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Wednesday, Jul. 9, 2025

Friday Flashback: All-Stars clash in VW

Editor’s note: The Friday Flashback has returned to the VW independent Sports page and will run each Friday until the start of the fall sports season. Van Wert’s Eggerss Stadium used to host an annual All-Star football game, featuring the top recently graduated high school senior football players. One of those games took place 10 years ago, in June of 2015. This is the story as it appeared on the VW independent Sports page.

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

Wayne Trace quarterback Tyler Showalter (33) runs with the ball during Friday’s VWCH All Star football game held at Eggerss Stadium in Van Wert. (Jan Dunlap/Van Wert independent)

The Western Buckeye League brought its own thunder to the Van Wert County Hospital All Star football game, beating the Northwest Conference/Lima Area all-stars 24-15 in a game delayed 45 minutes because of strong storms. It was sweet revenge for the WBL, which lost 30-7 last year and trails in the series, 9-7.

The WBL defense, led in part by Van Wert’s Chandler Adams Ethan Williams, held the NWC/Lima Area team to 193 yards total offense, while garnering 310 offensive yards itself.

The game started slowly, mostly because of the rain that finally stopped after a soggy — and scoreless — first quarter.

The WBL got on the scoreboard first when Bath’s Cam Jenkins connected with Kenton receiver Kollin Stollar for 17-yard touchdown with 2:14 remaining the second quarter. The point-after pass attempt failed and it was 6-0, WBL All Stars.

The early lead lasted all of two minutes as the NWC/Lima Area All Stars returned the favor on their next possession. Wayne Trace quarterback Tyler Showalter found Columbus Grove receiver Joey Warnecke for a 7-yard TD with 8 seconds remaining in the half. Warnecke also kicked the extra point to give the NWC/Lima Area team a 1-point lead, 7-6, heading into the locker room at halftime.

The WBL All Stars took the lead for good early in the third quarter when Jenkins again hit Stollar, this time on a 61-yard scoring strike up the middle. The PAT pass again went astray and the WBL was up 12-7 with 10:29 remaining in the quarter.

Kenton’s Kollin Stollar (23) makes an over-the-shoulder catch for a touchdown in Friday’s VWCH All Star football game. (Jan Dunlap/Van Wert independent)

After stopping the NWC/Lima Area team, the WBL went back to work from the NWC/Lima 44-yard line, scoring at the 7:25 mark of the third quarter on a 2-yard run by Jenkins that made the score 18-7.

The WBL added an insurance score with 9:39 remaining in the fourth quarter after Adams picked off a Showalter pass at the 38 and ran it 28 yards to the NWC/Lima Area 10-yard-line. On the first play from scrimmage, Jenkins found teammate Corey Briggs in the end zone from 10 yards out to make it 24-7.

Although the game was pretty much over then, the NWC/Lima Area team scored one more time when Lima Senior’s JuNiel Liles ran 4 yards for the final TD of the game with 3:14 remaining. Showalter found fellow Raider David Sinn in the end zone for the two-point PAT for the final score of 24-15.

Jenkins was the WBL’s leading rusher with 87 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Showalter led the NWC/Lima Area team with 51 yards on 13 carries.

Stollar was the WBL — and the game’s — top receiver with six receptions for 113 yards and two TDS, while Warnecke led the NWC/Lima Area squad with three receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown.

POSTED: 06/19/25 at 9:16 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports