IMA SPORTS

Before the season, Maumee football coach Evan Karchner said it can take a few games for teams to find their identity. As the weeks click past, the Panthers look like they’re starting to find out who they are.

In last week’s 42-6 win over Waite, Maumee showed it can be an explosive, tough team to beat when it plays complementary football, according to Karchner.

“Early on, we had a slow start offensively, but our defense really set the tone with turnovers and big stops,” Karchner said of the win over the Indians. “Once our offense got rolling, we were able to create a lot of explosive plays through the air.”

Maumee (1-2) will look to take another step in the right direction when it hosts Lake (0-3) at 7 p.m. Friday in its Northern Buckeye Conference opener.

In the win over the Indians, senior quarterback Ben Kubicz had his best night of the year, throwing for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Twin brother Will Kubicz caught three of those scoring passes, finishing with five receptions for 142 yards. Eli Dodson added 131 yards and a touchdown on eight catches.

With playmakers like the Kubicz brothers, Dodson, senior tight end Brock Heard and junior wideout Braidon Linn, Maumee has plenty of firepower to overwhelm opposing defenses. According to Karchner, getting those players involved starts with preparation and game planning.

“We want to put our playmakers in positions where they can succeed, and we’re fortunate to have multiple guys who can stretch the field and make big plays,” Karchner said. “Spreading the ball around keeps defenses guessing and helps us create mismatches. Those four give us a definite advantage in the league because at any moment, they can turn a short play into a touchdown. The key is staying balanced and taking what the defense gives us.”

Lake comes into the matchup still searching for its first win. The Flyers have lost their first three games by an average of 15 points while giving up 50 points per contest.

Their opponents, however, have a combined 8-1 record, including undefeated Evergreen and Leipsic. In last week’s 38-28 loss to the Vikings, Lake jumped out to a 14-0 lead and finished with 415 total yards.

Maumee has won the first two meetings between the schools as conference rivals by a combined score of 105-28. The Flyers were picked to finish seventh in the eight-team NBC.

“Lake’s record doesn’t tell the full story,” Karchner said. “They’ve played three really solid teams to start the year. They’ve got some guys who can make plays, so we’ll need to be locked in defensively and make sure we know where those guys are at all times.

“Offensively, we just need to execute our game plan and take advantage of opportunities. If we play clean football and don’t beat ourselves, we feel confident we can have success.”

Maumee enters Friday’s game off a win for the first time this season. According to Karchner, the vibe around practice has been positive but focused.

After starting 0-2, the Panthers are close to putting even more room between their current product and the way the season began.

“It would be huge for our team and our program,” Karchner said. “Starting 0-2 was tough, but our focus has always been about growth and getting better each week. Getting to 2-2 and starting league play 1-0 would show that the work we’ve been putting in is paying off. It would also give us some momentum heading into the heart of our schedule.”

After hosting Lake, Maumee travels to Genoa (2-1) and Rossford (2-1) in Weeks 5 and 6. Following a home matchup with Fostoria, the Panthers finish with a tough closing stretch against Otsego (2-1), state-ranked Oak Harbor (3-0) and Eastwood (2-1).

Photo courtesy of Pride of the Panthers