Cougars, Roughriders run up big numbers

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

ST MARYS — There’s good news and bad news from St. Marys.

The good news, at least for Van Wert fans – sophomore quarterback Zach Crummey had the finest night of his young career, completing 28-of-40 passes for 461 yards, which may be a school record, four touchdowns and one interception, plus a rushing touchdown. Three of the touchdown passes went to Keaten Welch and junior wide receiver Micah Cowan caught 18 passes for 330 yards, both school records, and one touchdown.

The bad news for Van Wert fans – St. Marys Memorial running back Caleb Schmidt, the Western Buckeye League’s leading rusher, had 42 carries for 315 yards and six touchdowns and the Roughriders celebrated homecoming while holding off Van Wert 42-35 Friday night. The game ended with a turnover on downs at the St. Marys Memorial 3-yard line as time expired.

St. Marys (4-3, 4-2 WBL) never trailed in the game and never punted. The Roughriders took the opening kickoff and marched 67 yards in 14 plays and scored on a 1-yard run by Schmidt, with the drive taking over seven minutes and 30 seconds. The Cougars took less than three minutes to tie the game when Crummey tossed a 19-yard touchdown pass to Keaten Welch. However, Schmidt countered with a 61-yard touchdown run just two plays later, making it 14-7, a score that stood at the end of the period.

“Caleb is a great person – he gets yards and does everything we ask of him,” St. Marys Memorial head coach Bo Frye said. “He’s a very good fullback and he has a knack for finding the hole.”

“St. Marys did a great job on both sides of the line opening holse for their fullback and taking away our run game,” Van Wert head coach Keith Recker said.

On the ensuing possession, Van Wert (3-4, 2-4 WBL) drove deep into St. Marys territory but came away empty handed when linebacker Taylor Compton stepped in front of a Crummey pass and returned it to the 43-yard line. Nine plays later, Schmidt’s 3-yard touchdown run increased the lead to 20-7. Van Wert answered with a drive than included two fourth down plays, with the second being a 1-yard touchdown run by Crummey that made it 20-14 going into halftime.

Disaster struck at the start of the third quarter, when the Cougars lost a fumble on the first play from scrimmage, which set up a 4-yard scoring run by Schmidt just 26 seconds into the quarter, followed by the two point conversion by Schmidt. Undaunted, Van Wert answered with an eight play, 80 yard drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Crummey to Welch, who finished with four receptions for 66 yards and three touchdowns.  On the drive, Crummey completed 7-of-8 passes, including six to Cowan for 70 yards.

“Micah showed his talent tonight,” Recker said. He caught screens, intermediate routes and a few long balls and showed that he really can do it all as a receiver.”

As they had done all night, the Roughriders methodically drove downfield and Schmidt punched it in from two yards out with six minutes left in the quarter to make it 35-21. The two teams traded touchdowns after that, with Crummey tossing a 58-yard scoring pass to Cowan and Schmidt rumbling in from 23 yards out to increase the lead to 42-28.

Just one touchdown was scored in the fourth quarter – a 29-yard pass from Crummey to Welch with 10:51 left. After that, it appeared as though the Roughriders might run out the clock. After starting a drive at the St. Marys 4-yard line, the hosts ran off 14 plays and chewed nearly eight minutes off the clock. However, on fourth and 1 at the Van Wert 23, the Cougars stopped Schmidt, which set up the game’s final drive. Crummey drove his team to the Roughrider 3-yard line and along the way, completed 7-of-8 passes for 71 yards, including a completion to Evan Keunecke for 26 yards and another to Cowan for 27 yards. However, three straight incompletions followed, including a fourth down pass as time expired.

“We needed a stop at the end and I’m proud of our defense,” Frye stated. “It was a great play by Dyllan Fink (on fourth down). It felt a lot like the 2021 finish. Compliments to coach Recker and crew – his kids played hard and made a lot of great plays. We had several opportunities to put them away. We’re going to need to if we want to win the rest of the way.”

“Things looked bleak in the third quarter but I am really proud that we fought back and gave ourselves a chance to win,” Recker said. “The guys should be proud of the effort but we also know that come Friday nights we are here to win games and we will go back to work Monday ready to get better.”

As a team, the Roughriders rushed for 398 yards, while quarterback Aiden Meinerding attempted just one pass and completed it for 12 yards on the game’s opening drive.

“Our offensive line is getting better,” Frye said. “We have a great group and they continue to play hard and do things right. I’m proud of them.”

While Crummey passed for 461 yards, he was sacked five times and the Cougars finished with -11 yards rushing. Xavier Kelly, who entered the game as the WBL’s second leading rusher, was held to 18 yards on 11 carries.

“Zach showed a lot of poise in the pocket for how much pressure he was under all night,” Recker said. “He did a good job of stepping up and moving in the pocket to give himself a chance to make those throws.”

Van Wert will host Ottawa-Glandorf for homecoming Friday night. The Titans (0-7, 0-6 WBL) lost to Bath 35-17 Friday night.

Scoring summary

First quarter

4:14 SM – Caleb Schmidt 1-yard run (Brady Triplett kick)

1:29 VW – Zach Crummey 19-yard pass to Keaten Welch (Griffin McCracken kick)

0:46 SM – Caleb Schmidt 61-yard run (Brady Triplett kick)

Second quarter

4:51 SM – Caleb Schmidt 4-yard run (kick failed)

2:15 VW – Zach Crummey 1-yard run (Griffin McCracken kick)

Third quarter

11:34 SM – Caleb Schmidt 4-yard run (Caleb Schmidt run)

9:28 VW – Zach Crummey 11-yard pass to Keaten Welch (Griffin McCracken kick)

6:06 SM – Caleb Schmidt 2-yard run (Brady Triplett kick)

3:53 VW – Zach Crummey 58-yard pass to Micah Cowan (Griffin McCracken kick)

1:41 SM – Caleb Schmidt 23-yard run (Brady Triplett kick)

Fourth quarter

10:51 VW – Zach Crummey 29-yard pass to Keaten Welch (Griffin McCracken kick)