Friday Flashback: VW’s Smith runs wild

Note: The latest installment of the Friday Flashback takes us back to Week No. 9 of the 2015 high school football season, when the Van Wert Cougars rode the legs and arm of quarterback Colin Smith to a 56-25 win at Defiance. Below is the game story as it appeared on the VW independent Sports page.

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

DEFIANCE — The Van Wert Cougars used some big plays by quarterback Colin Smith to dominate the Defiance Bulldogs 56-25 in a Western Buckeye League contest Friday on the Bulldogs’ home field.

Smith finished the game with a career best 293 yards rushing and five touchdowns on just 15 rushes (19.5 yard average), while passing for two more TDs.

The Cougars generated 445 yards of offense, while holding Defiance to 300 yards. Van Wert stayed on the ground most of the night, rushing for 370 yards on 20 carries. The Bulldogs’ offense was more balanced, with 151 yards on the ground and 149 yards through the air, but less successful than Van Wert’s.

The Cougars scored most of their points in the first half, with 21 points in each of the first two quarters, to lead 42-13 at the half. Van Wert also outscored the Bulldogs in the second half, 14-12.

The Cougars got on the scoreboard first with a 47-yard run by Smith. Gavin Gardner kicked the first of eight straight extra points and Van Wert was up by seven points with 9:45 left in the first quarter. After Defiance had to punt, the Cougars scored again with 7 minutes flat left on the scoreboard when Smith connected with Josh Braun on a 28-yard scoring strike and a 14-0 Van Wert lead.

The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard with 4:25 left in the first quarter when Kohle Cellan ran the ball in from the Van Wert 1-yard-line. Cellan also kicked the point-after and it was 14-7, Cougars.

Van Wert had the last say in the first quarter as Smith found Jacoby Kelly open for a 47-yard touchdown with 1:46 remaining in the opening quarter to give the Cougars a 21-7 lead.

After Defiance scored again on an 8-yard pass from Alex Gonzales to Jordan Scott to get within eight points, 21-13, the Cougars put the game out of reach with three second-quarter scores by Smith on runs of 50-, 26-, and 32 yards, respectively, and led 42-13 at the half.

The Bulldogs and Cougars traded scores in the third quarter, with Defiance scoring on a 5-yard pass from Gonzales to Aberam Smith and a 1-yard run by Gonzales, while Van Wert’s scores came on a 42-yard run by Smith and a 65-yard run by Justice Tussing.

With the win, the Cougars are now 5-4 overall and 4-4 in the WBL. Defiance falls to 0-8 in league play and 1-8 overall.

Van Wert has a slim chance to make the playoffs, but must do so by beating Wapakoneta, which hasn’t lost a game this year, when the two teams meet Friday at Eggerss Stadium. The Redskins (9-0 overall, 8-0 WBL) dominated St. Marys 46-7 on Friday.