Line Play Leads Coldwater over Minster 34-7

By Bruce Monnin

COLDWATER - After last week’s loss to Anna, the Coldwater Cavaliers felt the need for some changes. They all worked out very week as Coldwater earned a big 34-7 Homecoming win over the Minster Wildcats.

“Our players had a team only meeting last Sunday that we didn’t know about until yesterday,” said Coldwater coach Chip Otten, “and the coaches started three sophomore D-linemen. The D-linemen had also been O-linemen before and were getting worn out. Instead of having five guys play eight positions we had eight guys playing eight positions. We had a great pash rush and great pass protection.”

The game started as a defensive contest as the first two Wildcat drives and the opening Cavalier possession resulted in punts after no first downs were achieved. On Coldwater’s second drive, they ground out 31 yards on ten plays to set up a Bryce Couchot 36-yard field goal. Couchot was a weapon all night long, making two field goals, averaging 60 yards per kickoff with four touchbacks and kicking four extra points. Couchot has now made 81 consecutive point after touchdown kicks.

Minster replied by using the running of Dominick Meyer to drive into Cavalier territory. The Wildcats attempted a slant pass over the middle, but Nolan Mescher stepped in front of the receiver and returned the interception to the Wildcat seven-yard line. Two plays later Karsyn Homan scored from two yards out to increase the Coldwater lead to 10-0.

“Nolan Mescher took a risk, and what a play by Nolan,” admitted Otten, “They had a 6-7 guy and a 6-5 guy and we were concerned that somehow they are going to match them up, but what an interception.”

“Momentum took a big swing right there,” lamented Minster coach Seth Whiting. “Their kid made a really nice play.”

From there the game was all Cavaliers. An 18-yard pass from Homan to Caleb Schroer and a 28-yard Homan run set up a three-yard score by Homan to increase the lead to 17-0. Then just before half Couchot drilled a 31-yard field goal through the uprights for a 20-0 advantage.

Coldwater kept rolling to start the second half with Derek Dues rushing three times for 32 yards and a two-yard touchdown. After stuffing a Minster drive at the Cavalier 25, Karter Freed broke loose a 31-yard scoring run to start the fourth quarter. With the running clock in effect, the Wildcats used ten minutes to put together a 17-play, 80-yard drive capped by a Meyer eight-yard run to make the final tally 34-7.

Homan led all rushers with 109 yards and two scores on 18 carriers. Meyer for Minster almost matched him, compiling 107 yards and one touchdown on 17 rushes.

Passing yards were at a premium in this contest, as Coldwater gained 68 yards through the air while Minster only compiled 43 such yards. Schroer led all receivers with 29 yards on three catches.

Coldwater, now 3-2, travels next week to face 0-5 Parkway. 3-2 Minster returns home to play 4-1 St. Henry.

Score by quarter 1 2 3 4 Total

Coldwater 10 10 7 7 34

Minster 0 0 0 7 7

First Quarter:

CW – Bryce Couchot 36 yd field goal, 4:34

CW – Karsyn Homan 2 yd run (Bryce Couchot kick), 0:05

Second Quarter:

CW – Karsyn Homan 3 yd run (Bryce Couchot kick), 6:15

CW – Bryce Couchot 31 yd field goal, 0:29

Third Quarter:

CW – Derek Dues 2 yd run (Bryce Couchot kick), 7:13

Fourth Quarter:

CW – Karter Freed 31 yd run (Bryce Couchot kick), 11:09

MIN – Dominick Meyer 8 yd run (Beckhem Stephey kick), 0:05

Team statistics CW MIN

First downs 18 12

Rushes - yards 33-237 31-144

Passing yards 68 43

Comp - att - int 6-19-0 8-17-1

Total yards 305 187

Punts - average 2-34.5 5-36.2

Fumbles - lost 1-0 0-0

Penalties - yards 4-30 4-22

Time of possession 21:23 26:37

Individual statistics:

Rushing: Coldwater, Homan 18-109, Dues 6-63, Freed 6-54, Pohlman 3-11; Minster, Meyer 17-107, Kaylor 9-19, Fancher 5-18

Passing: Coldwater, Homan 6-19-0-68; Minster, Kaylor 8-17-1-43

Receiving: Coldwater, Schroer 3-29, Mescher 2-31, Dues 1-8; Minster, Bergman 4-10, Meyer 2-13, Albers 1-14, Fancher 1-6