Friday Flashback: Recker gets first win

Note: This week’s Friday Flashback goes back to Week No. 9 of the 2012 high school football season, when the Van Wert Cougars snapped a lengthy losing streak with a victory over St. Marys Memorial. In addition, it was the first win for head coach Keith Recker. Below is the game story as it appeared on the VW independent Sports page.

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

Either the Van Wert Cougars or the St. Marys Roughriders would no longer be winless after Friday’s Western Buckeye League contest at Eggerss Stadium. Fortunately for the Cougar faithful, it was Van Wert that prevailed as Van Wert nearly equaled its total season scoring output with four touchdowns to down the ‘Riders 26-6.

It was the first win for the Cougars in 19 games over two seasons and first-year Head Coach Keith Recker’s first ever as the Van Wert mentor.The victory was the 500th overall, though, for the Cougar football program, which began in 1910, with most of those wins coming under Hall of Fame coaching great Gilbert “Gil” Smith. Van Wert also had its first league win in two seasons.

The Cougars compiled a season-high offensive output, with a balanced effort that included 305 yards of total offense, 191 yards coming on the ground and the other 114 through the air. Caleb Lloyd provided the offensive muscle on the ground, churning out 176 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns (6.3 yards per carry average). Quarterback Tyler Williams also came through offensively, connecting on 6 of 14 passes for 114 yards, two TDs and one interception.

The Cougars never trailed after Williams hit Terrance Branson for a 33-yard score at the 4:43 mark of the first quarter. The PAT run failed and it was 6-0, Van Wert. The Roughriders did come back to tie, though, as St. Marys’ Dustin Fisher ran it in from the Cougar 4-yard line with 10:43 remaining in the first half.

There was plenty of time left in the half, though, and Van Wert used another seven minutes of it before scoring with 3:40 remaining in the second quarter on a 7-yard run by Lloyd. Branson kicked the PAT to give the Cougars a 13-6 lead at the half.

Van Wert put the game away in the second half, holding the Roughriders scoreless while putting together two touchdown drives. The first came in the third quarter on a 4-yard run by Lloyd with 6:30 remaining in the period. The kick was wide and it was 19-6, Cougars.

The final score of the game came when Michael Smelser hauled in a pass from Williams for a 22-yard touchdown with 10:12 left in the game.

The Cougar defense held St. Marys to 181 yards total offense, with 112 of those yards coming on the ground. The leading rusher for the Roughriders was Fisher, who gained 59 yards on the ground on 18 carries, along with St. Marys’ only touchdown.

Van Wert is now 1-8 overall and 1-7 in league play, while the ‘Riders fall to 0-9 overall and 0-8 in the WBL.

The Cougars’ victory provides a little momentum for Van Wert’s meeting next Friday with league-leading Ottawa-Glandorf. The Cougars will need all the help they can get to have any chance of knocking off the state-ranked Titans, the only undefeated team in the WBL who remained that way Friday with a 54-14 thrashing of Lima Bath.

The game will be played at Ottawa, starting at 7:30 p.m.