{"id":210950,"date":"2026-10-06T21:42:29","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T02:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=210950"},"modified":"2026-10-06T21:42:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T02:42:32","slug":"cougars-vs-titans-have-been-close-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2026\/10\/06\/cougars-vs-titans-have-been-close-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Cougars vs. Titans have been close games"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

In recent years, the series between Van Wert and Ottawa-Glandorf has been a close one and Friday night has the potential to continue that trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going back to the 2017 season, when Van Wert defeated the Titans 19-17, the game has been decided by a touchdown or less seven times. Three of those games went to overtime. While the games have been close in most of those years, the Cougars are 7-2 against O-G in the last nine games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a brief breakdown of Van Wert vs. Ottawa-Glandorf games going back to the 2017 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2017<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Eggerss Stadium, Van Wert led state-ranked Ottawa-Glandorf 19-3 after three quarters, then held on for a 19-17 victory. It was Van Wert\u2019s first win over the Titans since the 2004 season. Van Wert\u2019s three touchdowns came on a 21-yard pass from Nate Place to Jacoby Kelly, a 3-yard run by James Acquaviva and a 3-yard run by Jake Hilleary. Ottawa-Glandorf scored with less than 3:30 left in the game to pull within two, but the Cougars were able to run out the clock.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Van Wert’s Jake Hilleary (16) scored the winning touchdown against Ottawa-Glandorf in 2017. Jerry Mason photo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

2018<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jake Hilleary had a 2-yard touchdown run in overtime and the defense stiffened, giving Van Wert a 40-34 win over the Titans. Van Wert led 14-3 midway through the second quarter but O-G came storming back and led 18-14 early in the third quarter. Nate Place scored twice in the third period, going in from 74 and three yards out, then Hilleary plowed in from three yards out nearly midway through the fourth quarter to give Van Wert a 34-18 lead. However, the Titans scored twice, including a 69-yard punt return by Jarrod Beach with 1:35 left, then scored a pair of two-point conversions to force the extra session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the second straight season, Van Wert and Ottawa-Glandorf went to overtime but this time it was the Titans who came out on top 35-28. The game was tied 7-7 after one quarter and O-G led 14-7 at halftime. The Titans led 21-14 after three quarters and the Cougars scored a pair of touchdowns in the final period \u2013 a 1-yard run by Jake Hilleary and an 18-yard touchdown pass from Owen Treece to Dru Johnson, a score that sent the game to overtime. Van Wert had a chance to win at the end of regulation, but a 35-yard field goal attempt was wide left as time expired. Ottawa-Glandorf scored to open overtime then on their possession, Van Wert was hit with a personal foul penalty that created a second and 25 situation. The game ended with two incompletions and a failed hook and ladder play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van Wert\u2019s late two-point conversion pass was intercepted and Ottawa-Glandorf held on for a 35-34 win over Van Wert. The Cougars led 14-7 at halftime, but the Titans outscored Van Wert 21-6 in the third quarter and led 28-21 entering the fourth quarter. Owen Treece scored on a 25-yard run and ran for the two point conversion to tie the game 28-28. O-G scored on a quarterback sneak to regain the lead 35-28, then held on for the win. It was the only loss of the season by Van Wert, as the Cougars went on to win the Division IV state championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

2021<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Senior Night at Eggerss Stadium, Van Wert raced out to a late second quarter 26-7 lead on touchdown runs of 1, 1 and 23 yards by Nate Jackson, and a 46-yard pass from Aidan Pratt to Maddix Crutchfield. However, Ottawa-Glandorf fought back and took a 27-26 lead in the third quarter. Jackson’s fourth touchdown of the night, a 1-yard run with just under 10 mintues left in the game gave Van Wert a 27-26 lead. The Titans mounted a drive deep into Van Wert territory. Playing linebacker for the first time, Crutchfield dumped O-G quarterback Landen Jordan for a three yard loss on 3rd and 1, then a fourth down pass fell incomplete, preserving the win for Van Wert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

State ranked Van Wert won this game 31-16 but in reality, it was much closer.  The Titans, who had just one win, scored late in the third quarter but Van Wert\u2019s Reese Krugh blocked the extra point and Van Wert maintained a 17-16 lead. Van Wert scored two plays after that when Aidan Pratt tossed a 71-yard touchdown pass to Nate Phillips to give the Cougars a 24-16 lead entering the fourth quarter. Ottawa-Glandorf\u2019s ensuing drive came to an end when Ashton Baer intercepted a pass, then Pratt\u2019s third touchdown pass of the night, a 16-yarder to Conner Campbell in the fourth quarter sealed the win for the Cougars.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Van Wert’s Nate Jackson (20) scored four rushing touchdowns against Ottawa-Glandorf in 2021. Bob Barnes photo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cougars took their first lead with 1:18 left in the game when Brylen Parker went in from a yard out and the Cougars topped winless Ottawa-Glandorf 28-21. The Titans led 21-14 midway through the third quarter, but Keldyn Bill scored on a 12-yard run with 2:20 left in the period, then Parker\u2019s touchdown in fourth quarter proved to be the game winner. The Titans drove to the Van Wert 20 in the closing moments but Van Wert\u2019s Gage Stemen tackled O-G quarterback Peyton Kuhlman a yard short of a first down on fourth and 10 to seal the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another overtime classic between the two teams. Ottawa-Glandorf missed a PAT in the extra session, then after Briston Wise scored on a 1-yard run, Van Wert\u2019s Griffin McCracken drilled his extra point attempt, giving the Cougars a 35-34 walk-off win. The game featured five touchdowns in the second quarter, including three by Van Wert that gave the Cougars 28-14  halftime lead. The Titans scored twice in the third quarter to tie the game, then neither team scored in the fourth quarter, setting up overtime. Wise finished with two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in the win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the 2017 season, this is the only game that really wasn\u2019t that close. The Cougars bolted out to a 31-0 halftime lead, with Zach Crummey running for a score and tossing two touchdown passes to Micah Cowan. Cohen Bragg had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown and Griffin McCracken delighted a homecoming crowd by booming a school record 51-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. The Cougars went on to win the game 38-20. Ottawa-Glandorf\u2019s final two touchdowns came with less than five minutes remaining in the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Year by year<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2017: Van Wert 19 Ottawa-Glandorf 17<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2018: Van Wert 40 Ottawa-Glandorf 34 (OT)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2019: Ottawa-Glandorf 35 Van Wert 28 (OT)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020: Ottawa-Glandorf 35 Van Wert 34<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2021: Van Wert 32 Ottawa-Glandorf 27<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022: Van Wert 31 Ottawa-Glandorf 16<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2023: Van Wert 28 Ottawa-Glandorf 21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2024: Van Wert 35 Ottawa-Glandorf 34 (OT)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025: Van Wert 38 Ottawa-Glandorf 20<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SCOTT TRUXELL\/independent sports In recent years, the series between Van Wert and Ottawa-Glandorf has been a close one and Friday night has the potential to continue that trend. Going back to the 2017 season, when Van Wert defeated the Titans 19-17, the game has been decided by a touchdown or less seven times. Three of […]<\/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-210950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-15 22:43:03","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\/210950","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=210950"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":210975,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210950\/revisions\/210975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=210950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=210950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}