IMA SPORTS

Prior to the season, Evan Karchner knew he had guys on his roster who wanted to win. Whether he had any who needed to win was something he was waiting to see.

The Maumee football coach is starting to see signs of that need to win, especially after the Panthers overcame a slow first half to throttle host Rossford 42-14 in a Northern Buckeye Conference game on Friday.

With the win, Maumee evened its overall record at 3-3 and improved to 2-1 in the conference while the Bulldogs fell to 2-4 and 0-3.

The Panthers have taken clear steps forward in NBC play, out-scoring opponents by 31 points and out-gaining them 1,102 yards to 798. Even during a narrow loss at Genoa – which snapped Oak Harbor’s 22-game league winning streak on Friday – Maumee has shown it can compete.

“Our identity has really started to take shape over the last month,” Karchner said. “We’ve proven that when we play tough, disciplined and together, we can compete with anyone. I think we’ve become a team that can fight for four quarters and give ourselves a chance to win.

“As far as needing to win, I think we have some guys who are starting to have that attitude. We have a group of guys who understand what’s at stake and who are hungry to keep Maumee football moving forward. These players don’t just want to win, they need to win because they’ve invested so much time and effort. That mindset is starting to show up in how we practice and how we compete in games.”

The first half was closer than expected, with Maumee leading 14-7 at the break. Cohen Jones capped an 11-play drive in the first quarter with a 1-yard run before Travis Garrett Jr. added his first touchdown of the season on a 2-yard rush.

“At halftime, our message was simple: stay composed and keep trusting our brand of football,” Karchner said. “The guys responded with energy and focus, and you saw that in the way we came out and controlled the second half.”

That second half turned into the Kubicz brothers’ show. Quarterback Ben Kubicz threw for a season-high 309 yards and four scores, three of them to his brother Will, who finished with seven receptions for 137 yards. Eli Dodson added eight catches for 141 yards, including a 58-yard score on the first possession of the third quarter.

The duo has been lethal in conference play – Ben completing 68% of his passes for 586 yards and eight touchdowns against just one interception, while Will has hauled in 10 passes for 200 yards and three scores.

“Ben and Will have been huge for us,” Karchner said. “Their connection brings a lot of stability and explosiveness to our offense. … There’s a trust there that you just can’t coach.”

The Panthers defense was stingy, giving up only 221 yards, with only 45 yards coming on the ground. Maumee has held the Bulldogs and Genoa to 173 rushing yards. Against Rossford, Maumee recorded multiple tackles for loss and a sack by senior defensive end Jackson Schneider in the second half.

A large part of that success comes from the continued improvement and growth of three junior linebackers in Owen Tolbert, Noah Anderson and Jones. Karchner said those three have solidified the defense and set the tone for the entire unit.

“Those three have taken major steps forward,” Karchner said. “They’ve set the tone for our entire defense.”

Maumee now turns its attention to Homecoming, where it will host winless Fostoria before facing a rugged three-game finish. However, Karchner was quick to say his team cannot afford to overlook any opponent.

“This time of year, every single game matters,” Karchner said. “If we want to be in the conversation for a league title and make the playoffs, we have to take care of business … Winning these games builds momentum and sets the tone for those tougher matchups down the stretch.”

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