The Daily Standard
Sports Preview
Last season, New Bremen handed Coldwater its third loss of the season in winning a 16-7 battle in New Bremen on Oct. 10.
This year, the teams meet Friday at Cavalier Stadium with Coldwater standing 3-0 and 1-0 in the Midwest Athletic Conference after last Friday's 35-9 win at Fort Recovery.
The Cardinals are 2-1 after a 28-21 loss Minster to wrap up a three-game homestand to start the season.
Coldwater had to make some adjustments in the MAC opener after starting quarterback Karsyn Homan was injured in the Cavaliers' Week 2 win at Clinton-Massie. Junior Hugh Hemmelgarn got the start at signal caller and implemented coach Chip Otten's offensive game place to an efficient T. Hemmelgarn was 10-of-16 passing for 90 yards and touchdown passes to Derek Dues and Karter Freed.
Coldwater's Alex Dues had 96 yards and a touchdown in the Cavaliers' win over Fort Recovery.
While the loss of Homan, who entered Week 3 leading the team with 144 yards on the ground, took out a key cog of the Cavaliers' Cav-Gun offense, Dues and Braxton Taylor stepped up. Dues had a game-high 96 yards and added a rushing touchdown to his receiving score. Taylor had 82 yards and two scores while Hemmelgarn did pick up 22 yards on four carries.
Defensively, Coldwater held Fort Recovery to 143 yard of offense, with just 27 coming in the second half. Coldwater also recovered a fumble in the win over the Indians. The Cavaliers are plus-3 in turnover ratio (six takeaways to three giveaways).
New Bremen led 21-18 after three quarters in their annual Battle of Route 66 with Minster at the Aviary, giving up a one-yard scoring run to Carson Kaylor midway through the fourth quarter, then Beckhem Stephey iced the game with a 20-yard field goal in the final 90 seconds.
The Cardinals have been run heavy in their spread Wing-T set. Quarterback Gavin Dicke leads the team with 328 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns this season. Halfback Jacob Kelly adds 244 yards and five scores.
New Bremen's Gavin Dicke (middle) has been a key cog in the Cardinals running game.
When New Bremen passes, Dicke has completed just 42.9% of his tries (12-of-28) for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Grayson Tinnerman's 41 yards on two receptions lead the team.
After allowing just seven total points in the two non-league wins over Wayne Trace and Covington, the Cardinals saw their defensive average bump up to 11.7 points per game while the offense continues to chug along at 32 points per game.
It's been a team effort on defense with no player recording more than 13 tackles this season. Ryan Leichliter leads the team with three sacks. The Cardinals have only turned the ball over twice this season with two takeaways for a plus-1 ratio.
Both teams' kickers have been solid on point-afters. Both Coldwater's Andrew Myers and New Bremen's AJ Rismiller have 12 PATs this season.
Both the Western Buckeye League and the Midwest Athletic Conference are fully into league play, which means there are 10 total games involving teams from these conferences each week. Of those 10, usually only about half are truly competitive games. As such, each week has only a couple of games between playoff hopefuls that are crucial for both teams' postseason hopes.
While the contest between Ottawa-Glandorf and Wapakoneta looks interesting, there is a matchup of undefeated teams in the WBL this week and it is a big one locally as Celina hosts Van Wert in a battle of unbeatens. This is likely one of the two toughest remaining games for the Bulldogs, so a win here makes them a favorite for the WBL crown, not to mention a high seed in the playoffs.
The big MAC game involves potentially the best two teams in Region 24, St. Henry at Anna. Both teams are expected to have to fight for a spot in the postseason, so the winner has good odds of getting in while the loser may need to pull off an upset or two in order to reach the playoffs. Also watch the matchup of Coldwater hosting New Bremen. Due to the differences between the regions, this is a much more critical game for Coldwater's playoff hopes. New Bremen should have no problem playing in Week 11 in a top heavy Region 28.
The computer points for the entire state, and especially the regions involving area teams can be found throughout the season at user.nktelco.net/bdmonnin/football.htm.
Celina - 2nd (6.85)
Shawnee - 9th (3.93)
St. Marys - 10th (3.90)
Wapakoneta - 15th (2.33)
Defiance - 17th (1.67)
Celina rose four spots to second place after an exciting 30-28 win over St. Marys which made the Bulldogs 3-0 for first time since 2013. Another undefeated squad awaits in Van Wert. The computers like Celina by a touchdown, and if the Bulldogs do win the computers will likely declare Celina playoff bound.
With that loss to Celina, St. Marys falls five positions in the standings. The Roughriders have a relatively easy matchup with Defiance this week before hitting the heart of their WBL schedule.
Shawnee only moved up one spot to ninth place after defeating Elida 28-7. Fewer computer points will be available against Bath this week.
Wapakoneta earned their first win against Defiance to avoid their first non-COVID 0-3 start in 25 years. The Redskins are big favorites in their last five games, but a win in one of their two upcoming 50-50 games against Ottawa-Glandorf or St. Marys may be needed to make the postseason.
Defiance needs at least one and probably two wins in their next games against St. Marys, Van Wert and Shawnee.
Ottawa-Glandorf - 4th (6.10)
Van Wert - 5th (5.43)
Elida - 13th (2.00)
Kenton - 16th (0.00)
Undefeated Ottawa-Glandorf faces Wapakoneta in what the computers say is a 50-50 contest. Two or three more wins should get the Titans into the postseason, and they are favored to win at least five more games. A win Friday would make the playoffs almost certain.
Van Wert beat Bath by 23 points in a game the computers thought was a toss-up. The Cougars are a touchdown underdog to Celina, but an upset win would position Van Wert nicely for the playoffs.
Elida suffered a three touchdown loss to Shawnee and needs to defeat Kenton to keep realistic postseason hopes alive. They are favored by a touchdown. This may be Kenton's best shot at a win this year.
Coldwater - 5th (5.60)
Bath - 22nd (0.00)
Coldwater dropped four positions to fifth place in this tough region after a win over 1-2 Fort Recovery. Expect the Cavaliers' second level points from Valley View and Clinton-Massie to kick in starting this week, not to mention the potential from being a two-touchdown favorite over New Bremen.
Bath lost by 23 points to Van Wert and are 20-point underdogs against Shawnee.
Parkway - 17th (2.50)
Parkway felt the effect of an Anna squad seeking redemption after their upset loss to Fort Loramie. The Panthers are now big underdogs the next three weeks against Minster, St. Henry and Coldwater.
Versailles - 11th (3.90)
Anna - 12th (3.12)
St. Henry - 18th (2.23)
Versailles fell six spots with a 34-21 loss to St. Henry. If the Tigers pull off the 28-point upset against Marion Local, they will be playoff bound. A victory over 1-2 Fort Recovery next week might also get Versailles into the postseason as Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy is expected to win out while Harvest Prep should win some games as well.
Due to Spencerville possibly going 0-10, Anna may need five more wins to reach the postseason. That will be difficult to achieve if they lose to St. Henry in a toss-up game.
St. Henry is projected to finish with four wins in their final seven games. This would put the Redskins on the playoff bubble. One of those projected wins is against Anna, though the computers only favor St. Henry by one point.
Delphos St. John's - 17th (1.17)
Delphos St. John's has a chance at a win against Fort Recovery, but almost no chance at the playoffs with a loss.
Minster - 2nd (5.17)
Marion Local - 3rd (4.53)
New Bremen - 4th (3.75)
Fort Recovery - 13th (1.83)
As was mentioned at the beginning of the article, this region is extremely top heavy. It will be an easy region in which to claim one of the last four spots in the playoffs, but a difficult region for those teams to win a postseason game. As such, the computers have already declared Ansonia, Minster and Marion Local as locks for the playoffs.
Minster won a big rivalry matchup over New Bremen. The Wildcats will get in the playoffs if they beat Parkway and then lose their last six games. In reality, a win this week makes a home playoff game almost inevitable.
Despite the loss, fourth place New Bremen should also get in the playoffs with one more win. Unfortunately, that could be tough at Coldwater, as the Cardinals are two-touchdown underdogs.
Marion Local will almost certainly end up with one of the top two seeds in this region. The Flyers are 28-point favorites at Versailles this week.
Fort Recovery dropped seven spots to 13th after a 26-point loss to 3-0 Coldwater. A win in a 50-50 game against Delphos St. John's gives the Indians a 50% chance at the playoffs.
For more computer point analysis for teams across west central Ohio, listen to my weekly podcast. Search your favorite streaming platform for Bruce Monnin's computer points.
Last Season: Parker Wynk's five-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Schlater in overtime and Bridon Jeffries' point-after lifted Celina to a 38-37 victory over Van Wert at Eggerss Stadium.
Celina is off to its best start in over a decade after hanging on to win the Battle of Grand Lake over St. Marys. Jett Warner got into a groove with 193 yards on the ground as part of a potent 1-2 punch with Noah Talmadge.
The Cougars enter the game at 3-0 after a 43-20 win over Bath in Bath Township. Van Wert and Bath were tied at 20-all after 36 minutes before the Cougars rolled to 23 unanswered points in the final period to pull away for the win. Running back Xavier Kelly rushed for 260 yards and five touchdowns in the win over the Wildcats. Six-foot-six, 250-pound quarterback Zach Crummy passed for 181 yards in the win.
Last Season: Brennen Hess found Brayden Hess for a 10-yard touchdown with under three minutes to play in regulation, and Derek Knapke's interception secured a 20-19 win for the Flyers in Maria Stein.
The Flyers opened conference play with a 57-7 win over St. John's at Booster Stadium as running back Camden Griesdorn scored all six first-half touchdowns on 125 yards rushing to give the reserves a second half of action. Griesdorn has scored 72 of the Flyers' 145 points this season and is averaging a touchdown every 5.6 carries in three games. Defensive end Logan Ronnebaum had two sacks against the Blue Jays last week.
After two big non-conference wins, Versailles fell behind early against St. Henry and took a 34-21 loss at the Wally Post Athletic Complex. The Tigers gave up 378 yards of offense against St. Henry and quarterback Blake Monnin was intercepted twice before leaving late in the game due to injury.
Last Season: Charlie Werling ran for two touchdowns and passed for another as the Redskins came away with a 28-7 win over the Rockets at the Wally Post Athletic Complex. Anna quarterback Logan Ziegenbusch passed for 152 yards and rushed for 70.
The Redskins snapped two tough non-conference losses in getting out to an early lead and never looking back against Versailles at the Post. Drew Langenkamp accounted for 26 of the team's 34 points with four touchdowns and a two-point conversion. Langenkamp's 314 rushing yards will help keep opposing teams honest as Landon Schwartz is nearing 700 passing yards heading into Week 4.
The Rockets opened MAC play with the 43-6 at Parkway. Ziegenbusch passed for 167 yards and two touchdowns and added 91 rushing yards and a score. The Rockets did have three turnovers against Parkway, dropping to a minus-1 in turnover ratio.
Last Season: Caleb Schmidt rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns and Bradey Triplett converted a 49-yard free kick into three points as the Roughriders won their second straight game 41-0 over the Bulldogs at Grand Lake Health System Field.
St. Marys will look to bounce back after a tough loss to Celina in the Battle of Grand Lake. The Roughriders rushed for 273 yards in the contest, but got a boost as quarterback Logan Payton threw for two scores.
After winning their River Rock Rivalry opener with Napoleon, the Bulldogs have struggled in league play, losing 29-0 to previously winless Wapakoneta last Friday. Mason Noirot leads Defiance with 206 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Quarterback Jack Foster has thrown for 275 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions this season.
Last Season: Carson Kaylor threw four of his six touchdown passes in a span of 131/2 minutes in the first half to lead the Wildcats to the win in Rockford.
After two solid games in the non-conference slate, the Panthers struggled in the MAC opener. Parkway was held to just 30 yards of offense and managed to avoid the shutout with a late touchdown.
After trailing by a field goal after three quarters, Minster got a touchdown run by Kaylor midway through the final quarter to take the lead with Beckhem Stephey adding a field goal late to get the 28-21 win.
Kaylor and running back Taylor Fancher have been a solid 1-2 punch with the rushing game, combining for 441 yards and four touchdowns this season while Kaylor has completed 70% of his passes for 427 yards and four scores. Stephey has been potent with his kicking, making all nine of his PATs while making all five of his field goals, the longest being 34 yards.
Last Season: Alex Gaerke passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Indians won a Saturday matinee in Delphos 41-0.
Fort Recovery fell behind 28-3 to Coldwater early in falling 35-9 at Barrenbrugge Park, being held to 142 yards of total offense. Issac Niekamp took over at quarterback after Braylon Dilworth left due to injury and passed for 78 yards. Breaker Jutte leads the team with 40 tackles.
The Blue Jays ran into the Marion Local buzzsaw last Friday, losing 57-7 with a Christian Young 67-yard touchdown run to help his team avoid the shutout.
Drew Langenkamp, RB, St. Henry
Adam Jacob, LB, CelinaVan Wert at Celina
St. Marys at Defiance
Bath at Shawnee
Elida at Kenton
Ottawa-Glandorf at Wapakoneta
St. Henry at Anna
New Bremen at Coldwater
Fort Recovery at St. John's
Marion Local at Versailles
Parkway at Minster
| WBL | Overall | |
| Celina | 2-0 | 3-0 |
| Ottawa-Glandorf | 2-0 | 3-0 |
| Van Wert | 2-0 | 3-0 |
| Shawnee | 2-0 | 2-1 |
| St. Marys | 1-1 | 2-1 |
| Wapakoneta | 1-1 | 1-2 |
| Defiance | 0-2 | 1-2 |
| Elida | 0-2 | 1-2 |
| Bath | 0-2 | 0-3 |
| Kenton | 0-2 | 0-3 |
| MAC | Overall | |
| Coldwater | 1-0 | 3-0 |
| Marion Local | 1-0 | 3-0 |
| Minster | 1-0 | 3-0 |
| Anna | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| St. Henry | 1-0 | 1-2 |
| New Bremen | 0-1 | 2-1 |
| Versailles | 0-1 | 2-1 |
| Fort Recovery | 0-1 | 1-2 |
| Parkway | 0-1 | 1-2 |
| St. John's | 0-1 | 1-2 |
