SOLO TACKLE … Evergreen freshman Ace Ryan storms in to make the tackle on the Wauseon ball carrier.
PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
ELUSIVE MOVES … Wauseon Logan Peaslee looks for an alley to run through in the second half.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (September 12, 2025) – When Evergreen students see senior Quinn Eisel in the halls on Monday morning, they probably might call him “sir.”
That’s because on a night when the Evergreen offense was looking for a spark, Eisel gave them a big one, then also made a game-winning play on defense, stuffing Wauseon on their last possession, as the Vikings claimed a 14-7 win to boost their record to 4-0 on the year.
“He’s a Swiss army knife,” Evergreen coach Hunter Kohls said of Eisel. “He does everything. He’s a heckuva runner, he can catch passes, and he is a terrific defensive player too.”
The Indians were the ones with the fast start, going 50 yards to pay dirt in their first possession.
Quarterback Kahle Albright went 32 and 11 on two different carries to set up A’Zarrion Hicks’ eight-yard run that gave Wauseon a 7-0 lead, just over four minutes into the game.
After that, it was a different story the rest of the game as Evergreen defensive coordinator Alex Lutheran made the adjustments, and despite working with prime field position a number of times, the Indians never hit the end zone again, gaining just 128 total yards the rest of the game.
“Our guys kept fighting all night,” Kohls expressed. “The defense did a fantastic job making adjustments and holding them. Offense, we had our miscues, but we came back and kept fighting.”
Evergreen’s offense got going late in the first quarter after taking possession on its own nine after a Wauseon punt, and it was Eisel delivering the big play.
Quarterback Bryce Bolger initiated the march with runs of eight and nine to get the Vikes out from the shadow of their own endzone.
Then, after Dominyck Yeary sacked Bolger for a nine-yard loss to put Evergreen in a third-and-17 dilemma, Eisel hauled in a Bolger aerial for a 49-yard gain near the Indian red zone at the 21.
The huge catch set up Bolger’s flare out to Will Ruetz that covered the final nine yards to tie the game with 10:06 to go in the half.
On the ensuing possession, Wauseon thought they had answered. Albright’s 28-yard dump-off pass to Hicks got the ball to the Evergreen 20, where two plays later Albright galloped 18 yards to the end zone.
However, a holding penalty nullified the touchdown, and after JJ Johnson made two straight stuffs of the Indian run game, Collin Mennetti’s field goal attempt was short to keep the game knotted at 7-7.
Wauseon had one more chance late in the first half, taking possession at the Viking 46. Jackson Huffman’s sack pushed the Indians back across their side of the 50 to stone that threat.
After holding Wauseon again early in the fourth quarter, Evergreen began its game-winning possession from its own 16.
Bolger hit a big one on third-and-12 when a Wauseon defender had tight coverage on Ruetz, but never turned to see the ball, and Ruetz harnessed what turned out to be a 43-yard pitch and catch to get Evergreen to the Indian 32.
Eisel, who had 25 yards in three carries on the drive, broke a big one, carrying Indian defenders to the 13.
With the Vikes going tempo, Wauseon was caught with too many men on the field trying to make changes to move the ball to the eight.
Bolger carried three straight times, the third to the promised land from three yards away to give Evergreen a 14-7 lead with 4:55 to go.
Yet another solid kick return from Dylan Burkholder gave Wauseon good field position at their own 38. Two Albright runs set up a very manageable third-and-two at the 46.
Albright tried the wide side and looked as if he had space, but Eisel came flying in to blast the Indian QB for a yard loss.
Albright’s deep toss on fourth down was overthrown, and Evergreen took over on downs, and Eisel salted the game away.
Runs of 10, seven, and seven more gave Evergreen a first down, where the Vikes went into victory formation to run out the clock.
“4-0 is a good start for us,” Kohls said. “Especially going into league play and getting that first league win, every game from here on out is huge, so we’ve just got to keep fighting.”
Evergreen had 237 yards in the game. Eisel accounted for 140 of those, 72 on the ground in nine carries, all in the second half, along with two catches for 68 yards. Bolger threw for 143 total on 7-17 passing.
Albright ran for 74 on 19 carries and was held to 51 yards in the air on 3-10 passing.
UP NEXT: September 19 – Evergreen (4-0, 1-0 NWOAL) at Archbold (3-1, 1-0 NWOAL); Patrick Henry (4-0, 1-0 NWOAL) at Wauseon (0-4, 0-1 NWOAL)
WHS 7 0 0 0 – 7
EHS 0 7 0 7 – 14
W – Hicks 8-yd run (Mennetti kick)
E – Ruetz 8-yd pass from Bolger (Mossing kick)
E – Bolger 3-yd run (Mossing kick)