Van Wert’s Conner Campbell fights for yardage against Wapakoneta’s Nate Metzger (5) and Joey Truesdale during a 2022 game at Wapakoneta.
Don Speck | The Lima News
Coach: Keith Recker (12th season)
Division: IV
Last year’s record: 12-2 (8-1 WBL)
Ticket information: vwcs.net/vwathletics/Content2/ticketing
Returning 2022 varsity letter winners include: Brylen Parker (Sr., QB/DB), Aaron Dowdy (Sr., WR/LB), Gage Stemen (Sr., WR.DB), Kristian Akerman (Sr., OL/DL), Morgein Bigham (Sr., OL/DL), Keldyn Bill (Sr., RB/DB), Caleb Bledsoe (Sr., OL/DL), Conner Campbell (Sr., WR/DB), Colin Haggerty (Sr., WR/DB), Reese Krugh (Sr., WR/DB), Fletcher Smith (Sr., OL/DL), Devon Story (Sr., OL/DL), Aaron Reichert (Jr., RB/LB), Briston Wise (Jr., RB/DB)
Significant stats: The Cougars led the league in passing offense, averaging 287.8 yards per game during the regular season and were tops in scoring offense, averaging 46.5 points in their first 10 games. Van Wert also led the WBL in turnover ratio at plus 14 and was third in rushing defense, allowing 128.8 yards per game. Brylen Parker rushed for 834 yards and and 17 touchdowns on 158 carries, including the postseason. He also had 26 receptions for 166 yards and a trio of TDs. Conner Campbell finished with 42 receptions for 667 yards and 11 TDs.
Coach’s comments: We have a good group of receivers, backs, and defensive backs that are very athletic. Brylen Parker is an All-Ohio RB from 2022 that will take over at QB. He is a very good runner and will do a great job leading our team. We have a lot of players who played on our regional final teams in 2021 and 2022 who are working to earn another chance at another successful season. We lost 17 very good seniors from a regional final team and must replace the leadership
that went with them. We are going to need guys to play both sides of the ball, which means they will need to be in great shape. We lost three out of five starters on the offensive line and four out of four starters on the defensive line. We will be in the mid-70s of players for this upcoming season, grades 9-12, which is a good number for us and says a lot about the excitement for football at Van Wert. We have a veteran group of skill guys returning, along with some new skill guys that are doing a great job and will provide us a lot of depth at those positions. We have a very good senior group that will lead us this season. The current seniors are very committed to this team and helping make it the best season they possibly can. We will also count on some of our juniors and sophomores to contribute on Friday nights. It sounds cliché, but we are not worried about our first game or our fifth game or our last game. This group has bought into concerning themselves with the only thing they have control of, which is their effort and focus today. Our league will be very good again this year with competitive games every Friday.
2023 schedule
(Kickoffs scheduled for 7 p.m.; subject to change)
Aug. 18`at Bryan
Aug. 25`Bath
Sept. 1`Celina
Sept. 8`at Defiance
Sept. 15`Wapakoneta
Sept. 22`at St. Marys
Sept. 29`Ottawa-Glandorf
Oct. 6`at Shawnee
Oct. 13`Kenton
Oct. 20`at Elida
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