Coaches Corner: Van Wert’s Mark Bagley

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

Just five regular season games are left on Van Wert’s 2018-2019 schedule and the Cougars are eyeing a strong finish heading into the tournament.

Before Monday’s loss to Bryan, Van Wert (9-8, 3-3 WBL) had won four straight and five of six, falling only to 15-2 Shawnee. A look back at the regular season so far shows the combined record of the team’s opponents is 191-91.

“We’ve been through the first, second and third quarters and we’re in the fourth quarter now,” head coach Mark Bagley said of the season. “Our only focus right now is to get better each day and I think for a large stretch of the last three weeks we have done that.”

“I know we can still do that because we have played nine guys the last three weeks so we’ve built some depth,” Bagley added.

Two of Van Wert’s five remaining games are scheduled for this weekend:
Bath (1-16, 0-6 WBL) on Friday then state ranked St. Henry (14-3) on Saturday.

“We have two very contrasting games this weekend,” Bagley explained. “We’ll see a very freshmen dominated Bath team coming to our place, then we go on the road to play a St. Henry team that is really good, really aggressive and balanced. Our kids will respond, they’ll turn the page (from Monday night) and our coaching staff will turn the page.”

Sunday is OHSAA tournament draw day around the area and the state and the Cougars will again compete in the Division II Ohio Northern sectional/district. In addition to Van Wert, the deep 14-team field includes Bath, Bryan, Celina, Defiance, Elida, Kenton, Maumee, Napoleon, Scott, Shawnee, St. Mary’s, Wapakoneta and Wauseon.

“We’re trying to focus on each day and not look ahead but as you look at that sectional, I think No. 1 and No. 2 become very easy,” Bagley said. “It’s going to be Shawnee No. 1 and Wauseon No. 2 based on records and those kind of things but after that, you’ve got Wapakoneta at 12-6, Van Wert at 9-8, Defiance at 10-6, Elida at 10-7, Kenton at 11-5, Bryan at 11-7, so you have No. 3 through No. 8 bunched up there and have beaten each other on various nights.”

“I think there are eight legitimate teams playing for four spots in that district and there are others – Toledo Scott plays a good schedule, Napoleon plays a tough schedule, St. Marys has been close in a lot of games, Celina took St. Henry to the wire and Maumee plays a great schedule. When you look at that sectional there are some teams that can beat any other team on any given night.

Last season Van Wert won the Findlay sectional before falling to No. 1 Wauseon in the district semifinals at Ohio Northern.