Undefeated Cougars top Wapak 34-0

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

WAPAKONETA — Van Wert’s defense came up big, forcing Wapakoneta to turn the ball over on downs three times in a 34-0 rout of the Redskins at Harmon Field on Friday.

The win boosted Van Wert’s record to 3-0, while Wapakoneta dropped to 0-3. The Cougars are the only undefeated team in the Western Buckeye League.

“I was anxious to see how we would do defensively,” Van Wert head coach Keith Recker said. “They have their typical power run game and they had their guys back from (COVID-19) quarantine, so knowing they were going to have some O-linemen back, I wanted to see how we’d do.”

Along with a sparkling defensive performance by Van Wert, Owen Treece ran for three touchdowns and threw for another, while Nate Jackson added a score.

Treece put the Cougars on the board with a one-yard scoring run with 5:58 left in the first quarter. The drive spanned 93 yards and included a 40-yard pass to Dru Johnson and a 24-yard reception by Connor Pratt.

Treece added two more touchdown runs in the second quarter – a seven yarder with 7:39 left, then a six-yard scamper with just 10 seconds left until halftime, a score that was a big turning point in the game. After stopping the Redskins on downs at the Van Wert nine yard line, the Cougars marched 91 yards in 11 plays and extended the lead to 21-0.

“That was huge to keep them out and then turn around and get a score before half, it completely flipped the game,” Recker explained. “If we’re up seven at halftime and it’s their ball to start the second half it’s a completely different ballgame.”

Van Wert quickly ended any hope of a Wapakoneta comeback early in the third quarter. After receiving the second half kickoff, the Redskins fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and the Cougars wasted no time, as Nate Jackson outraced the secondary on a 30-yard touchdown run to give Van Wert a 27-0 lead.

“Coming out at halftime I was still worried, because Wapakoneta is still a good team, but for us to get the turnover and score in the first 26 seconds of the second half, it really put the game away,” Recker said.

The game’s final touchdown with 1:13 left in the third quarter when a scrambling Treece connected with a wide open Ries Wise on a 17-yard touchdown pass. That score trigged the rolling clock rule for the remainder of the game.

Treece completed 22-of-26 passes for 277 yards, one touchdown and one interception and he had 74 yards rushing and three scores on 13 carries. Nate Jackson tallied 62 yards on six carries and added 44 yards on five receptions. Dru Johnson had five catches for 78 yards and Connor Pratt added four receptions for 75 yards.

As a team, the Cougars rolled to 459 yards of offense, including 173 on the ground, which drew praise from Recker.

“Pass protection-wise, run game-wise, I thought the offensive line did a very good job,” Recker stated. “There wasn’t anything glaring like the weeks before, so those guys did a solid job up front.”

Wapakoneta had just 203 yards of total offense, with 192 of that coming on the ground. Jace Mullen was the leading rusher with nine carries for 60 yards, while Connor McDonald finished with 10 carries for 34 yards. The Redskins lost three fumbles, which were recovered by Cullen Dunn, Ty Jackson and Kaden Bates.

The 3-0 start by Van Wert is the first since 1998.

“We’ll enjoy this one but it doesn’t get any easier with St. Marys, Ottawa-Glandorf and Bath still to go,” Recker said.

The Cougars will host St. Marys Memorial on Friday.

Scoring summary

Wapak 0 0 0 0 – 0
VWHS 7 14 13 0 – 34
First quarter

5:59 – Owen Treece 1-yard run (Damon McCracken kick)

Second quarter

7:39 – Owen Treece 7-yard run (Damon McCracken kick)
0:10 – Owen Treece 6-yard run (Damon McCracken kick)

Third quarter

11:30 – Nate Jackson 30-yard run (kick failed)
1:13 – Owen Treece 17-yard pass to Ries Wise (Damon McCracken kick)