Biggest game in ... ?? Maumee faces titanic clash with Oak Harbor

Ben Kubicz fakes the handoff to Cody Wulf during Maumee's Week 3 win over Bowsher. / Jeremy Schneider

By JEREMY SCHNEIDER

IMA SPORTS

It’s hard to overstate how big Friday’s game against Oak Harbor is for the Maumee football program. Find any superlative you can think of, and it’ll probably fall short of what this game could mean.

The Panthers are entering the game 3-0 for the first time in 15 years, and they have the chance to go 4-0 for the first time in 16 years. They’re rolling up the computer points, sitting second in their region through three weeks, and a win over the Rockets would do wonders for Maumee’s postseason hopes.

Oak Harbor comes into the game as the defending Northern Buckeye Conference champions. Over the last 10 seasons, the Rockets are averaging eight wins per season, with half of them ending up in double-digit victories and playoff berths.

Oh, and the Rockets are entering the showdown on a 21-game winning streak.

To paraphrase Maumee coach Evan Karchner after his Panthers beat Bowsher, 56-18, in Week 3, Oak Harbor is the standard Maumee is chasing.

With both teams coming into the game undefeated and absolutely steamrolling their first three opponents, it begs the question – Is this the biggest game for Maumee football in five years? Ten years?

An argument could be made that, yes, this is the biggest game the Panthers have faced in more than 10 years. With that in mind, here are some other candidates for the Big Game.

August 18, 2023: Maumee 27, Springfield 20 – In Karchner’s first game as head coach at his alma mater, Maumee gave a strong signal of what was to come by beating the Blue Devils. While the gritty win at Rossford later that season could be looked at as the turning point for Maumee football, nothing can top the win that broke the losing streak.

October 27, 2017: Maumee 27, Perrysburg 14 – Maumee entered this season-ended clash with archrival Perrysburg at 5-4 while the Yellow Jackets were 4-5. This was truly a game that would completely alter how each program viewed its season. The Panthers won the game, the last time they claimed victory over Perrysburg.

October 19, 2012: Maumee 21, Anthony Wayne 20 – This was the last time Maumee tasted victory over the Generals, nearly a dozen years before leaving the Northern Lakes League. The trajectory of the two programs were complete opposites from here, with AW becoming one of the heavyweights of the NLL while Maumee trailed behind.

November 5, 2010: Maumee 20, Avon Lake 13 – Unlike the other games on this list, this one was on the road. It was a huge dose of revenge for the Panthers, though, beating Avon Lake in the first round of the playoffs a year after suffering the same fate at Kazmaier Stadium. This was also the last time Maumee has won a playoff game.

November 6, 2009: Avon Lake 56, Maumee 35 – An incredible 9-win season came to an end before anyone was ready as Avon Lake stormed into Kazmaier Stadium and topped the Panthers in the first round of the playoffs. It was the last time Maumee has hosted a playoff game.

Reach IMA at insidemaumeeathletics@gmail.com