Turnovers lead to Cougars’ opening loss

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

BRYAN – The Van Wert Cougars had their chances in the 81st meeting with the Bryan Golden Bears, but too many turnovers turned into a 16-6 loss to start of the football season.

All the scoring came in the first half, as Bryan ran for a touchdown and then scored a field goal in the first quarter and then passed for a TD in the second quarter. The Cougs didn’t score until the second period on a touchdown pass from first-year quarterback Scott Williams.

Van Wert generated most of its offense on the ground, running 41 times for 115 yards, while the Golden Bears had a more balanced offensive attack, running 35 times for 141 yards and completing 8 of 25 passes for 99 yards, a TD and one interception for a total of 240 yards of offense. Williams hit 2 of 6 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown, but the Bryan defense also picked off three passes.

Those three picks, added to five lost fumbles (out of seven), was the statistic that mattered most in the game, since they ended some promising drives and also gave the Golden Bears good field position on too many occasions. Bryan fumbled once and lost it to the Cougars.

The Golden Bears scored on their first possession, with quarterback Collin Bacon running five yards to paydirt with less than two minutes off the clock. Kicker Matt Chaney kicked the extra point and it was 7-0, Bryan, with 10:10 remaining in the quarter. More than nine minutes then ticked off the clock before the next score, a 38-yard field goal by Chaney with a 1:01 left on the first-quarter clock.

Van Wert got on the scoreboard with less then five minutes left in the first half as Williams found Terrance Branson for a 19-yard scoring strike. The PAT attempt failed, but the Cougars had closed the gap to 10-6 with 4:42 left in the half.

That didn’t last long, though, as the Golden Bears put up one more score in the half — and the game, as it turns out — when Bacon lofted a pass to Austin Schimmoeller for a 24-yard TD. The PAT attempt failed and the scoring was over, although Van Wert left the outcome in doubt through the rest of the game, as they moved the ball, only to see turnovers and miscues stall the drives out before the Cougars could score.

The opening game loss leaves Van Wert at 0-1 in the young season, while the Golden Bears are now at 1-0. The Cougars will open the Western Buckeye League season this coming Friday at Shawnee. Kick-off will be at 7:30 p.m.