{"id":208901,"date":"2026-08-14T21:42:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T02:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=208901"},"modified":"2026-08-14T21:42:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T02:42:31","slug":"xavier-kelly-scores-twice-in-scrimmage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2026\/08\/14\/xavier-kelly-scores-twice-in-scrimmage\/","title":{"rendered":"Xavier Kelly scores twice in scrimmage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SCOTT TRUXELL\/<\/strong>independent sports<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Friday night\u2019s annual scrimmage between Van Wert and Crestview, both teams saw some positive things and both learned the areas they need to improve in time for their respective regular season openers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A positive for Van Wert \u2013 the Cougars return their entire backfield and top two receivers from last year. An area that needs work \u2013 the offensive line, which lost three starters to graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Xavier Kelly rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown during Friday’s scrimmage. Bob Barnes\/Van Wert independent<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re getting there,\u201d Van Wert head coach Keith Recker said of his offensive line. \u201cFrom where we were in June and July, they continue to get better, they ask questions, they\u2019re a very smart group and they want to know what they need to do to keep getting better. Come Week No. 5 it\u2019ll be a completely different looking group, but we\u2019re athletic up front and they\u2019re hard workers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recker also noted he wants to see continued improvement from his defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOut of our base front I thought we played pretty well but we tried to get into a three-man front and we have some work there,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to be able to stop the run.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the Crestview Knights lost more than 90 percent of last year\u2019s yards to graduation, including running back Braxton Leeth, who rushed for nearly 2,300 hundred yards and 33 touchdowns. However, the Knights have four of their five starting offensive linemen back from last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been very up front with that group,\u201d Crestview head coach Cole Harting said of his offensive line. \u201cThey\u2019re what we\u2019ll rely on while our skill guys develop experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought we played better as a team tonight than we played last week,\u201d Harting continued. \u201cWe just have to be better every single day, so I\u2019m proud of the improvement from our first scrimmage to the second scrimmage. Obviously there\u2019s still some things to work on \u2013 we need to finish tackles. We missed a couple that resulted in big plays for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The first half of the scrimmage at Eggerss Stadium was played just as a regular game would be. In two quarters, Van Wert\u2019s Xavier Kelly put on a show by rushing for 144 yards and a touchdown on just eight carries, while catching a short touchdown pass, as the Cougars outscored the Knights 21-12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly\u2019s rushing touchdown came late in the second quarter. The junior running back took a handoff on a jet sweep but was immediately hemmed and seemingly wrapped up in the backfield. However, he was able to break free, reverse field and from there, sprint untouched 59 yards to the end zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The run came one play after Crestview had pulled to within two, 14-12, on a six yard touchdown run by Trenton Osborn. The score capped off a 10-play, 75 yard drive by the Knights, but the try for two was stuffed by Van Wert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van Wert\u2019s first possession ended on downs at the Crestview 33, but the Cougars were able to force the nights into a three-and-out, then put up the first score of the scrimmage, when quarterback Zach Crummey looped an eight yard touchdown pass to Kelly. Alex Benner added the first of three PATs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Knights answered on the ensuing drive, when quarterback Cooper Miller zipped a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jakoby Heck, but the PAT was blocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van Wert wasted no time with a response. After Kale Lichtensteiger sacked Crummey for a 13-yard loss, the junior quarterback lofted a 42-yard touchdown pass to an open Micah Cowan, put the Cougars ahead 14-6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crummey finished the game 10-of-15 for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Cohen Bragg caught three passes for 29 yards, while Cowan added 53 yards on a pair of receptions. In two quarters of play, the Cougars finished with 224 yards of offense. However, Van Wert the Cougars had a couple of costly penalties \u2013 an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a 15-yard face mask penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSecond and long, first and long \u2013 that\u2019s a bad situation and those are killers,\u201d Recker said. \u201cHopefully we learn from them now and not next week. If we\u2019re driving and we have first and 10, we can wind up in first and 25.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Knights tallied 151 yards of offense, including 106 on the ground. Evin Brincefield led seven ballcarriers with three carries for 39 yards, while Miller added 23 yards on four carries. Miller completed 3-of-9 passes for 45 yards, including a 29-yard toss to Beckham Putman. Along with Lichtensteiger, Will Sheets recorded a 13-yard sack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the halftime break, the junior varsity teams took the field and ran several sets of plays. Van Wert\u2019s LJ Compton found the end zone on a 36-yard run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van Wert will open the regular season at home Friday night against Bryan, while the Knights will welcome in former NWC foe Paulding the same night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varsity scoring <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First quarter <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • VW (5:27): Zach Crummey 8-yard pass to Xavier Kelly (Alex Benner kick)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • CK (1:45): Cooper Miller 13-yard pass to Jakoby Heck (kick blocked)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Second quarter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • VW (11:53): Zach Crummey 42-yard pass to Micah Cowan (Alex Benner kick)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • CK (3:07): Trenton Osborn 6-yard run (run failed)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • VW (2:45): Xavier Kelly 59-yard run (Alex Benner kick)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
      \n
      \"\"
      Crestview quarterback Cooper Miller (9) prepares to hand off. Bob Barnes photo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      SCOTT TRUXELL\/independent sports During Friday night\u2019s annual scrimmage between Van Wert and Crestview, both teams saw some positive things and both learned the areas they need to improve in time for their respective regular season openers. A positive for Van Wert \u2013 the Cougars return their entire backfield and top two receivers from last year. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-208901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-26 00:54:55","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208901"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208910,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208901\/revisions\/208910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}