IMA SPORTS

A new season is dawning for the Maumee football team, and rarely has the light shining on the program been this bright.

The Panthers were picked to finish second in the Northern Buckeye Conference while receiving two first-place votes in a preseason coaches poll, and they checked in at No. 12 in the first BCSN Top 13 Power Poll.

They have the talent to back up those predictions, with quarterback Ben Kubicz back for a third season as a starter and other players already receiving interest from college programs.

But that’s all on paper. Trophies aren’t given out for what you do on paper.

Tonight, Maumee has a chance to show that being in the conference title hunt and making the playoffs wasn’t a one-year deal. The Panthers will try to prove the hype and expectations are warranted.

It won’t be easy. Springfield wants this win badly. The Blue Devils will fight until the very end, and the Panthers need to be ready to respond.

Here are four factors to watch in tonight’s game at Kazmaier Stadium:

New faces in big roles

It happens every year in high school football — players graduate and the next group steps in. But rarely does a team with Maumee’s expectations need to fill so many key positions.

At the top of the list is running back, where last year’s top four rushers were seniors. The Panthers need to replace 88% of their carries, 91% of their rushing yards and 30 of their 32 touchdowns.

Coach Evan Karchner believes he has the players to step in with juniors Cohen Jones, Travis Garrett Jr. and Owen Tolbert. All are hard runners with different styles, and they looked strong in scrimmages.

At receiver, Maumee will turn to Eli Dodson and Will Kubicz with Carson Graetz now in the college ranks, while Braidon Linn moves into a starting role. Dodson and Kubicz combined for 35 catches, 890 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, giving the Panthers proven production.

Along the offensive line, Maumee is replacing three starters, including a three-year starter at center. Senior Garrett Anderson steps into that role after playing extensive minutes on Saturday mornings the last two seasons.

Defensively, the Panthers need to replace three starters on the line, three linebackers and two in the secondary. How quickly those players adjust will go a long way in determining early-season success.

Handling expectations

There are plenty of eyes on the Panthers this season. If they live up to the hype, this could be a historic run.

But they can’t look too far ahead. With a huge matchup at Napoleon waiting in Week 2, Maumee must stay locked in on Springfield. While this isn’t a traditional rivalry, there is still plenty of competitive tension between the programs.

As Karchner said in the game preview, teams get humbled quickly when they overlook an opponent.

Establishing the run

The Panthers lost nearly all of last year’s rushing production, and with Ben Kubicz, Will Kubicz and Dodson leading the passing game, it’s easy to lean on the air attack.

But Karchner and offensive coordinator Shane Kinnee don’t want to be one-dimensional. Even if the offense isn’t split evenly, Maumee needs to establish a ground game and force Springfield to respect it.

With the talent in the backfield and on the line, the run game should come together. Week 1 is the perfect time to start.

Taking care of business

It would be easy for the Panthers to get caught up in the hype. Instead, they need to block out the noise and set the tone from the first snap.

Last year, Maumee beat Springfield with a running clock — the first of three straight in nonconference play. On average, the Panthers led 28-10 at halftime and 35-14 entering the fourth quarter.

Fast starts allowed the coaching staff to open the playbook and put opponents under immediate pressure.

If there’s one lesson to carry over from last season, it’s to strike early and not let teams recover.

Photo courtesy of Pride of the Panthers
Reach IMA at insidemaumeeathletics@gmail.com