Cougars miss upset try over O-G

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

OTTAWA — The Van Wert Cougars earned plenty of respect, if not an upset win over the state-ranked Ottawa-Glandorf Titans in the two teams’ final Western Buckeye League contest of the season.

The Cougars hung with O-G for three quarters, trailing but just two points, 14-12, before the Titans were able to put away in the final stanza for a 34-12 victory.

O-G compiled 361 yards of total offense, with 284 yards coming via the rushing game on 50 carries. The Cougars rushed 32 times for 114 yards of total offense, although Caleb Lloyd exceeded that total with 138 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Quarterback sacks and rushing losses cut into that total, though. Titan Tristan Parker was the game’s top rusher, with 149 yards and a TD on 25 carries.

With the victory, Ottawa-Glandorf, which was ranked No. 7 in Division IV prior to Friday night’s game, ends the regular season without a loss, going 10-0 overall and 9-0 in the WBL to win the league title. It’s the first year in the school’s history that the football team has gone undefeated. The Cougars end their season at 1-9 overall and 1-8 in league play, but with two solid performances at the end of the season to help build momentum for next year.

O-G scored first in the game when Parker found paydirt from the Van Wert 1-yard line with 8:59 left on the first-quarter clock. Titan quarterback Caleb Siefker, who is also the team’s place-kicker, then split the uprights for a 7-0 lead over the Cougars.

Van Wert scored its own TD seven minutes later when Lloyd went 80 yards for a score at the 1:45 mark of the first stanza. Terrance Branson missed the PAT kick, though, and the Cougars trailed by a point, 7-6.

The Titans returned the favor in the second quarter when Siefker ran the ball in from the Cougar 1 to make it 13-6, O-G, with 3 minutes left in the first half. Siefker again kicked the PAT and the Titans had an 8-point lead, 14-6, heading into the locker room at halftime.

That’s how it remained until a little more than 5 minutes left in the third quarter, when Van Wert quarterback Tyler Williams connected with Nic Wolford for a scoring strike from the O-G 19-yard line. A two-point pass attempt was no good and it was 14-12, Titans, with 5:17 remaining in the third quarter.

A tired Cougar defense couldn’t hold back the O-G offensive dam forever, though, and the Titans erupted for three touchdowns in the final stanza to pull away.

The first fourth-quarter score came with 10:54 remaining when Siefker hit Cody Alt for a 47-yard touchdown play. Siefker added the PAT and its was 21-12, Titans.

On its next possession, O-G scored when Siefker broke loose for a 40-yard TD run at the 5:48 mark of the fourth quarter. The PAT kicked failed and the Titans led 27-12.

Siefker again scored on a 7-yard run with 3:57 remaining in the game. He also kicked the extra point for the final points of the night.

Branson led the Van Wert receivers with one catch for 37 yards, while Chris Miller also had one catch for 26 yards.