Offense shows tons of firepower in 7-on-7 against Elmwood

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By JEREMY SCHNEIDER

MIRROR SPORTS

Despite not being a fan of 7-on-7 scrimmages, Maumee coach Evan Karchner enjoyed what he saw last week as the Panthers hosted Elmwood at Kazmaier Stadium.

Maumee scored multiple touchdowns while coming up with two defensive interceptions during the organized scrimmage that included quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers on offense, and linebackers and defensive backs on defense.

While some of the names on the field will be familiar to Maumee fans, some younger players fighting for varsity minutes also stepped up in big ways.

“We have a lot of guys coming back. We have Carson (Graetz), Tristen (Dotson), Cody (Wulf), Keishon (Midcalf), a lot of electric guys,” Karchner said. “What’s exciting is these sophomores coming up, guys like Eli (Dodson) and Braidon (Linn), we’re really excited about. We want to get them out there and give them a little taste of Friday night lights.”

Having players like Dodson, Linn and Brock Heard step up has given the program a few different advantages — it pushes established starters to improve to lose their spots, and it allows Karchner and his assistant coaches an opportunity to keep players healthy.

“We’re trying to give some of our two-way guys a break,” Karchner said. “We’re really excited for that. It’s my job to make sure everyone who walks out there on Week 1 walks off in Week 10.”

The other wrinkle of 7-on-7s that doesn’t suit Karchner or his program is the focus on only passing games. It takes a large chunk of the Panthers offense out of the mix.

“I’m not a huge fan of 7-on-7’s, it’s a different type of game,” Karchner said. “We’re not running down the field with Cody and Keishon. That’s a little bit of our deal.

“It’s a good way of getting these young guys some experience. We’re going against (Elmwood’s) ones and we’re subbing in ones and twos, we’re trying to get guys progressing. … It’s a good way of getting these guys some confidence before the pads get put on.”

Not having any linemen or rush on the quarterback is also another aspect that doesn’t really reflect what a team can do on Friday nights. Karchner said he reminds his players of their teammates who can help put some heat on the pocket.

“In a 7-on-7, where we don’t have an offensive and defensive line, sometimes the quarterbacks are sitting back there, and I tell our guys, ‘Remember, we’ve also got Ryan Patterson rushing the passer, we have Jackson Schneider, Donnie (Mays), we have Robbie (Burlew), a lot of guys who have played a lot of football. That adds a whole other element to the game.”

In addition to getting young players like Dodson and Linn valuable experience, 7-on-7s allow the players to break the routine of practices and hone their competitive chops against kids from other schools.

“You get a little bored going up against the same guys in practice,” Karchner said. “It becomes a little more competitive. You don’t want to get embarrassed. You don’t want to let your teammates down. Our guys play hard and play hard together.”

The Panthers will play two full-squad scrimmages in August, hosting Bowling Green on Aug. 9 and traveling to Waite on Aug. 16. They open the regular season on Aug. 23 at Springfield.

Photo courtesy of Pride of the Panthers