Cougars no match for Kenton offense

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

It didn’t take the Van Wert Cougars long to learn that Kenton quarterback Maty Mauk hadn’t lost any of his skills in throwing the ball. Mauk passed for eight touchdowns and ran for a ninth TD as the Wildcats burnt Van Wert’s young defensive backfield for 603 yards passing in a 66-13 Western Buckeye League victory.

With the win, Kenton goes to 3-0 overall on the year and 2-0 in the WBL. The Cougars remain winless at 0-3 overall and 0-2 in league play.

Mauk’s offensive output included a 29-for-38 passing night, with a total of 481 yards through the air and 102 yards on the ground on 10 carries. The Wildcats’ backup quarterback, Grant Sherman, connected on 9 of 15 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown, while Van Wert had zero net yards passing for the night.

There were some bright spots for the Cougar offense, which scored two rushing touchdowns on the night, a 68-yard run by Lucas Sullivan in the third quarter and a 50-yard ramble by Chandler Adams in the waning minutes of the game.

Van Wert had 222 total yards of offense, all on the ground, while the Wildcats amassed 731 yards of offense.

Kenton scored three times in the first quarter, five times in the second quarter, and twice in the third to bury the Cougars under an offensive avalanche.

The score was 20-0 at the end of the first quarter and 52-0 at the half before the Wildcats decided to rest many of their starters in the second half.

Kenton had nine penalties for 92 yards, but the penalties didn’t help the Cougars much. Both teams had one turnover. The Wildcats fumbled the ball away once, while Van Wert had a pass picked off for an interception.

Mauk was the leading rusher in the game, with 102 yards and a touchdown, while Sullivan rushed three times for 73 yards and a TD and Adams generated 65 yards on four rushes and a touchdown.

Justin Sawmiller was the top receiver in the game, with 13 catches for 217 yards and five touchdowns, while Kieren Fetter had five receptions for 102 yards for Kenton.

Van Wert will head back on the road next week, meeting Elida there for another WBL match-up.