Lima area/NWC team downs WBL 30-7

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

Organizers of the Van Wert County Hospital All Star Football Game decided to bring in grid stars from Lima area squads, including Lima Central Catholic, Lima Senior, Wayne Trace and Perry, to team up with Northwest Conference players to compete against those from the Western Buckeye League.

The newly constituted Lima area/NWC team then proceeded to run away with the game, beating the WBL stars 30-7 in a game played Friday in Eggerss Stadium in Van Wert.

Friday’s game showed why statistics don’t always result in a win, as the WBL team had more first downs (13-11) and more total yards of offense (283-231), yet still suffered a lopsided loss to the Lima area/NWC team. The WBL stars had no trouble moving the ball – until they got into scoring territory, that is. WBL quarterback William Batt had trouble getting the ball to his receivers, while Wayne Trace quarterback Colby Speice hit two different receivers for touchdowns for the Lima area/NWC team.

The WBL compiled 131 yards on the ground, compared to just 54 yards for the Lima Area/NWC team, but Lima Area/NWC quarterbacks hit half of their passes (12 of 24 for 189 yards and two TDs), while the WBL was 12 of 40 for 157 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

Penalties also plagued the WBL team, which had 11 penalties for a whopping 109 yards, compared to just 30 yards on three penalties for the Lima area/NWC team.

The Lima area/NWC team scored first on a 12-yard run by Bluffton’s Noah Stratton with 8:05 remaining in the first quarter. Ada’s Matt Wilcox ran the ball into the end zone for a two-point PAT and it was 8-0, Lima area/NWC.

The WBL responded with its only score when Celina running back Loudon Limon scored from 4 yards out with 16 seconds left in the first quarter. Bailey Hinegardner of Wapakoneta kicked the extra point to make it 8-7 in favor of the Lima area/NWC team.

The next score came at the 8:48 mark of the second quarter when Speice hit Wayne Trace teammate Korbin Showalter for a 52-yard scoring strike to stun the WBL defense.

Neither team could get on the scoreboard in the third period, but the Lima area/NWC team scored two more times in the final stanza: the first on a 4-yard run by Delphos Jefferson’s Zavier Buzard at the 6:56 mark, and the second on a 14-yard pass from Speice to another Raider teammate, Jared Sherry with 2:47 remaining in the game.

Top rusher in the game was Limon, who ran for 42 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Buzard had 30 yards and a TD on 14 rushes.

Top receivers for the Lima area/NWC squad were Buzard, who caught four passes for 83 yards, and Showalter, who caught one for 52 yards and a touchdown, while Van Wert’s Terrance Branson caught four passes for 52 yards for the WBL team.