Lima Senior’s Kaden Hampton looks to avoid Sylvania Northview’s Carter Vrooman during Friday night’s game at Spartan Stadium.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
Week five is the midpoint of the season and teams prepare for the push to the playoffs. Lima Senior enters conference play in its inaugural year in the Toledo City League while other teams jockey for position in their respective conferences.
Lima Senior (2-2, 0-0 Toledo City League) at Bowsher (0-4, 0-1)
Lima Senior enters Toledo City League action coming off a 45-14 win against Sylvania Northview.
The Spartans, who had scored six total points in their previous two outings, saw the offense come alive as Ja’naius Hall went 25 for 40 for 398 yards and 5 touchdowns. Receiver Zaveon Garner had 6 catches for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns and Kaden Hampton and 5 catches for 57 yards.
The Spartan defense held Northview to 86 yards on the ground and 125 through the air.
Bowsher enters the game winless and is averaging less than five points a contest and has been outscored 182-19.
Lima Senior has won the previous two meetings between the two schools, scoring a 14-0 win last year and an 18-12 victory in 2021.
Wapakoneta (2-2, 2-1 WBL) at Van Wert (3-1, 2-1)
The block.
Those fans in attendance at last year’s clash between these two clubs were treated to a thrilling 20-19 Redskin victory that saw Wapakoneta block a punt late in the game to capture the win.
Both teams are looking to keep pace with Celina and Elida who remain unbeaten in the Western Buckeye League.
Wapakoneta is coming off an emotional 14-0 win over rival St. Marys that saw the Redskins grind out a win that saw Jace Knous rush for 65 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
The blanking of the Riders marked the Redskins’ second straight shutout.
Wapakoneta will have its hands full stopping Van Wert’s potent offense. The Cougars are coming off a heart-stopping 43-42 win against Defiance to drop the Bulldogs from the unbeaten ranks in the WBL.
Van Wert is averaging 42 points a game this season. The Cougars’ lone loss was 17-14 to Celina.
Cougars quarterback Brylen Parker accounted for three scores as he rushed for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns and threw for another score. Parker has rushed for 569 yards and 7 touchdowns this year to go with 10 TD throws.
Lima Central Catholic (2-2) at Bishop Hartley (3-1)
Like the Spartans, the Thunderbirds’ offense came back to life in its 48-14 win against Bishop Ready as quarterback Carson Parker accounted for 7 touchdowns. Parker ran for four scores and passed for three touchdowns with Billy Bourk scoring twice including one that went for 96 yards.
The T-Bird defense also made their presence known by recovering three fumbles.
Bishop Hartley beat LCC last year 52-7 and come into the game on a two-game win streak that includes a 21-17 win against Chaminade Julienne and a 49-3 downing of Archbishop McNicholas last week. The Silver Knights’ only loss came in week two, a 28-17 loss to Bloom-Carroll.
Primarily a run oriented squad, Bishop Hartley’s Robert Lathon averaged 123.5 yards rushing per game this season.
Bluffton (4-0, 1-0 NWC) at Spencerville (2-2, 0-1)
Bluffton has come out of the gates on fire as the Pirates have been dominating teams in the first four games. Coming off its second straight shutout, a 63-0 win against Delphos Jefferson, Bluffton is averaging 43.75 points a contest and giving up an average of 7 points a contest.
The well-balanced Pirates are led by quarterback Garret Bogart who is 19 of 27 for 436 yards and 7 touchdowns with no interceptions. On the ground, Landen Worcester has gained 461 yards with 7 touchdowns. Pirate receiver Braeden Jordan has 7 catches for 239 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Bluffton’s defense limited Delphos Jefferson to 45 total yards last week and is limiting teams to an average of 185.3 yards a game.
Spencerville is improved from the one-win campaign from a year ago by winning its first two games this year before dropping its last two games, stumbling 40-0 to Columbus Grove last week.
The Bearcats were held to 61 total yards against the Bulldogs.
Spencerville’s signal caller Carder Orr is 24 of 50 for 257 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
On the ground, the 1-2 punch of Carter Layman and Nate Coulter have combined for 517 yards and five touchdowns. Coulter, who suffered a shoulder injury during the second game of the season, may return this week.
The Bearcat defense is third overall among NWC teams in total yards allowed with an average of 242.8 yards a game.
This week’s games
(kickoffs scheduled for 7 p.m. unless noted; subject to change)
Friday
MAC
St. Henry at Coldwater
Anna at Minster
Marion Local at New Bremen
Parkway at Versailles
NWC
Bluffton at Spencerville
Columbus Grove at Delphos Jefferson
Leipsic at Ada
Crestview at Allen East
NWCC
Crestline at Ridgemont
Hardin Northern at Perry
North Baltimore at Waynesfield-Goshen
Upper Scioto Valley at Ridgedale
WBL
Shawnee at Defiance
Elida at Bath
Kenton at Celina
St. Marys at Ottawa-Glandorf
Wapakoneta at Van Wert
Elsewhere
Lima Central Catholic at Bishop Hartley
Lima Senior at Bowsher
Pandora-Gilboa at McComb
Saturday
MAC
Fort Recovery at Delphos St. John’s, 1:30 p.m.
Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.
