Welch, Kelly dazzle in win over Defiance

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

DEFIANCE — To say Friday’s game between Van Wert and Defiance at Fred Brown Stadium was game of wild swings would be an understatement.

Trailing 7-0, the Cougars scored four answered touchdowns, only to see the Bulldogs keep things close down the stretch, however, Van Wert emerged with a 36-27 win over their WBL rivals. It improved Van Wert’s record to 3-2 (2-2 WBL) while Defiance (2-3, 1-3 WBL) lost its third straight game.

The Bulldogs controlled the first quarter and led 7-0 at the end of the opening stanza, with the touchdown coming on 2-yard run by Chase Commisso on Defiance’s first possession. It capped off a 10 play, 65-yard drive, all on the ground with Commisso and Kelten Gibbs.

After turning the Cougars away on downs, Defiance put together another 10 play drive but it ended with Micah Cowan’s goal line interception of Colt Ward and return to the 31 yard line with 6:07 remaining in the second quarter. From there, Van Wert seemingly took charge by scoring three touchdowns in the span of four minutes and 30 seconds. Keaten Welch plucked a Zach Crummey pass that had been tipped and outran the Bulldog secondary for a 70-yard touchdown, followed by the first of four Griffin McCracken extra points. Defiance’s next play was a fumble that was picked up and returned 31 yards for a touchdown by Welch.

“Keaten put himself in great spots in the first half,” Van Wert head coach Keith Recker said. “He came up with the two big scores but also did a really good job at corner by defending their outside run.”

 After forcing a Defiance punt, the Cougars put together a seven play, 57 yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Crummey with just 53 seconds left in the half.

“Even thought we didn’t get out to the start we were hoping for, I thought the guys did a great job as they have all season of continuing to give great effort and then things started bouncing our way, especially at the end of the first half.”

Welch came up big on Defiance’s first drive of the second half, as he intercepted a pass by Ward deep in Van Wert territory, which set the stage for the first of two big Xavier Kelly plays – a 68-yard touchdown sprint that increased Van Wert’s lead to 28-7. Undeterred, Defiance answered with a drive and 16-yard scoring run by Commisso, but Kelly responded one play later with a 92-yard touchdown run. The PAT snap went awry, but Griffin McCracken tossed the ball to a wide open Cam Werts for the two point conversion and a 36-14 lead.

“‘X’ put his explosiveness on full display with those runs,” Recker said. “The speed, agility and power he has is fun to watch. I thought our offensive line did a nice job blocking our counter play on a couple of his runs also.”

Defiance wasn’t done though. On the next drive, Commisso punched it in from six yards out less than 90 seconds into what would turn out to be a flag filled fourth quarter, with 13 flags tossed in the period. Van Wert’s next possession ended with a bobbled punt snap that was recovered by the Bulldogs at the Cougar 26. Defiance scored on a 13-yard run by Commisso with 7:35 left, but a bad snap prevented an extra point try. The Bulldogs had one more chance to score but missed a 27-yard field goal attempt late in quarter. 

Commisso finished with 16 carries for 105 yards and four touchdowns, while Gibbs ran for 225 yards on 30 carries, as the Bulldogs rolled up 364 yards rushing. Ward completed just 4-of-12 pass attempts for 40 yards and was intercepted twice.

“Our defensive backs did a nice job of not allowing them to use play action passes create big plays,” Recker said.

Kelly finished with 14 carries for 174 yards and two touchdowns, while Crummey completed 12-of-16 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown. Welch finished with four receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown. Each team had 11 penalties and the combined penalty yardage was 208 yards. Defiance turned the ball over three times, while the Cougars had zero turnovers.

Van Wert will host No. 2 Wapakoneta Friday night. The Redskins (5-0) defeated St. Marys Memorial 42-7 on Friday.

Scoring summary

First quarter

4:08 D: Chase Commisso 2-yard run (Jameson Burriss kick)

Second quarter

5:17 VW: Zach Crummey 70-yard pass to Keaten Welch (Griffin McCracken kick)

4:23 VW: Keaten Welch 31 yard fumble return (Griffin McCracken kick)

0:53 VW: Zach Crummey 1-yard run (Griffin McCracken kick)

Third quarter

7:07 VW: Xavier Kelly 64-yard run (Griffin McCracken kick)

4:00 D: Chase Commisso 16-yard run (Griffin McCracken kick)

3:35 VW: Xavier Kelly 92-yard run (Griffin McCracken pass to Cam Werts)

Fourth quarter

10:38 D: Chase Commisso 6-yard run (Jameson Burriss kick)

7:35 D: Chase Commisso 13-yard run (bad snap, no kick)