IMA SPORTS

For the first time since he took over three seasons ago, Evan Karchner will lead his Maumee football team into Week 2 with an 0-1 record.

That’s not the only change for the second week of the season, as the Panthers picked up former Northern Lakes League rival Napoleon in the nonconference schedule. The Wildcats represent a step up in competition, having gone 17-19 over the past three seasons, each ending in playoff appearances.

Napoleon entered this fall much like Maumee — with proven talent but plenty of question marks. The Wildcats graduated their all-time leading passer, Owen Espinoza, and leading receiver, Trey Rubinstein, both of whom are now playing college athletics.

“Napoleon is one of those programs that’s built on toughness and tradition,” Karchner said. “They always have a physical style of football, and even when they graduate a lot of talent, they reload with guys who buy into that mentality. You know when you play Napoleon, you’re going to get a team that’s disciplined, plays hard and isn’t going to beat themselves.

“They’ll lean on the run game and play physical up front, so we’ve got to match that physicality if we want to compete.”

That run game is supposed to be led by All-Ohio running back George Eggers, who set a school record with 24 rushing touchdowns last year to go with 1,279 yards. Eggers sat out last week’s 20-19 loss at Defiance while recovering from an offseason injury. His status for Friday’s game remains uncertain, but Karchner said that doesn’t change how the Panthers prepare.

In Eggers’ absence, Hayden Groll rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown against Defiance.

“We know he’s a very talented back. If he’s on the field, he adds another dimension to their offense that we’ll have to be ready for. That said, we can’t prepare for just one player. We have to prepare for Napoleon’s system. Whether he’s in or not, we know they’re going to run the football and test us at the line of scrimmage,” Karchner said.

The schools haven’t met since Maumee joined the Northern Buckeye Conference. The Wildcats won the last matchup 47-7 in September 2022. Maumee’s last win in the series came in 2017, a 21-0 victory at Napoleon.

The Panthers (0-1) are searching for answers after last week’s 42-14 loss to Springfield. They rushed for 143 yards, led by Cohen Jones (62 yards) and Owen Tolbert (48). Quarterback Ben Kubciz threw for 98 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted three times. Both scores went to Eli Dodson, who caught five passes for 47 yards. Tight end Brock Heard added four receptions for 39 yards.

Throughout the Springfield game and this week’s practices, Karchner and his staff have been tweaking the lineup.

“Early in the season is always about finding the right mix,” Karchner said. “We made some adjustments last week to put our guys in better positions, and we’ll continue to evaluate that as we go.

“I think we’re getting closer to finding the lineup that gives us the best chance to win. You’ll probably see some continuity this week, but also a few small tweaks to help us match up with Napoleon’s physical style.”

Despite last week’s lopsided loss, Karchner said the Panthers have responded well.

“Anytime you take a loss like that, it stings, but it’s also an opportunity to grow,” he said. “We’ve had a good week of practice, the energy has been strong, and the guys are hungry to prove that we’re better than what we showed in Week 1. Losses only define you if you let them. We’re using it as motivation to bounce back.”

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