VW gets 1st win of season over Shawnee

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

The Van Wert Cougars were probably wondering if history could repeat itself as the Cougars clung to a 13-7 lead at the end of the first half in Friday’s Western Buckeye League game against Shawnee at Eggerss Stadium. But it was Van Wert this time who scored crucial second-half points to defeat the Indians 23-7 to avoid a repeat of last year’s loss and gain its first win of the season.

Defense was the name of the game in this contest, with Van Wert forcing five Shawnee fumbles, recovering four of those, and intercepting two passes, while holding the Indians to 103 yards of total offense.

Van Wert scored first when Justice Tussing bulled his way into the end zone from the Indian 5-yard-line with 6:48 remaining on the first quarter clock. Gavin Gardner had his PAT kick blocked and the Cougars led 6-0.

Shawnee took the lead when Collin Ramblin ran three yards for the score with 5:57 remaining in the first half. Ben Ryan kicked the PAT and it was 7-6, Indians.

The most important offensive play of the game came with the Cougars barely in Shawnee territory with 12 seconds left on the first-half clock when Van Wert quarterback Colin Smith broke lose for a 49-yard scramble to paydirt that gave the Cougs a 13-7 lead heading into the locker room.

The Van Wert “D” continued its stellar play in the second half, while the Cougar “O” put enough points on the board to seal the win. Tussing against scored, this time on a 27-yard run with 59 seconds left in the third quarter. Gavin Gardner kicked the PAT and Van Wert led 20-7 with one more quarter to play.

Gardner kicked a 22-yard field goal with 4:04 remaining in the final stanza for the only other score of the game.

Tussing was the offensive workhorse for the Cougars, rushing 25 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Keagan Hardmon caught two passes for 44 yards, while Ryan Stoller had five receptions for 43 yards.

Dylan Heffner ran the ball 14 times for 57 yards to lead Shawnee’s offensive efforts.

Both teams racked up the penalties, with the Cougars called for eight penalties for 75 yards and Shawnee whistled eight times as well for 74 yards.

Van Wert also excelled in special teams play, with kicker Ryan McCracken’s four punts going for an impressive 40.25-yard average, while Gardner kept the Indians bottled up on their side of the field, even booting one kick-off into the end zone.

Both teams sport identical records at 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the WBL.

The Cougars will travel to Kenton this coming week to play the Wildcats (1-2, 1-1 WBL), who defeated St. Marys 27-6 on Friday. Other league scores on Friday are as follows: Bath 42, Defiance 33; Ottawa-Glandorf 25, Celina 7; and Wapakoneta 17, Elida 0.