Football notebook: Wapak takes another step toward four-peat

ST. MARYS — Wapakoneta head coach Travis Moyer’s philosophy is that every WBL game is “just another step” in the pursuit of his team’s fourth consecutive league title.

On Friday night, the Redskins (4-0, 3-0 WBL) took another one of those massive steps toward their goal with a 28-14 win over St. Marys.

“The bottom line is that we approach every game as if it’s our most important game,” Moyer said. “Tonight was step number three in our goal of winning the WBL championship. Obviously, we haven’t achieved anything to this point because, in the Western Buckeye League, it’s a grind from Week 2 on if you want a chance to win a championship.

“Credit our entire program. This is a great team win for us. This game is never easy for either team and I’m just really proud of our guys. It was a big win for our community.”

St. Marys (2-2, 0-2 WBL), as it typically does, dominated time of possession 33:20-9:09, but every time Wapakonta had the ball on offense, they made it count, and most times, in a hurry.

In the first quarter, Caleb Moyer hit Grant Stauffer for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage after the Redksins halted a 14-play, 51-yard drive from St. Marys with a missed field goal.

And on the first play of the second half, Jarrett Mullen scored on a 5-yard run after nearly returning the kickoff for a touchdown.

The play started in disaster for Mullen, who didn’t field the ball cleanly, but he reversed course from the far sideline to the near sideline and was mere inches away from taking the kick all the way back.

“I dropped the ball, then I saw a hole open up and got some great blocks,” Mullen said. “After that, I out-ran the kicker and apparently, I stepped out of bounds.”

Mullen finished the night with 100 yards on 14 carries, but most importantly, he ran the ball efficiently against a team that also likes to run the ball.

With Wapak in front 21-14 late in the third quarter, Mullen ran the ball five times in a row for a total of 43 yards, setting up a 32-yard touchdown from Moyer to tight end Grant Houser on the next play.

“Obviously we needed to run the ball in that situation and we did it effectively,” Moyer said. “Really credit all 11 of those guys for putting that drive together there.”

Sautter steps up for Columbus Grove

SPENCERVILLE — Columbus Grove began its defense of the Northwest Conference championship in style on Friday night with a 45-7 win over Spencerville.

Both teams entered conference play unbeaten in their first three games and Columbus Grove proved superior to Spencerville despite playing without starting quarterback Landon Best.

“We didn’t talk about Spencerville much this week until Thursday,” Columbus Grove coach Andy Schafer said. “The message this week was all about us and how we form a new identity without Landon Best. I don’t want to talk about stuff like that, but the reality is you must when you have an injury as big as his was.

“We were also down a big piece on defense tonight in Jamesen Rader, and we hope to have him back this week. It’s tough when you lose two engineers and leaders on the team. We really had to put the focus on us this week and the importance of having confidence.”

Riley Sautter stepped in under center for Best against Spencerville. The senior, who normally plays wide receiver, finished the game 8 of 12 for 186 yards and three touchdowns.

“Our focus tonight was to make sure that teams understand we’re still Columbus Grove,” Schafer said. “We put a lot of pressure on Riley, more than we needed to. We threw a couple of plays at him that we didn’t practice just to see how he would react, and he did an excellent job making in-game adjustments.

“We’re going to find out what kind of leader he is. He needed to be a big part of our offense, and I couldn’t be prouder of him tonight.”

Schriner wins No. 200

OTTAWA — Ottawa-Glandorf scored 28 unanswered points to rally back from an early 7-0 deficit on Friday, handing Elida a 28-7 defeat and Titan coach Ken Schriner his 200th career victory.

Schriner, in his 29th season leading the Titans (2-2, 2-1 Western Buckeye League), became the 56th Ohio coach to reach the 200-win plateau, according to statistics from the Ohio High School Athletic Association. His teams averaged 7.1 wins per season over his tenure with only six losing seasons. It was an impressive turnaround for a school that went 12 years without a winning season before the Tiffin Calvert and Bowling Green State University graduate arrived in 1996.

Friday night’s victory at Titan Stadium had all the characteristics of a Schriner victory, with a dominant run game and stifling defense that only allowed 50 second-half yards against Elida (1-3, 0-3 WBL).

The Titans rolled up 224 rushing yards, with six players carrying the ball. Grant Evers led the way with 17 carries for 131 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown in the third quarter when he skimmed the right side of the offensive line untouched just before the end of the third quarter for a 21-7 lead.

Trevor Rump added 69 yards rushing, including a 56-yard TD when he went up the middle and burst through for the long run with 9:31 left in the second quarter, tying the game at 7-7. Vinnie Brinkman added a 6-yard touchdown run just before halftime for a 14-7 lead at the break.

The Titans effectively found Elida’s star edge player, 6-foot-3, 235-pound Parker Crim, and ran the other way, said O-G quarterback Peyton Kuhlman.

“We studied Parker Crim a lot this week and kind of based our run game off him,” Kuhlman said.

The rushing effort made the Titans’ coach proud.

“The run game is what we want to do. It’s always a chess match,” Schriner said. “Elida always does a great job of playing our H-back and has a scheme for what we do. We had a couple wrinkles to go opposite Crim, and I think that was some good stuff tonight.”

Bluffton beats up Delphos Jefferson

DELPHOS — Perhaps the biggest surprise of Bluffton’s 52-7 win over Delphos Jefferson on Saturday afternoon is the fact that Bluffton’s defense allowed a touchdown.

That’s only happened twice this season, against the Wildcats (1-3, 0-1 NWC) at Stadium Park, and last week in a 63-7 win over Ayersville.

To this point in the season, the Pirates (4-0, 1-0 NWC) have outscored their opponents 207-17, and they’ve hung their hat on having one of the area’s top defenses.

“Our defense takes pride in being disciplined and they take pride in setting the tone for the rest of the team,” said Bluffton coach Jeff Richards. “Our focus is to play responsibility football and they do a great job communication-wise. I credit my staff for that. They do an amazing job making sure the kids are ready and that they understand their roles.”

Bluffton’s defense forced six punts and three turnovers, two of them were courtesy of Gabe Meza, who recovered a fumble and made a second-quarter interception.

“He’s a senior that’s worked really hard for four years and he’s emerging as an important player on our defense,” Richards said of Meza. “Last year we graduated some really good outside linebackers and he’s stepped in and done an amazing job.”

Bluffton scored 49 of its 52 points in the first half, including a 35-point second quarter.

Quarterback Tayte Giesige had an impressive 75-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. He finished the afternoon with 89 rushing yards on three carries.

Giesige also completed 9 of his 11 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns. In the second quarter, he found Griffin Stackhouse for a 61-yard touchdown.

Stackhouse scored three times in the win. Twice on receptions (22 and 61 yards) and once more on a 12-yard run. Stackhouse finished the game with 143 all-purpose yards.

“We have a lot of speed and a lot of guys that are really good in the open field so we like to find ways get them in space and see what they can do but we also want to be consistent in what we do,” Richards said. “We want balance. Being able to throw the ball is big for us.”

LCC continues to lean on ground game

HARROD – Controlling the line of scrimmage is vital.

In Friday’s Northwest Conference football opener against Allen East, Lima Central Catholic did just that.

Offensively, LCC rushed for 304 yards and passed for another 127. Defensively, the Thunderbirds held Allen East to 160 total yards (28 rushing, 132 passing) en route to a convincing 35-7 victory over the Mustangs at Goodwin Field.

LCC improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in NWC play. Allen East slipped to 2-2 in all games played and 0-1 in conference action.

LCC went into the locker room on Friday with a 14-7 advantage.

In the second half, the T-Birds struck early and often.

In LCC’s first series of the second half, sophomore quarterback Brady Parker connected with Mylon Cowens for a 62-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 21-7.

The T-Birds’ defensive unit stymied the Allen East offense the rest of the way.

“We made a huge play (TD pass to Cowens), coming out in the second half,” LCC coach Scott Palte said. “They (Allen East) had a lot of momentum going in (to halftime). They scored right before the half. I’m really proud of our kids for that second half. I thought we did a really good job of taking control of the game.”

LCC senior running back Matthew Quatman rushed for 133 yards on 18 carries and had two TDs.

“He’s just a hard-nosed, gritty dude,” Palte said about Quatman. “He’s bouncing off people. He’s quick. He’s agile. He’s just flat-out a mean football player. He just plays hard. He’s hard to tackle. We’re sure glad that he’s on our team.”

Pandora-Gilboa pounds the ball

LEIPSIC — Pandora-Gilboa used a steady ground game to spoil Homecoming night in Leipsic with a 21-18 win at John Edwards Field on Friday night.

Andrew Miller led the attack for the Rockets with 23 carries for 134 yards and Ben Burkholder contributed 74 yards on 14 carries.

Leipsic cracked the scoreboard with just over a minute left in the first quarter when quarterback Marc Kirkendall hit Jayce Brecht with an 18-yard pass, capping a 10-play, 80-yard drive.

Kirkendall finished the game 15 of 21 for 225 yards and three touchdowns.

Pandora-Gilboa stalled out again on its next possession, but Lane Lee picked up a fumble at the Rockets’ 48-yard line, setting up a 10-play sequence that ended with a six-yard run from Miller to put the Rockets up 7-6.

Pandora-Gilboa (2-2, 1-1 BVC) continued to lean on the running game in the second half. They finished the game with 290 total yards, while Leipsic topped that mark at 295.

Top performers

• In Bath’s 42-35 win over Kenton, Zach Welsch completed 28 of his 38 passes for 373 yards and one interception in addition to running that ball 13 times for 38 yards and three touchdowns. Mikey Hale had 105 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, along with nine grabs for 45 yards. Jaxon Foster added 8 receptions for 132 yards.

• In Coldwater’s 34-18 win over Anna, Baylen Blockberger went 18 of 26 for 294 yards and three touchdowns. Mason Welsch added 6 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.

• In Hardin Northern’s 21-20 win over Waynesfield-Goshen, Nolan Hopson ran for 199 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.

• In Waynesfield-Goshen’s 21-20 loss to Hardin Northern, Grant Bretigam carried the ball 25 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

• In Upper Scioto Valley’s 48-20 win over Perry, Ryan Roberts ran for 248 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries and Maddox Underwood rushed for 204 yards and four touchdowns.

• In Perry’s 48-20 loss to Upper Scioto Valley, Kimari Glenn made 8 catches for 147 yards.

• In Celina’s 23-3 win over Shawnee, Jon Lutz rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

• In Defiance’s 41-14 win over Van Wert, Anthony Wilder ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.

• In St. Henry’s 48-14 win over Fort Recovery, Charlie Werling carried the ball 15 times for 103 yards and three touchdowns.

FOOTBALL STANDINGS

Western Buckey League

`WBL`All

Wapakoneta`3-0`4-0

Bath`3-0`3-1

Ottawa-Glandorf`2-1`2-2

Celina`2-1`3-1

Defiance`2-1`2-2

Shawnee`1-2`2-2

St. Marys`1-2`2-2

Kenton`1-2`1-3

Elida`0-3`1-3

Van Wert`0-3`1-3

Midwest Athletic Conference

`MAC`All

Marion Local`2-0`4-0

Coldwater`2-0`4-0

Minster`2-0`4-0

Versailles`2-0`4-0

New Bremen`1-1`3-1

St. Henry`1-1`2-2

Anna`0-2`2-2

Delphos St. John’s`0-2`3-1

Fort Recovery`0-2`1-3

Parkway`0-2`1-3

Northwest Conference

`NWC`All

Columbus Grove`1-0`4-0

Bluffton`1-0`4-0

Lima Central Catholic`1-0`3-1

Fort Loramie`1-0`2-2

Spencerville`0-1`3-1

Allen East`0-1`2-2

Crestview`0-1`2-2

Delphos Jefferson`0-1`1-3

Northwest Central Conference

`NWCC`All

Upper Scioto Valley`3-0`3-1

Hardin Northern`3-0`3-1

Ridgemont`3-0`3-1

Elgin`2-1`2-2

North Baltimore`1-2`2-2

Waynesfield-Goshen`0-2`2-2

Perry`0-2`2-2

Ridgedale`0-2`1-3

Toledo City Athletic League

`TCAL`All

Start`1-0`2-2

Bowsher`1-0`1-3

Rogers`1-0`1-3

Lima Senior`0-0`4-0

Scott`0-1`0-4

Waite`0-1`0-4

Woodward`0-1`0-4

Blanchard Valley Conference

`BVC`All

Liberty-Benton`2-0`3-1

Pandora-Gilboa`2-0`2-2

Ada`1-1`3-1

Arlington`1-1`3-1

Leipsic`1-1`2-2

McComb`1-1`3-1

Riverdale`1-1`2-2

Van Buren`1-1`2-2

Arcadia`0-2`0-4

Elmwood`0-2`0-4

RESULTS AND SCHEDULE

Friday, Sept. 13

Lima Senior 57, Sylvania Northview 14

LCC 35, Allen East 7

Columbus Grove 45, Spencerville 7

Fort Loramie 28, Crestview 21

Bath 42, Kenton 35

Celina 23, Shawnee 3

Defiance 41, Van Wert 14

Ottawa-Glandorf 28, Elida 7

Wapakoneta 28, St. Marys 14

Coldwater 34, Anna 18

Marion Local 71, Delphos St. John’s 0

St. Henry 48, Fort Recovery 14

Minster 42, Parkway 21

Versailles 18, New Bremen 17

Ada 43, Elmwood 14

McComb 48, Arcadia 0

Van Buren 21, Arlington 14

Pandora-Gilboa 21, Leipsic 18

Liberty-Benton 56, Riverdale 6

North Baltimore 20, Cory-Rawson 7

Ridgemont 28, Elgin 0

Hardin Northern 21, Waynesfield-Goshen 20

Upper Scioto Valley 48, Perry 20

Saturday, Sept. 14

Bluffton 52, Delphos Jefferson 7

Friday, Sept. 20

Allen East at Crestview, 7 p.m.

Spencerville at Bluffton, 7 p.m.

Delphos Jefferson at Columbus Grove, 7 p.m.

Fort Loramie at LCC, 7 p.m.

Bath at Elida, 7 p.m.

Celina at Kenton, 7 p.m.

Defiance at Shawnee, 7 p.m.

Ottawa-Glandorf at St. Marys, 7 p.m.

Van Wert at Wapakoneta, 7 p.m.

Coldwater at Minster, 7 p.m.

Delphos St. John’s at Fort Recovery, 7 p.m.

New Bremen at Marion Local, 7 p.m.

Versailles at Parkway, 7 p.m.

St. Henry at Anna, 7 p.m.

McComb at Ada, 7 p.m.

Leipsic at Arcadia, 7 p.m.

Arlington at Pandora-Gilboa, 7 p.m.

Riverdale at Van Buren, 7 p.m.

Elgin at Cory-Rawson, 7 p.m.

Perry at Hardin Northern, 7 p.m.

Waynesfield-Goshen at North Baltimore, 7 p.m.

Ridgedale at Upper Scioto Valley, 7 p.m.

Bowsher at Lima Senior, 7 p.m.