Maumee smokes Otsego for win No. 8, probable home playoff game

Maumee coach Evan Karchner huddles with his offense during the Panthers 41-17 win over Otsego. / Jeremy Schneider

By JEREMY SCHNEIDER

IMA SPORTS

The Maumee football team had a chance to look history in the eyes, and the Panthers didn’t flinch.

Maumee closed out its regular season with a fifth straight dominant win, beating Otsego, 41-17, at Kazmaier Stadium.

The Panthers won eight games in a season for the first time since 2010. They also clinched a home playoff game next week, the first time the Kaz will be lit up for Week 11 in 15 years.

“I knew all week that we were locked in and weren’t content with where we were,” Maumee coach Evan Karchner said. “I think we wanted eight (wins) and to win out, to get the best seed that we could. … We deserve it, we deserve to feel good.

“We were excited for this season. … I didn’t have an offseason. I devoted my whole offseason to trying to put us in the best position to win. … We started working for this last November. It’s been almost a year. Stuff that people don’t see, in the weight room, spring throwing, walk-thrus, the film session, the team bonding events. I was just going all in on this program. This feels good to be in a position like this, to be successful and have our kids have smiles on their faces.”

Senior lineman Robbie Burlew said going 8-2 and making the playoffs didn’t feel real quite yet right after the game on Friday. He was among 11 seniors honored before the game, along with Cody Wulf, Tristen Dotson, Bryson Bonds-Crawford, Carson Graetz, Keishon Midcalf, Blake Wagener, Donovan Mays, Espn Hurt, Pierce Simpson and Michael Conrad.

“I came from that 0-10 season two years ago and then going 5-5 my junior year, those seniors left a great impact on us,” Burlew said. “Coming into this year, I expected a lot.

“With all the summer lifting, the two-a-days, with us coming together as a team, it was a long, hard journey for us. It just feels so good.”

The Maumee senior class walked off the field together after the win over Otsego. / Jeremy Schneider

Maumee (8-2, 5-2 Northern Buckeye Conference) used a handful of huge plays to put distance between itself and the Knights (5-5, 3-4 NBC).

Right after Otsego closed the game to 14-10 with 36 seconds until halftime, Wulf took a middle screen pass from Ben Kubciz and raced 83 yards for the score.

“Coach Karchner has been talking about turnovers and explosive plays are what’s going to win games,” Wulf said. “I can’t expect more out of my teammates. They did as good as they could possibly be. O line, great. Receivers, great. On my screen play, I didn’t even get touched. All I could do was just run.”

Then in the third quarter, with Maumee still nursing a 21-10 lead, Eli Dodson jumped a pass in the flat and ran 65 yards to the end zone.

Midcalf put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, dodging defenders on his way to a 37-yard score and a 35-17 lead. Later in the quarter, Graetz put the icing on the cake with a 34-yard TD pass from Kubicz.

“Those big plays were huge for us,” Karchner said. “Right when they score and we need a big play, or we make a mistake and we need a big play, we stepped up and did it. That’s what good teams do.”

Wulf finished with a game-high 178 rushing yards (6.6 yards per rush) and three total scores. He went over 1,000 yards for the season.

Kubicz completed 6-of-7 passes for 169 yards and two scores. Will Kubicz had three grabs for 31 yards.

Next up for Maumee is the Division III playoffs. The win over the Knights squared away a home game, but the opponent is still yet to be announced.

The Panthers entered Week 10 at No. 5 in the Region 10 computer rankings. The team right above them in fourth, Rocky River, lost to Bay Village Bay on Friday.

Final computer rankings and first-round matchups will be announced by the Ohio High School Athletic Association on Sunday.

Photo courtesy of Pride of the Panthers

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