Friday Flashback: Cougars run by Defiance

The latest installment of the Friday Flashback takes us back to Week No. 8 of the 2014 high school football season, when the Van Wert Cougars used a ground pounding rushing attack to easily defeat the visiting Defiance Bulldogs. Below is the game story as it appeared on the Sports page of the VW independent.

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

The Van Wert Cougars weren’t letting this one get away. The Cougars, victimized by come-from-behind victories in two games this season, dominated Defiance, scoring six touchdowns and running for more than 400 yards in a lopsided 45-14 win.

Cougar quarterback Colin Smith and running back Justice Tussing did the heavy hauling, with Smith running 17 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns, and Tussing with 25 rushes for an awesome 272 yards and four TDs.

Defiance had 307 yards of offense, 220 of those through the air. Second-string quarterback Noah Strausbaugh was 10 of 15 for 145 yards and one touchdown, but also threw three interceptions in the game.

Van Wert scored the first two touchdowns of the game, the first on a 34-yard run by Smith and the second a 21-yard scamper by Tussing. Gavin Gardner, who was perfect on the night in point-after tries, kicked both PATs for a 14-0 lead. The Bulldogs got their first score with 1:58 remaining in the first quarter when Alex Gonzalez ran the ball in from the 50-yard line. Gus Detiefsen kicked the extra point and Defiance trailed 14-7.

The Cougars owned the second quarter, scoring three times, including a 31-yard field goal by Gardner to start off the quarter. Tussing then had a 19-yard touchdown run, following by Smith’s 28-yard TD and Van Wert led 31-7 at the half.

The Cougars scored first in the third quarter as well on a 26-yard run by Tussing that put Van Wert up by 31 points, 38-7, with 11:12 remaining in the period.

Defiance scored next on a 12-yard pass from Strausbaugh to Damian Elford. Detiefsen hit the PAT and it was 38-14, Van Wert.

The Cougars finished the scoring off at the 11:25 mark of the final stanza when Tussing scrambled 11 yards for the touchdown. Gardner again kicked the PAT to give Van Wert a 45-14 victory.

With the win, the Cougars are 3-5 overall and 3-4 in the WBL. Defiance is now 0-8 overall and 0-7 in league play.

Van Wert travels to league-leading Wapakoneta, a 24-7 winner over St. Marys, this coming Friday, and finished off the regular season at home against the Roughriders the week after.