Wapakoneta stuns Van Wert 20-19

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

WAPAKONETA — Simply put, it was a stunning and devastating loss.

No. 15 Wapakoneta blocked a Van Wert punt and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with just four seconds left, giving the Redskins an improbable 20-19 win over No. 2 Van Wert.

“We made so many little mistakes that added up – extra points, the punt was the big one, penalties, using timeouts because we weren’t getting lined up,” a subdued Van Wert head coach Keith Recker said after the game. “We have to be mentally and physically tougher to overcome those things.”

It appeared early on that the Cougars (3-1, 2-1 WBL) would cruise to an easy win after putting three touchdowns on the board in the first quarter. Less than two minutes into the game, a scrambling Aidan Pratt connected with Maddix Crutchfield for a 77-yard touchdown pass, but the ensuing PAT failed.

The Redskins went three and out on the next drive, then the snap sailed over the head of punter Kyle Beach, who fell on the ball at the Wapak 9-yard line. Two plays later, Pratt tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Crutchfield and the Damon McCracken PAT gave Van Wert a 13-0 lead at the 8:54 mark. After forcing another Wapakoneta punt, the Cougars took over at their own 38 and capped a seven play drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Brylen Parker. The PAT was partially blocked, leaving Van Wert with a 19-0 lead with 5:14 left in the opening stanza.

Those would prove to be the only points scored the rest of the night by the visitors.

Neither team scored in the second quarter. The Redskins had a promising drive squashed by a sack by Van Wert’s Devon Story and the Cougars had a drive end on downs in Wapak territory. The Redskins later had a 13-play drive that ended with a missed 37-yard field goal attempt right before halftime.

Wapakoneta opened the second half with a 5-play, 67-yard drive that featured a 38-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Caleb Moyer to Grant Jolly, followed by the PAT by Preston Meyer to make it 19-7.

Van Wert’s next drive ended with a punt, then the Redskins took over at their own nine and drove to the Cougar 38 before turning it over on downs.

The Cougars turned it over on downs on the next drive but still seemed to be in good shape. Moyer hit Jolly on a 52-yard pass but then lost 10 yards on a high snap and three plays later through a pass that was intercepted by Reese Krugh.

Van Wert’s next drive ended on downs and the Redskins put together a drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown run by Jace Knous with 2:33 left to put Wapakoneta to within five, 19-14. The drive was sparked by a 52-yard completion from Moyer to a wide open Will Campbell. Moyer finished 12-of-23 for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Jolly caught six passes for 123 yards. As a team, the Redskins finished with 359 yards of total offense.

“He threw the ball well,” Recker said of the freshman quarterback. “We’re giving up passing yards to a team that’s averaging less than 100 yards a game. They made plays when they needed to.”

The Cougars recovered a Wapakoneta onside kick and needed just one first down to run out the clock, but that first down proved to be elusive and the ill-fated punt came on 4th and 1 at the Wapakoneta 43. 6-5 Grant Houser blocked the kick and the ball bounced to a streaking Jordan Schneider, who picked it up and ran untouched for a touchdown.

Pratt ended the game 22-of-26 for 269 yards and two touchdowns, with three completions and two touchdowns going to Crutchfield for 88 yards. Garett Gunter had seven receptions for 47 yards, while Conner Campbell had four catches for 48 yards. Carson Smith added four receptions for 36 yards. Parker led the Cougar ground game with 16 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown and Van Wert finished with 362 total yards.

The Cougars will host St. Marys Memorial on Friday night.

“We’ll find out how good we really want to be by the way we approach our film session on Saturday and by the way we approach next week,” Recker said. “There are still things we’re working on that should not be an issue and those things showed up on the field tonight.”

Scoring summary

Wapakoneta 0 0 7 13 – 20
Van Wert 19 0 0 0 – 19

First quarter

VW 10:03 – Aidan Pratt 77-yard pass to Maddix Crutchfield (kick failed)
VW 8:54 – Aidan Pratt 4-yard pass to Maddix Crutchfield (Damon McCracken kick)
VW 5:14 – Brylen Parker – 3-yard run (kick failed)

Third quarter

W 8:47 – Caleb Moyer 38-yard pass to Grant Jolly (Preston Meyer kick)

Fourth quarter

W 2:33 – Jace Knous 2-yard run (Preston Meyer kick)
W :04 – Jordan Schneider 40-yard blocked punt return (pass failed)