Friday Flashback: Cougars fall to Elida

Note: the latest installment of the Friday Flashback dates back to September of 2012, when the Van Wert Cougars took on the highly regarded Elida Bulldogs. Below is the story as it appeared on the VW independent Sports page.

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

It was another week of incremental improvements as the Van Wert Cougars held the state-ranked Elida Bulldogs to 21 points, but that was good enough for a 21-7 win against the Cougars in a Western Buckeye League battle Friday at Eggerss Stadium.

Again, it was a failure of the Van Wert offense to sustain scoring drives against pressure from the Bulldog defense. The Cougars had just 79 yards of total offense, with all of that (and more) coming through the air. Van Wert had minus-46 yards on the ground, largely because the Cougar offensive line couldn’t keep Elida off quarterback Tyler Williams, who was sacked repeatedly during the game and ended up with minus yardage rushing in the game.

Despite the continuous pressure, Williams did well through the air, completing 11 of 19 passes for 125 yards and a TD that went for 76 yards late in the game.

The Bulldogs scored the first three touchdowns, starting with a 1-yard run by Seanquez Frye on the Bulldogs’ first possession of the second quarter. Clark Etzler kicked the extra point and it was 7-0, Elida, with 10:11 remaining in the stanza.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the third quarter, the first coming on a Van Wert special teams’ breakdown that led to 78-yard kick-off return by Nick Tauff. Etzler kicked the PAT and Elida led by 14 with 11:48 remaining in the first half.

Elida scored again with 7:54 remaining in the half when Frye ran it in from the Cougar 10-yard line for the Bulldogs’ final score of the game. Etzler again kicked the point-after and it was 21-0, Elida.

Van Wert’s lone score came with less than two minutes remaining in the game when Williams hit Caleb Lloyd on approximately the Elida 35-yard line and Lloyd ran it all the way in from there for the Cougar score. Terrin Contreras kicked the extra point for the final 21-7 score.

With the win, Elida remains unbeaten at 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the WBL. The Cougars have yet to win a game, and are 0-4 overall and 0-3 in league play.

Elida compiled a total of 244 yards of offense, with 172 yards of that coming through the air. Etzler was 15 of 26 for 162 yards and two interceptions, while Logan Alexander came in to throw one completion in three tries for 10 yards and one interception. Brandon Stinson led all receivers with 117 yards on 12 receptions for the Bulldogs, while Lloyd caught five passes for 97 yards and a touchdown for Van Wert. Tauff caught four passes for Elida for 65 yards. Frye was the top rusher in the game with 50 yards and a TD on 18 carries.

The Cougars will travel to Lima Bath this coming Friday to play another WBL game against the Wildcats, who were 50-28 winners over St. Marys on Friday.