Panthers off to best start in 15 years
- Jeremy Schneider
- Sep 13, 2024
- 2 min read
By JEREMY SCHNEIDER
IMA SPORTS
The last time a Maumee football team started a season 3-0, the current senior class hadn’t even started preschool yet.
That clock can officially restart, thanks to the Panthers 56-18 win over Bowsher on Friday night at Kazmaier Stadium.
Maumee last started a season 3-0 in 2009. The Panthers started that season with wins over Waite (51-0), Woodward (65-0) and Bowsher (48-12).
“It’s amazing, you can’t really say,” senior lineman Espn Hurt said. “I’m at a loss for words.
“When (coach Evan) Karchner came here, we went to work every day. To be able to put it together, to get the three wins, it’s insane to go from an 0-10 team to 3-0. It shows that hard work does pay off.”
Karchner is just as excited for his players after their 3-0 start.
“I’m just excited, excited for our future and how far we can go,” Karchner said.
“It’s hard to win games in general. We came out today and everybody in this stadium said we should win. A lot of people think it’s easy to win football games, but I don’t think they know how hard it is to win football games and how much time goes in for coaches and players.
“You should enjoy every win because I’ve been on the other side.”
Even with all the noise surrounding their home opener, the Panthers handled business right off the bat. They chewed up the first 4 1/2 minutes of the game, going on an 8-play drive that ended when Cody Wulf scored from 13-yards out.
Maumee added two more scores in the first quarter and another four in the second, taking a 49-0 lead by halftime.
It was the second straight game Maumee had a running clock to the open the second half, and third straight game with a running clock. According to senior Carson Graetz, that’s just what Maumee does.
“That’s Maumee football now, we score touchdowns and get stops,” Graetz said.
Wulf finished the game with three touchdowns and 63 rushing yards. Bryson Bonds-Crawford led Maumee with 65 rushing yards and a TD.
Ben Kubicz threw for 213 yards and four scores, completing 11-of-13 passes. The junior has now completed nearly 75 percent of his 41 passing attempts this year.
Kubicz connected with his brother, Will on a pair of TD passes, including a 71-yard bomb in the first quarter.
The win over the Blue Racers was Maumee’s first home game of the season. The Panthers have now won four of their last six games at Kazmaier Stadium.
“There’s no environment like the Kaz,” Graetz said. “The students come out, they bring the energy every time. Even the parents on their feet, clapping. It really juices the guys up.”
The level of competition takes a sharp upturn this week. Maumee hosts defending Northern Buckeye Conference champion Oak Harbor (3-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at Kazmaier Stadium. The Panthers lost last year’s game, 49-7.
Photos courtesy of Pride of the Panthers
Reach IMA at insidemaumeeathletics@gmail.com
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