Cougars fall to Celina in WBL matchup

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

It was another night of missed opportunities and unfortunate mistakes as the Van Wert Cougars lost 55-19 to Celina in a Western Buckeye League contest played Friday night in Eggerss Stadium.

With the loss, the Cougars are now 0-7 overall and 0-6 in the WBL. Celina goes to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in league play.

The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard first with a 14-yard run by quarterback Caleb Hoying with 8:25 left in the first quarter. The point-after kick was no good and Celina was on top, 6-0. The Bulldogs added another score in the first quarter on a 1-yard run by Braelen Bader with 2:09 remaining in the first stanza. Hoying passed to Sean Kirk for the two-point conversion and it was 14-0, Bulldogs.

Van Wert got on the scoreboard first in the second quarter when Justice Tussing bulled it over from Celina’s 1-yard line for a touchdown. The kick was no good and it was 14-6, Bulldogs ahead.

Celina then scored the next five touchdowns, with the first coming on a halfback option pass from Louden Limon to Bader that caught the Cougar secondary napping. Bader ran it 53 yards and the Bulldogs were up 20-6. Bader kicked the PAT to make it 21-6.

Celina scored twice more in the second quarter on a 40-yard pass from Hoying to Kirk at 7:16 and a 15-yard pass from Hoying to Stefan Chittum with 4:01 remaining in the first half. Bader kicked both extra points and the Bulldogs led 35-6 at the half.

Celina scored first in the third quarter when Adam Green ran 4 yards for a TD with 10:04 left in the third quarter. Bader kicked the point-after and it was 42-6.

Cougar quarterback Colin Smith was knocked out of the game with a sprained ankle and Drew Myers came in to quarterback Van Wert.

Myers also led to the next Celina TD when Kyle Balthis picked off one of his sidelines passes and ran it all the way back for a 55-yard touchdown. The PAT kick was wide and it was 49-6, Bulldogs.

Myers did better the next time, though, hitting Terrance Branson on a 49-yard touchdown pass with 2:26 left in the third quarter.

The Van Wert backup quarterback also started out the fourth quarter in fine fashion with a pass to Nick Krugh, who then rambled 72 yards for a touchdown. The PAT kick failed and it was 48-19, Celina, with 2:26

The Bulldogs scored one final time when Grant Bader hit Chittum on an 8-yard touchdown pass with 5:51 left in the game. The point-after was also good to put Celina up 55-19.

Hoying was the game’s leading rusher with 99 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Smith had 86 yards on 10 carries for Van Wert, while Tussing rushed 12 times for 69 yards.

Kirk had five catches for 82 yards and a TD for Celina, while Braelen Bader caught five passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. Branson had two catches for 61 yards and a touchdown, while Krugh had just one catch, although it was for 72 yards and a TD.

Hoying was 16 of 24 in the game passing for 140 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Myers was 4 of 10 for 192 yards, two TDs and one interception.