Shawnee scores as time expires for win

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

With victory literally seconds away, the Van Wert Cougars saw their hopes evaporate as Shawnee scored with time expired to win 28-26 in the two teams’ Western Buckeye League contest at Eggerss Stadium on Friday.

Although Indians quarterback Ray Manley had thrown three picks in the game — one for a touchdown in the first quarter and one that led to a touchdown in the third stanza — Manley found Jacob Chontas with the game on the line for an 8-yard touchdown with time expired on the clock

Shawnee had dominated the game on the stats board, with 24 first downs to the Cougars’ 18 and 398 total yards to just 221 yards for Van Wert.

But two Manley picks kept the Cougars in the game. The first interception was a “pick six” by James Aquaviva that led to the Cougars’ second TD of the game, while a pick in the third quarter resulted in a 13-yard touchdown run by Jacoby Kelly.

The Cougars scored on the first possession of the game on a 52-yard run by quarterback Lawson Blackmore with 10:59 remaining on the first-quarter clock. The conversion failed and Van Wert was up 6-0.

Shawnee scored the next two TDs, with the first coming on a 15-yard pass from Manley to Jalen Bagley with 7:15 showing in the first quarter. A two-point conversion attempt was successful when Manley found Hasan Williams in the end zone and the Indians led 8-6.

Shawnee’s second score came on a 14-yard pass from Manley to Christian Ford with 3:41 remaining in the opening quarter. The PAT attempt failed and the Indians led 14-6.

A minute later, and Van Wert scored its second touchdown when Aquaviva picked off a Manley pass and took it 19 yards for the score. The conversion again failed and the Cougars trailed by two, 14-12, as the first quarter expired.

Shawnee scored the only other TD in the first half when Manley found Bagley for a 35-yard scoring strike with 5:30 remaining in the half. Manley then hit Cain Bentz for the two-point conversion and a 10-point lead, 22-12, at halftime.

Van Wert got within three points with Kelly’s rushing score from 13 yards out that was set up by a Manley pick. Jordan Danylchuck kicked the point after to make it 22-19, Shawnee, with 7:42 remaining in the quarter.

After fighting most of the way, the Cougars finally went ahead in the fourth quarter when Blackmore found Nate Place for a 13-yard touchdown pass to make it 25-22, Van Wert. Danylchuck again kicked the PAT and the Cougars led by four, 26-22, with 2:40 remaining on the game clock.

Manley used all of that time as he moved steadily downfield until finding Chontas for the final score of the game. The Shawnee quarterback was 30 of 52 passing in the game, with 337 yards and four touchdowns and three interceptions. Blackmore hit 8 of 30 passes for 87 yards, a TD and one interception.

The Indians’ Bagley caught six Manley passes for 109 yards and two TDs.

With the win, Shawnee is now 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the WBL, while Van Wert is 0-4 overall and 0-3 in league play.