Playoff preview: Cougars vs. Indians

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Some call it the second season and in many ways it is.

The OHSAA playoffs will kick off Friday night and the Van Wert Cougars are among the many teams that hope to finish the season in Canton in early December.

The Cougars will host Wauseon in the opening round of Division IV Region 14 play on Friday night. The division is referred to by many as the toughest in all of Division IV and now, each game is fight to survive and advance. Van Wert has won 18 straight games at Eggerss Stadium.

“While our practice routine and our preparation for the game doesn’t change much, the feeling is definitely different,” Van Wert head coach Keith Recker said. “It truly is a one-game season and this week has a life of its own. Part of the reason they have a different feel is because you have to earn your way in, which I think is special about football. Then just knowing that it is a win or be done situation is great when you have a bunch of competitive players ready to take the field.”

This week’s opponent is a somewhat familiar one. The Cougars host Wauseon in the regional quarterfinals last year and won the game 53-20.

The Indians enter Friday’s game with two straight Northwest Ohio Athletic League losses, 20-12 to Archbold and 21-7 to Bryan in the regular season finale. That game was tied 7-7 after three quarters, but the Golden Bears scored twice in the fourth quarter.

“We faced a lot of tough competition week in and week out with six league teams making the postseason,” Wauseon head coach Shawn Moore said. “We also saw a good variety of schemes both offensively and defensively, to allow us to be familiar with most things that we could see in the playoffs.”

The majority of yards gained by Wauseon have come through the air via the spread offense. Along with 24 points per game, the Indians are averaging 256.5 total yards per outing, with 218 of that coming via the passing game.

Quarterback Trey Parsons has completed 122-of-195 passes for 1,482 yards, 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while Elijah McLeod has completed 54-of-90 tosses for 701 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions. The main receiving targets have been Jude Armstrong (62-606, six touchdowns), Tyson Rodriguez (41-532, four touchdowns) and Sam Smith (40-502, five touchdowns).

“Wauseon has a very good group of skill players back from last year,” Recker said. “Sam Smith gets a lot of credit, deservedly so, but the other guys around him create big plays on short and deep throws. They like to throw the ball and can really spread it around to about anyone they want with the skill level they have.”

Ryan Friend is Wauseon’s leading rusher with 42 carries for 184 yards and four touchdowns, and Rodriguez is another offensive weapon, having converted 29-32 extra points and 4-6 field goals, including a 43-yarder.

Defensively, the Indians are allowing just 222 yards and 15.7 points per game. Logan Carroll is the leading tackler with 93, followed by Austin Kovar (88) and Chance Snow (87).

“They will test you with some man coverage,” Recker said. “They have also shown the ability to blitz five or six guys, which will really test our pass protection.”

Van Wert’s Aidan Pratt has completed 192-of-267 passes for 2,824 yards, 32 touchdowns and just three interceptions, and he’s had no shortage of targets. Maddix Crutchfield (47-784, 10 touchdowns), Garett Gunter (51-721, five touchdowns) and Conner Campbell (35-556, nine touchdowns) have been reliable receivers throughout the season and Nate Phillips has emerged as a big play receiver as well (29-445, five touchdowns).

Brylen Parker (121-651, 16 touchdowns) and Pratt (100-597, eight touchdowns) have led a ground game that has picked up in recent weeks.

As a team, the Cougars enter the playoffs averaging 453 yards of total offense per game and 46.5 points per game, while allowing 273 yards and 17.6 points per contest. Carson Smith (74) and Damon McCracken (69) lead the team in tackles, while Jacob Fuerst and Jackson Jones share the lead in sacks, with three each. Ashton Baer, Reese Krugh and Luke Wessell each have four interceptions.

“They are a well-coached team that is going to be ready to play,” Moore said of the Cougars. “We had some success moving the ball last year, but turnovers and penalties cost us in key situations. Their up-tempo style of play will again be something we need to prepare for. We will need to put some pressure on their quarterback and make sure to identify him in the running game as well.”

Last year’s game against Wauseon was one of four postseason games played by the Cougars, giving the team two deep playoff runs during the past two seasons, including the 2020 Division IV state championship. Recker is hopeful that success and experience will pay off.

“The playoffs definitely have a little different feel with the season being on the line every week, so having a lot of guys with not only experience in the playoffs, but successful experience is beneficial,” Recker said. “While that past experience is nice to have, it’s also important that our players understand our past experience won’t win any playoff games for us. We need to come out with great focus all week and then bring great effort on Friday.”

Friday’s game will be broadcast live on WERT 1220AM/104.3FM.