Random Thoughts: VW, Owens, Bagley

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

This week’s edition of Random Thoughts centers around the two teams in the Division IV football state championship game – Van Wert and Mentor Lake Catholic, plus a tip of the cap to two fine Crestview coaches who are stepping aside.

Good luck

Best wishes to the Van Wert Cougars as they try to win the school’s first ever team state championship. It’s been an absolute pleasure to cover this team.

From what I’ve seen, it appears all of Van Wert County is behind the team, along with the entire Western Buckeye League.

22-3

During the third quarter of Saturday’s Van Wert-Cincinnati Wyoming game, the Cowboys ran 22 plays in the third quarter, while the Cougars ran just three.

It just goes to show that time of possession doesn’t always tell the entire story.

Turn of the century

As you know, Van Wert’s last appearance in the state championship game was in 2000.

Mentor Lake Catholic’s last appearance in the state finals was the next season, 2001.

Ottawa-Glandorf loss

Van Wert head coach Keith Recker believes the Week No. 5 loss to Ottawa-Glandorf was a turning point in the season for the Cougars.

Check Wednesday’s game preview story for more details on that.

Independent

Mentor Lake Catholic has no conference or league affiliation this year.

The Cougars (yes, they’re the Cougars too) were part of the North Coast League, which disbanded at the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

Next year, Lake Catholic will join the new six-team Crown Conference, along with Parma Padua, Notre Dame Cathedral Latin, Cleveland Beaumont, Walsh Jesuit, and Cleveland Villa Angela St. Joseph.

No. 5 vs. No. 12

If seeds were being used at this level, it would be No. 5 seed Van Wert vs. No. 12 seed Mentor Lake Catholic.

That’s right, 11 teams were seeded ahead of the Lake Catholic Cougars. In order, they were Canal Fulton Northwest, Poland Seminary, Beloit West Branch, Perry, Canton South, Youngstown Urusline, Field, Shaw, Lisbon Beaver, Chagrin Falls and Fairless.

Father-son

Marty Gibbons is in his second season as the head coach of the Lake Catholic Cougars. His father, John Gibbons, was the head coach when the team won back-to-back state championships in 1991 and 1992.

State championship game experience

Van Wert head coach Keith Recker has state title game experience.

Recker was a stat boy on the 1997 Delphos St. John team that won a state title, a freshman on the 1998 state title team and a sophomore linebacker on the 1999 three-peat team.

The final tally

After playoff trips to and from LaGrange, Bellevue, Shelby, Piqua and Obetz, the Cougars will have racked up nearly 1,178 miles.

In football terms, that’s 2,073,280 yards.

WBL in state title games

The Western Buckeye League is 6-5 all time in football state championship games.

The last WBL to win a state football title – Kenton, in 2002.

One final thought

This has nothing to do with Van Wert or Mentor Lake Catholic, but I’d like to tip my cap to two outstanding and successful coaches who are stepping away from coaching at Crestview.

Jared Owens and Jeff Bagley have been a pleasure for me to work with, always quick to respond with any needed information or comments, which was very much appreciated.

Both are top notch coaches and good men who have set a good example for those that they coached. There’s a right way to do things and I firmly believe both did it that way and went above and beyond the call of duty.

Gentlemen, thank you for all that you’ve done for student-athletes at Crestview High School.

If you have thoughts on any of the above subjects, feel free to email me at sports@thevwindependent.com.