Defiance outlasts VW in WBL match-up

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

DEFIANCE — The Defiance Bulldogs used a deadly combination of big plays and smash-mouth football to down the Van Wert Cougars 49-35 in a Western Buckeye League contest played Friday night at Defiance.

The Cougars gave Defiance all it wanted for two quarters,  and led the Bulldogs 21-19 at the end of the fidrst half. But a letdown — offensively and defensively —  in the third quarter that gave Defiance two unanswered scores was the difference in an otherwise even contest.

Van Wert scored first on a 5-yard run by Nick Krugh with 7:26 remaining in the first half. Gavin Gardner kicked the extra point – the first of five on the day – and the Cougars were up 7-0.

The Bulldogs responded 13 seconds later with the first big play of the day: a 92-yard kick-off return by Austin Hancock. Hancock also kicked the point-after and it was 7-all with 7:13 left in the quarter.

Van Wert took the lead again when Cougar quarterback Colin Smith found Terrance Branson on a 43-yard scoring strike with 6:09 left in the first quarter. Gardner kicked the PAT and it was 14-7, Van Wert.

Again, the Bulldogs returned the favor on a 7-yard pass from Will Batt to Hancock. The point-after kick went wide, though, and Van Wert led by a point, 14-13, as the quarter ended.

Defiance used another big play to take its first lead of the game when Batt hit Damian Elford for a 65-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion pass was no good and the Bulldogs were up 19-14 with 11:09 left in the first half.

It didn’t take Van Wert long to even it up on a big play of its own as Smith found Branson in the open for a 49-yard touchdown pass with 9:49 remaining in the half. Gardner kicked the point-after and the Cougars led 21-19 when the half ended.

The third quarter was the deal-breaker as Defiance scored twice in the quarter, the first on a 57-yard pass from Batt to Jake Myers to make it 25-21. Batt then passed to Colten Relyea for the two-point conversion and it was 27-21, Bulldogs.

Defiance’s second score of the quarter came on an 18-yard run by Derek Relyea, Colton’s brother, with 8:25 remaining in the quarter to make the score 33-21. Batt then hit Myers for another two-point conversion and the Bulldogs were up 35-21 when the third quarter ended.

Defiance scored again with 10:39 ticks left on the game clock on a 2-yard run by Hancock. He also kicked the PAT and the Bulldogs had doubled the score on Van Wert, 42-21.

The Cougars weren’t done, though. They scored again at the 8:05 mark when Justice Tussing ran the ball into the end zone from eight yards out. Gardner split the uprights on the PAT attempt and Van Wert trailed by 14, 42-28.

The Bulldogs maintained their lead with their final TD of the game: a 6-yard scamper by Hancock, who also kicked the point-after for a 49-28 lead.

Van Wert scored one final time, as Smith hit Branson on a 9-yard scoring strike. Gardner hit the PAT and it was 49-35 with 3:01 left in the game – and that’s how it ended.

The Cougars had 358 yards of offense, 261 of that through the air, while Defiance generated 510 yards of offense, 240 of that on the ground and 270 yards of passing offense. Branson had eight catches for 121 yards and three touchdowns to lead the receiving category, while Defiance’s Elford had two catches for 79 yards and a TD.

Batt carried the ball 11 times for 95 yards for Defiance, while Derek Relyea had 83 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Smith led Van Wert in rushing with 56 yards on 11 carries.

With the victory, Defiance is now 5-3 overall and 5-2 in the WBL. Van Wert’s young Cougars remain winless at 0-8 overall and 0-7 in league play.

The Cougars host Wapakoneta (7-1, 6-1 WBL) this coming Friday and then travel to St. Marys, which is also winless at this point in the season, in the final game of the season.