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Tag: sports

  • Houses divided in high school football showdown.

    Flags representing the Van Wert Cougars and Crestview Knights football teams are displayed on a grassy lawn, signaling community support for the local high school rivalry.

    Van Wert County, Ohio is a rural county with strong agricultural roots. Only 1% of the counties 410 square miles has been deemed “urban”. The Lincoln Highway Byway is a beautiful driving route, with many land markers and stops along the way. America’s very first free public county library was built here (Brumback Library). The Van Wert County courthouse, built in 1876, is a Gothic and Romanesque architectural marvel. I’ve visited multiple times.

    There is strong community support and spirit in the towns that dot the landscape. People greet each other by name. Know your family and help neighbors out in times of need.

    There’s only one thing that could divide families, and put friendships on hold for a few hours, and that is high school football.

    The two predominate football teams in Van Wert County are the Van Wert Cougars.

    Football players in red uniforms practicing on a green field under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

    and the Crestview Knights.

    High school football players in practice jerseys gather on the field under a clear blue sky, with trees and a scoreboard in the background.

    Parents and children are often related to someone from the other team. Friendships formed from youth sports, church events, pancake breakfasts, and other community events.

    So for that brief moment in time, when the helmets are put on. The chin straps are snapped on, and pads start popping, the trash talking starts. On this hot and clear, but beautiful summer evening, the friendly chirping was aplenty.

    Knight Pride vs Cougar Pride.

    A group of football players in blue and red uniforms huddled together on a grassy field, discussing strategies during a practice scrimmage.

    The 2025 football scrimmage game had both teams looking to clean some things up, lingering over from summer practice. Both teams hoping that this would be the start, of a return to the playoffs.

    The varsity starters played an entire first half of football.

    A high school football game in Van Wert County, Ohio, showing players in red and blue uniforms lined up at the line of scrimmage on a sunny day.

    On the first play, Knights HB Braxton Leeth busted through the middle for a 15-yard run. but it was to be short lived, as the Knights fumbled the football on the very next play.

    The Cougars couldn’t capitalize, as the Knights stopped them on a 4th down attempt.

    Van Wert QB #15, sophomore Zach Crummey missed a throw, to a wide-open receiver, that would’ve been a touchdown on Van Wert’s fourth offensive drive.

    A high school football scrimmage in Van Wert County, Ohio, with players from two teams lined up on the field. The scene shows a clear blue sky, green grass, and the scoreboard in the background.

    The defenses ruled, and after the first quarter of play, it was a 0-0 game.

    Finally, with 1:31 left to play in the half; the Cougars put the first points up on the board, when QB Zach Crummey scored on a quarterback draw from the 1-yard line, on a 3rd and 1.

    Scoreboard during a youth football game showing Crestview Knights 0, guest team 7, with 1:31 left in the quarter.

    The lead would be short lived for the visiting Van Wert Cougars as a mere 25 seconds later, the Crestview Knights would tie the game when senior QB #4 Huxley Grose connected on deep pass to senior WR #5 Hayden Perrott, with 1:06 left on the clock.

    Scoreboard showing Crestview Knights 7, Guest 7, with 1:06 remaining in the quarter.

    That would be it for the varsity football teams from both schools. Ending up in a 7-7 tie at the end of the half.

    The Knights outgained the Cougars in total yards 162 to 151. Both teams struggled on 3rd downs, going a combined 2 for 11.

    Knights QB Huxley Grose finished the half completing 5/9 for 89 yards.

    His counterpart Cougars QB Zach Crummey 9/14 for 60 yards.

    I spoke with Crestview head coach Cole Harting first after the game.

    A group of football players and coaches gathered in a huddle on a grassy field during evening practice.

    “I thought both teams played really hard. Both offenses were able to move the ball at times. We had a couple penalties here and there, so we got to clean that up. We got to get our snap game a little better, we had some bad snaps, but we should be OK. Braxton had a really nice game. He had a couple tough runs, and a couple deep runs. Obviously, Hayden Perrott had a nice game, and I thought Huxley played really nice.”

    I asked him specifically about the Knights defensive line getting lots of pressure on Cougars QB Crummey, mostly on the edge.

    “We have a little bit more experience on the edges there, and our kids are pretty athletic, so that bodes well for us on the perimeter.”

    Van Wert head coach Keith Recker has been leading the Cougars for 14 seasons, and led them to a state championship in 2020. I caught up with him after the game.

    Football team in red jerseys gathered for a huddle on a grassy field during a practice session.

    “Defensively we played well. We challenged them to really stop the run. They ran all over us last year with the same running back and a lot of the same offensive line. So, we challenged our linebackers to fill and keep their shoulders square. We did a really nice job against that.”

    I asked Coach Recker about #11 sophomore WR/DB Xavier Kelly, who was a 2024 Honorable Mention as a freshman.

    “Yeah, X does a great job and he’s only a sophomore. He can play a lot of different positions. We put him in at running back today because he can get a lot of touches that way.”

    Van Wert’s starting QB Zach Crummey is a big kid, at 6’6″. He showed some scrambling ability for a kid his size. I asked Coach Recker about his ability to move around.

    “Unfortunately, our pass pro broke down quite a bit and he had to be elusive, but I thought he showed that really well. We want to keep him healthy through the scrimmage and but he’s tough and he’ll do whatever he needs to when we get into the game.”

    High school football teams from Van Wert and Crestview shake hands after a scrimmage game on a grassy field under a clear sky.

    At the end of the day, there were hugs and handshakes by all. Players, coaches, and even the fans who came out to support their kids and teams. They’ll be seeing each other again. I know both teams will be represented at the Wren Homecoming Pie Eating Contest, in Wren, Ohio on Saturday at 2:15 PM.

    I wonder if it will be as competitive as last night’s game.

    – by Sean McKenzie.

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    Stats courtesy of….. Chris Lutz.

  • The Cleveland Browns 2025 NFL Draft Review.

    Cleveland Browns logo featuring an orange helmet and the team name 'CLEVELAND BROWNS' in bold lettering.

    After a 3-year absence from picking the in the 1st round, thanks to the Deshaun Watson fiasco, the Cleveland Browns made their return in a big way.

    They made their first trade before the draft even started. Then decided to keep it going, making multiple trades during the draft.

    They started with the #2 pick, but decided to trade it to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the #5 pick, in addition to the Jaguars 1st round pick in next year’s draft.

    Mason Graham holds up his jersey after being selected 5th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, flanked by a league official on stage.

    With that pick, they took Mason Graham, DT, Michigan. He was my one of my top two players. Graham is a hardhat, blue collar type of player. He plays through the snap; he sheds blockers and can rush the passer from the interior. Something the Browns have been sorely missing for over a decade now. Lining him up next to Myles Garrett, will cause problems for opposing offensive lines.

    Graphic featuring Carson Schwesinger, a linebacker from UCLA, showcasing his draft details including Round 2, Pick 33 for the Cleveland Browns, with a city skyline in the background and a bold design.

    With the 33rd pick, the first in the 2nd round, the Browns took Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA. Carson is a do everything player. His 115 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions, proved his ability to play sideline to sideline. He can drop back into zone coverage and cover tight ends and running backs. He hits the hole hard on the blitz, and does a nice job against the run.

    I reported months ago, that the neck injury to Browns starting linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, was much more serious than the team let on. There’s a chance the he never plays again, so taking Schwesinger here was a good pick.

    Graphic featuring Quinshon Judkins, a running back from Ohio State, with details about his NFL draft selection number (36) and round (2) against a colorful background.

    Three picks later, with the 36th pick, the Browns selected Quinshon Judkins, HB, Ohio State. Judkins is a hard-nosed, between the tackles, power back. He doesn’t have the speed to take it 90 yards on any play; he has the speed to pick up the chunk plays needed to keep the offense on the field. He showed that he has the capability to catch the ball out of the backfield and showed improvement when picking up blitzers. He’s a faster Kareem Hunt for Browns fan.

    Graphic featuring Harold Fannin Jr., a tight end from Bowling Green, selected 67th overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft.

    With the 67th pick, the Browns selected Harold Fannin Jr, TE, Bowling Green. I love this pick! Fannin is a catching machine. He play on the line of scrimmage, in the slot, and the Falcons even played him out wide at the X sometimes. While he does need to improve his blocking technique, his playmaking ability is undeniable, and he played his best football during Bowling Green’s biggest game. The vaulted defenses at Penn State and Texas A&M had no answers for him at all. Fannin along with Browns Pro-Bowl TE David Njoku, gives the Browns a hellava combination for 12 personnel formations.

    Graphic highlighting Dillon Gabriel, a quarterback from Oregon, selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 94th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The image features him in a white and green uniform, giving a thumbs up, with a city skyline in the background.

    With the 94th pick, the Browns selected Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon. Gabriel had 63 career starts in college, with 3 different teams (UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon). He makes quick decisions, and his 155-32 touchdown-to-interception ratio shows that he doesn’t put the ball in danger that often. Yes, he’s short at 5’10”, but his ability to scramble and move within the pocket, keeps hit “batted balls” stat low.

    Graphic featuring Dylan Sampson, a running back from Tennessee, selected 126th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He is shown in action wearing an orange jersey with the number 6.

    With the 126th pick, the Browns took another running in Dylan Sampson, HB, Tennessee. Sampson is a short, fast, and sneakily powerful running back. He has a nose for the endzone scoring 22 rushing touchdowns last season. He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year last season with 1,485 yards rushing as well. He can take it to the house at any time, from anywhere on the field. He needs to improve his blitz pickup and blocking ability. He only had 19 catches last season. To be fair, he wasn’t asked to that a lot at Tennessee though.

    With their final pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, selected Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado. See my previous article.

    FINAL GRADE.

    When you add everything together, the Cleveland Browns get an A+.

    They came away with 6 players who will start on Day 1 or be meaningful contributors to the team.

    Along with securing a 2nd first round draft pick in the 2026 class, it’s impossible to deny that the Cleveland Browns got better not just for this upcoming season, but for the next 3 to 4 seasons to come.

    – by Sean McKenzie

    Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN, NFL, NCAA, Cleveland Browns.

    Photos courtesy of…..wallpapercave, brownsnation, brownswire, USA Today, Cleveland Browns, duckswire,