Cougars had some memorable moments

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

Van Wert’s 2026 football season is in the books and it featured some exciting moments, along with a few heartbreaking moments.

Among the more pleasing highlights: a high-flying offense that led the Western Buckeye league in total yards and was second in scoring; a 3-0 start with wins over Bryan, Elida and Bath; scoring a season-high 63 points in a win over Defiance on the night a re-dedication ceremony was held at Eggerss Stadium, and a win at Kenton in the regular season finale, a victory that secured the program’s first playoff berth in three seasons.

“Finishing the regular season with a win at Kenton was memorable not only because we were able to earn a spot in the playoffs, but also because it showed a lot of resiliency by our guys to never give up even when we had a tough stretch during the season,” head coach Keith Recker said. “We had some great videos during the playoff week and it really showed how many great things go on within our program and all the people that make it special to be a part of, including our players, parents, coaches, and community.”

Junior quarterback Zach Crummey was second (by 17 yards) among WBL passers with 2,723 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions during the regular season. Crummey completed 217-of-323 tosses (67.2 percent), and ran for nine scores. Junior running back Xavier Kelly was the WBL’s second leading rusher during the regular season (156-1,111, 21 touchdowns) and was one of the team’s top receivers as well (49-583, eight touchdowns). He led the WBL in all-purpose yards and in scoring. Seniors Keaten Welch (56-890, seven touchdowns) and Micah Cowan (59-761, two touchdowns) were among the league leaders in receptions and yards. Welch finished second in the WBL in interceptions, with five.

Unfortunately, the season came to an end with last Friday’s 63-37 opening round loss to Otsego. The Knights jumped out to a 14-0 just 65 seconds into the game and never really looked back.

Other heartbreaking moments during the season were a wild 43-42 loss to St. Marys Memorial, a late loss to Shawnee and a 38-26 loss to undefeated and state-ranked Ottawa-Glandorf, a team that would go on to win the WBL championship. However, outside of the Otsego game, Van Wert (5-6, 4-5 WBL) was competitive in every game. The Cougars were tied with Celina 28-28 in the third quarter before the Bulldogs pulled away for a 49-28 win. St. Marys Memorial scored with no time left on the clock then hit the two-point conversion, and against Ottawa-Glandorf, the Cougars trailed 31-26 in the fourth quarter and had chances to take the lead before the Titans added a game-sealing touchdown. Van Wert led Shawnee 27-19 in the fourth quarter, before the Indians scored a pair of late touchdowns for a 33-27 win.

“This season reminds me a little bit of our 2015 season when we had a very good team that finished 5-5, because the WBL that season was loaded with talent and very good teams,” Recker said. “I think the same can be said this year – there are quality coaches who run quality programs – and there is a lot of talent in our league, both athletically and physically on about every team. O-G sort of came out of nowhere, but it shows what can be done when you have a great  off-season and you get some momentum on your side. There are a lot of teams in the league capable of beating anyone on any given night.”

Four WBL teams finished with seven wins or more during the regular season and five teams qualified for the playoffs.

Van Wert’s roster featured 11 seniors: WR/DB Keaten Welch, WR/DB Zander Stemen, WR/LB Caden Collins, WR/DB Micah Cowan, WR/DB Cohen Bragg, RB/LB Roman Martin, OL/LB Maddox Workman, OL/DL Ashton Rager, OL/DL Carter Bledsoe, OL/DL Ben Verville and OL/DL Billy Vaughn. Five of those seniors were the team leader in tackles – Welch (78), Bragg (71), Collins (60), Martin (59) and Stemen (59). Workman had four sacks and Rager added three sacks.

“This class is special both on the field and off the field,” Recker said. “They provided a lot of quality football on the field, but also helped grow our program off of it as well. These guys have been a huge part of our football camp in the summer and have helped run our flag football program for years.” 

“They give back to our youth any chance they get, they treat people the right way, and are great football players,” he added. “We will miss them but were great role models for our returning players.”

While those players will be hard to replace, the Cougars will have some experienced players returning in 2027. Crummey and Kelly, both Division I recruits, will be back, along with receiver Easton Putman, offensive linemen Gage Mankey and Jackson Hohman, defensive backs/wide receivers Evan Keneuke and Jace Huebner, linebacker Gavin Gonzalez, and kicker/punter Alex Benner. 

“As always, we need to put in the time and effort to become the best versions of ourselves,” Recker stated. “That means as coaches we will continue to develop and find the best ways to teach technique and scheme and do it in a way that can help our players perform on the field. For our players, we have to have a great off-season. Our attendance is really good in June and July, but we need to have a great December to May, as we need to become bigger, faster, and stronger to not just compete with the best teams in the league, but to win those games that come down to the fourth quarter.”

“I am really excited about the group we have back next year but we need to be a year better, not just a year older,” he added. “I think we have the guys that will be motivated to better themselves so we can better our team.”