Wapak dominates Cougs to end season

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

WAPAKONETA — The Wapakoneta Redskins scored early and often, and rolled past the Van Wert Cougars 52-6 in the regular season finale at Harmon Field.

The victory gave Wapakoneta a three-way share of the Western Buckeye League title, after Ottawa-Glandorf upset St. Marys Memorial 13-7. All three teams finished 9-1 (8-1 WBL), and all three are playoff bound.

The Cougars finished the season 0-10 (0-9 WBL).

The Redskins scored two minutes into the game on a 54-yard touchdown run by fullback Landon Hall. Tristan Meyer kicked the first of six extra points, for a 7-0 lead.

After Wapakoneta’s defense held on downs, the Redskins marched 38 yards and scored on a one-yard run by Hall at the 6:23 mark.

Hall also scored on a 39-yard screen pass from Manny Vorhees with 3:09 left in the quarter.

“They have big and fast guys, and we struggled with tackling tonight,” Van Wert Head Coach Keith Recker said. “We tried to tackle them high, when we had to get in low.”

The Cougars put together an impressive drive after that, but it was halted on a fumbled exchange between quarterback Nate Place and running back Jacoby Kelly. Wapakoneta’s Jacob Cockerell scooped up the loose ball and rumbled 71 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-0 with one second left in the first quarter.

The Redskins scored three more times in the second quarter to make it 45-0 at halftime on, respectively, a Maddux Liles 10-yard touchdown run, a six-yard touchdown run by Markus South, and a 25-yard field goal by Meyer after a fumbled kickoff return by the Cougars.

In less than two quarters of action, Hall rushed eight times for 99 yards, which put him over 1,000 for the season.

Vorhees completed 4 of 9 passes for 86 yards, and the Redskins rolled up 282 yards of total offense by halftime.

The second half was played with a rolling clock, and both teams substituted freely for the remainder of the game.

Van Wert’s lone touchdown came with 5:17 left in the third quarter, when Place tossed an eight-yard touchdown pass to Nick Gutierrez. The extra point by Jordan Danylchuck was no good, making it 45-6.

Wapakoneta scored the game’s final touchdown on an 18-yard run by Aaron Chambers with 9:51 left in the fourth quarter.

Playing in place of the injured Storm Pierce, Place completed 5 of 8 passes for 54 yards and one touchdown, and rushed 13 times for 52 yards.

Jacoby Kelly had 11 carries for 57 yards, while Evan Williams caught three passes for 40 yards.

“We had to play the perfect game, and hope they had an off-night after last week’s loss to St. Marys,” Recker said.

“The kids never gave up, and they didn’t throw in the towel,” Recker added. “We have very good kids with good work ethic, and good families.”

“Due to youth and injuries, we have a lot of starters and a lot of lettermen coming back next season,” Recker said.