Season preview: 2019 Van Wert Cougars

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

2018 was a successful football season for Van Wert (9-3, 7-2 WBL, Division IV regional semifinals) and the Cougars hope to keep the momentum going this fall.

Entering his eighth season, head coach Keith Recker lost 16 lettermen to graduation, including quarterback Nate Place (1,591 yards rushing, 27 touchdowns, 1,751 yards passing, 13 touchdowns, four interceptions), but he has 12 returning letter winners and some exciting newcomers to work with.

“We have right around 50 players for the upcoming season, grades 9-12, and we have a veteran group of skill guys returning,” Recker said. “We have 13 seniors and seven juniors and because of that we will lean more on sophomores this year than we’ve had to before.”

Owen Treece will take over at quarterback in Van Wert’s spread offense. Last year, the 5-10, 175 pound junior completed 20 of 37 passes for 244 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. All of those attempts came early in the season, then Treece played wide receiver for the remainder of the schedule and caught 31 passes for 397 yards and four scores.

“Owen is a very tough, smart and knowledgeable football player,” Recker said.

He’ll have plenty of weapons at his disposal, with senior running back Jake Hilleary (6-2, 205, 1,279 yards, 15 touchdowns), senior wide receiver Tanner Barnhart (6-3, 175, 33 receptions, 486 yards, four touchdowns), and junior wide receiver Dru Johnson (23 catches, 266 yards, five touchdowns).

Hilleary will miss time with a fractured ankle suffered in the Allen East scrimmage, but he’s expected to return during the early part of the schedule. In his absence, sophomore Nate Jackson (5-10, 170) will receive the bulk of the carries. In Friday’s scrimmage against Crestview, Jackson ran three times for 102 yards and three touchdowns.

Barnhart and sophomore Connor Pratt (6-2, 165) will be the outside receivers, with Johnson on the inside. TJ Reynolds (5-10, 175 senior) will step in at H-back and will replace Drew Bagley, who caught a team high 63 passes for 490 yards and a touchdown.

To start the season, blocking up front will be provided by left tackle Colin Place (6-4, 250 senior), left guard Cullen Dunn (6-2, 210 sophomore), center Turner Witten (6-0, 205 sophomore), right guard Parker Conrad (6-0, 205 senior) and right tackle Ryan Pratt (6-0, 180 senior), with Spencer Adams (6-4, 240 senior) also in the mix at right tackle.

“We have so many guys that have not seen a lot of action in varsity games, so because of that we are seeing a constant and steady improvement on little things,” Recker said. “Even Owen, who has played varsity the last two years, is playing quarterback for the first time since eighth grade. He had some learning to do at first, but every day at practice he is getting better at decision making and timing up his throws.”

“Our offensive and defensive lines are starting to figure out how to adjust and block and block destruct what they are seeing in front of them,” Recker added. “We have to have great offensive and defensive line play for us to be competitive this year.”

Witten and Holden Reichert (6-4, 185 senior) are the defensive ends, with Keagon Hammons (6-0, 200 senior) and Place working at the tackles. Last year, Hammons had 51 tackles and a team leading 14 sacks.

Kolby Barnhart (6-0, 180 senior), Conrad (65 tackles, seven sacks in 2018) and Reynolds are the linebackers, while Barnhart, Johnson and Pratt will rotate in at cornerback. Jackson and Treece will be the safeties with Sam Cassidy (6-1, 165 senior) in the mix and on special teams, Peyton McAlpine (6-2, 190 senior), a transfer from Arizona, will handle the punting and kicking duties.

“I believe this team will continually get better as the year progresses because the more live game action they get the more learning takes place,” Recker said. “You can see how many guys we have going both ways, so we need to stay healthy.”

“If we continue to take care of what we can control, we will be competitive against the teams in our league,” the coach added.

Recker’s assistants include quarterbacks coach Cole Harting; running backs coach Tristen Wehner; wide receivers coach Bryce Crea; defensive line coach Josiah Poletta; linebackers coach Jordan Danylchuk and defensive backs coaches Desmond Johnson and Steve Sealscott.

The Cougars will open the season Friday at Brian, then will travel to Defiance for the WBL opener in Week No. 2. The first home game of the season will come in Week No. 3 against defending league co-champion Wapakoneta.

“Bryan is a very experienced team,” Recker said of the Golden Bears. “They return eight starters on offense and eight starters on defense. They have four out of their five offensive lineman back from last year, along with their quarterback, and they have some very good athletes at the wide receiver/defensive back position.

“Bryan was picked during the preseason to finish second in their league by the league coaches. They are a team that does a good job of throwing the football, and defensively they are very aggressive. This will be a very good test for us in week one.”

Friday’s Van Wert-Bryan game will air live on WERT 1220AM.104.3FM.