IMA SPORTS

The Maumee football team scored early and often, racing away with a 70-20 win over Fostoria during Friday’s Homecoming game.

It was the second straight win for the Panthers and their fourth in the last five games, improving to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the Northern Buckeye Conference.

Maumee has been on fire in those five games, outscoring opponents 204-87 while averaging a 382-222 edge in total yardage.

“We’re a much different team now than we were a month ago,” Panthers coach Evan Karchner said. “The young guys have more experience, our confidence has grown, and we’re playing faster and more physical football.”

One of those young standouts is junior running back Cohen Jones, who ran for a career-high 130 yards and three touchdowns against the Redmen. Jones scored the first two TDs of the night for a 14-0 Maumee lead, then added his third to open the second half for a 49-14 advantage.

Jones leads the team with 475 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, including 371 yards and six scores in conference play.

“Cohen has grown tremendously in his understanding of the position,” Karchner said. “Early in the year he was relying mostly on raw talent, but now you see him setting up and reading blocks, along with finishing runs with power. His confidence continues to grow each week, and he’s becoming a complete back for us.”

Travis Garrett Jr. added 55 rushing yards and two scores, and Chris Rivera punched in a fourth-quarter touchdown as Maumee piled up a season-best 202 yards on the ground.

Quarterback Ben Kubicz was sharp again, completing 9 of 11 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns. Eli Dodson hauled in five catches for 81 yards and a score, while Brock Heard and Braidon Linn each caught touchdown passes.

“Homecoming always brings a lot of distractions, but I thought our players embraced the atmosphere and fed off the crowd,” Karchner said. “The energy in the stadium gave us a spark early, and our guys carried that momentum throughout the night. It was great to see them channel that excitement in a positive way.”

Defensively, Maumee limited Fostoria to 194 total yards. Senior defensive end Ryan Patterson provided a highlight moment with an interception return inside the Redmen 5-yard line.

Next up for the Panthers is a trip to Otsego on Friday. The schools have split their two meetings as NBC opponents, with Maumee winning 41-17 last season. The Knights (3-4) snapped a four-game skid last week with a 28-18 win at Lake.

With three games left, the Panthers have their sights on big goals. If Maumee wins out, it could host a Division III playoff game — and if Genoa drops one of its final three contests, the Panthers could share the NBC championship.

“I have a lot of belief in this group, and I think if we continue to focus on improving each day, we can compete with anyone in this league down the stretch,” Karchner said. “Our destiny is in our own hands. It’s time for us to go out and take it.”

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