Cougars get first WBL win, beat Shawnee

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — The Van Wert Cougar football team finally got a Western Buckeye League win, running over Shawnee 35-8 on Friday at Shawnee.

Cougar quarterback Colin Smith did much of the damage, running for three touchdowns and passing for a fourth TD in the win. The Van Wert defense also got in on the scoring with an interception for a touchdown in the first quarter, and the Cougars scored 35 unanswered points before the Indians got a 93-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

Van Wert scored its first touchdown on an 8-yard run by Smith, while Gavin Gardner kicked the first of his five extra points to make it 7-0, Cougars.

Just shy of four minutes later, Kris Hart grabbed a Shawnee pass for a “pick six” with 4:20 remaining in the first quarter. Gardner kicked the PAT and it was 14-0, Cougars.

Van Wert scored at the 9:50 mark of the second quarter when Smith ran 36 yards for a score. Gardner kicked the point-after to make it 21-0, Cougars.

Smith passed for the next Van Wert score, hitting favorite target Ryan Stoller for a 44-yard touchdown pass with 4:44 remaining in the first half. Gardner again kicked the PAT to make it 28-0, Cougars.

Van Wert’s last TD came on an 86-yard scamper by Smith with 6:37 remaining in the third quarter. Gardner put one through the uprights to give the Cougars a 35-point lead.

Shawnee’s only score came with 11:40 remaining in the game when Jalen Bagley ran for 93 yards for the TD. Drew Askin ran for the two-point conversion to make the final score 35-8.

The Cougars had 488 yards of total offense, with 367 yards coming on the ground, via 40 rushes. Shawnee had 391 yards, 357 of that on the ground.

Smith was the leading rusher with 170 yards on 10 rushes, a 17-yard average, and three touchdowns. Justice Tussing rushed 12 times for 93 yards, while Hart had 12 rushes for 69 yards for Van Wert.

Bagley was Shawnee’s top rusher with 11 carries for 144 yards and a TD.

Stoller was the game’s leading receiver with two catches for 60 yards and one touchdown.

With the win, the Cougars are now 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the WBL. Shawnee is 0-4 overall and 0-3 in league play.

Van Wert will host Lima Bath next Friday in a match-up of middle-ranked WBL teams. Like the Cougars, Bath is 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the WBL.