Cougars dominating in win over Kenton

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

It’s been 20 years since Van Wert has beaten Kenton, and the Cougars did it in dominating fashion on Friday with a 38-0 shellacking of the Wildcats in front of a home crowd at Eggerss Stadium. The last time Van Wert defeated Kenton was in 1995, when Kent Smelser coached the Cougars.

Van Wert compiled 409 yards of offense — 172 yards on the ground and 237 yards through the air — to just 160 yards for the Wildcats, all but 53 yards of that being passing yardage.

The Cougars scored on their first possession when quarterback Colin Smith took the ball in from the Kenton 15 with 10:32 left on the first-quarter clock. Gavin Gardner kicked the first of five extra points and Van Wert led 7-0.

After a failed Kenton drive, the Cougars again pushed the ball upfield in a drive that culminated in a 17-yard touchdown run by Justice Tussing, the first of two touchdowns for the Van Wert running back. Gardner kicked the PAT for a 14-0 lead for Van Wert.

The Cougars scored three times in the second quarter, the first on a 9-yard run by Tussing, the second a 34-yard field goal by Gardner and the final score of the quarter on an 18-yard pass from Smith to Josh Braun with just 31 seconds remaining in the first half, and went into the locker room at halftime with a 31-0 lead.

Despite some second-half faltering, Van Wert’s defense held the Wildcats scoreless in the second half as well, while the Cougars got their final touchdown with 6:01 left in the game when Smith connected with Nick Gutierrez on a 12-yard scoring strike that made it 38-0.

Smith was Van Wert’s leading rusher with 88 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while Tussing was close behind with 84 yards and two TDs on 17 carries. Trent Hites was Kenton’s top rusher with 43 yards on 13 carries.

Ryan Stoller was the Cougars’ top receiver with four receptions for 60 yards.

With the win, Van Wert is 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the Western Buckeye League, while Kenton falls to 1-4 overall and 1-3 in the WBL.

The Cougars will travel to Elida next week for a league match-up with the Bulldogs, who 2-3 overall and 1-3 in the WBL. Van Wert is currently fifth in the league, although it has the third best record behind undefeated Wapakoneta, St. Marys and Celina, all tied for first place at 4-0, and 3-1 Ottawa-Glandorf.