IMA SPORTS

With playoff implications on the line – along with a bit of history – Friday’s game at Oak Harbor is as big as it gets for the Maumee football team. And according to Panthers coach Evan Karchner, his team is responding the right way.

“The energy has been great,” he said. “The guys know what Oak Harbor represents. They’re one of the top programs in our league. We respect that, but we’re also confident in who we’re becoming. Practices have been competitive and focused. There’s a different level of urgency this week, and the players can feel that.”

A win on Friday could wrap up a second straight playoff appearance for Maumee, according to the Fantastic 50 website. A win over the Rockets would give the Panthers a 99% chance to make the playoffs.

The Rockets have won the last two Northern Buckeye Conference titles – including two straight lopsided wins over Maumee – and while a third title won’t happen this year, it doesn’t diminish who and what Oak Harbor is.

It’s been an uncharacteristic year for the Rockets (6-2, 3-2 NBC), who haven’t lost two or more games since finishing 10-2 in 2021. This year was also the first time they’d dropped two straight games since October 2021, when they finished 5-5 for their last non-winning season.

Oak Harbor suffered back-to-back losses at Genoa (34-19) and at Eastwood (42-6) in Weeks 6 and 7 before rebounding with a 42-8 win over Lake last week.

They’re led by a strong running attack paced by Blake Nickel, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior who has scored 17 touchdowns and averages around 140 rushing yards per game. He’s topped 100 yards six times this season, including 232 yards and four touchdowns in the opener against Huron.

Travis Bouyer provides a change of pace in the Oak Harbor backfield, rushing for 560 yards with nine touchdowns and averaging more than eight yards per rush.

“Offensively, they’re very physical and disciplined. They want to control the clock, run the ball downhill and wear you out. They’ll mix in some play-action shots when you start to overcommit,” Karchner said. “They’ve got some tough kids up front and a couple of really solid backs that make their offense go.”

Karchner said Maumee’s success will boil down to two factors – execution and physicality. The Panthers will try to stay balanced on offense while being disciplined on defense with good tackling.

“We’ve got to match their intensity at the line of scrimmage and win first down on both sides of the ball,” he said.

Maumee has found a new gear in its rushing attack over the last two weeks, gaining 379 yards on the ground and scoring nine touchdowns. Cohen Jones and Travis Garrett Jr. have both set career highs during that stretch – Jones ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns against Fostoria, while Garrett went for 104 yards and a score at Otsego.

In the passing game, Eli Dodson is second in the area with 720 receiving yards and Will Kubicz ranks among the NBC leaders with 408 yards. Ben Kubicz is third in the area with 1,596 passing yards to go with 19 touchdowns and a .649 completion percentage.

The season has steadily been building to this crescendo. Following the trip to Oak Harbor, Maumee will host Eastwood (6-2, 4-1 NBC) in Week 10. If the Panthers can pair a win over the Rockets with a home win against the Eagles, they should lock up a playoff berth and could even host a first-round game.

For Karchner and his team, this is everything they’ve been working toward.

“We’re really excited for this stretch,” he said. “We’ve continued to improve each week and have put ourselves in a spot where these last two games can define how people remember this season.

“Our message has been about finishing strong, controlling what we can control, playing our brand of football and showing the growth we’ve made over the last two months. I always have believed that if we show up and play our best football, we could beat anyone on our schedule.”

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