muckers led 36-0 at halftime before finishing off the 42-point victory. Jacob Sprague added 95 total yards and two touchdowns.

Duffy Otteson said Spring Mountain’s pressure presented a challenge that Tonopah handled well.

“Spring Mountain sends a lot of pressure and we managed to pick up their blitzes well,” Otteson said. “Another solid performance by our line. They seem to get better every week.”

The coach also pointed to continued progress from junior Rustin Otteson.

“Rustin threw the ball well,” he said. “He has continued to improve and is a little more patient in the pocket. And of course our running backs, as always, do their thing.”

Tonopah’s offense has done plenty of “their thing” throughout an unbeaten season.

The Muckers have scored at least 50 points in six of their seven games, with the lone exception a 30-0 victory over Pahranagat Valley. That win came against the team that defeated Tonopah in last season’s Class 1A state championship game.

Friday’s victory was also Otteson’s seventh consecutive game with at least three rushing touchdowns. He has topped 200 rushing yards in every game for which current individual statistics are posted this season.

Despite the records and another decisive victory, Duffy Otteson has continued to stress improvement rather than the team’s unbeaten record.

The Muckers return home Friday to face Sandy Valley at 7 p.m. Tonopah enters the game 7-0 and atop the 1A Southern standings.

Bill Evans is the Tonopah Times-Bonanza/Goldfield News sports reporter. Contact him at wevans@pvtimes.com.