The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY JEREMY SCHNEIDER | MIRROR SPORTS — The Maumee athletic department had its fall sports banquet last week at the high school’s Performing Arts Center.
While much of the night felt familiar from the last few years, there were definitely some changes as well.
The Panthers used the night to bring together athletes and their families from football, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls cross country, girls tennis and boys and girls golf, honoring the teams and athletes for their hard work and successes.
For the first time in recent memory, Maumee honored two teams that won league championships, as the boys and girls soccer teams won Northern Buckeye Conference titles. The Panthers also had a conference player of the year in boys soccer star Blake Wagener, as well as numerous All-NBC and All-District performers.
“I’m very proud of the work that has gone into our sports programs and of the support we give to each other, whether it’s our student body or community,” said Maumee athletic director Cam Coutcher.
“The feeling of pride a person gets when they earn accolades for the work they put in is a true motivator. We want to celebrate each other’s successes as much as possible, which I feel we have had more opportunities to do, and that is something to be proud of as well.”
Coutcher said it is important to bring together all of the teams and athletes to “see the big picture at the end of a collective season, parents and athletes.”
“Sometimes people get tunnel vision and focus on their own sport throughout the season, which is expected,” he said. “Meeting together before breaking off gives me a chance to give a snapshot of how we did in each sport. There was a lot to be proud of this fall.”
The Panthers boys soccer team finished its season with a 19-1-1 overall record and a Division II district championship. Austin Dwyer, Frankie Folger, Jackson Kain, Corvion Kelly and Wagener all earned first-team all-league nods, while Taylor Lewis, Caeden Light and Bradyn Saneholtz were on the second team and Roen Miller made the honorable mention list.
Wagener was named first-team All-Northwest District and Lewis was on the second team. Dwyer and Folger were named to the honorable mention list.
The girls soccer program finished 14-7 with a second-straight Division II district title. Julia Findling and Charley Bischoff were named first-team All-NBC, with Cait Smalley and Shannon Tolbert on the second team and Evelyn Boyett, Jaiden Kovar, Ava Leonard and Lauren Liwo on the honorable mention list.
Findling made the all-district first team, Bischoff was on the second team and Boyett and Tolbert received honorable mention.
While the NBC doesn’t have a girls tennis championship, the three of the four teams with girls tennis teams came together for an NBC tournament.
The Maumee team won the title, with Caris Wedge taking the championship at third singles and Laurel Patrick and Kiersten Krout taking the title at second doubles.
The football team finished 5-5 and nearly made its first postseason appearance in three years. The Panthers were well represented on the All-NBC list, with Carson Graetz, Liam Murphy, Ramsey Quinn, Jr. and Cody Wulf on the second team for offense and Josiah Millin made honorable mention.
Tristen Dotson was second-team defense and Donovan Mays, Keishon Midcalf, Murphy and Wulf were honorable mention.
Lucy Porter was recognized as a first-team member of the All-NBC cross country team. Porter advanced to her third straight Division II regional meet. Gabe Dario was All-NBC honorable mention for boys cross country.
The volleyball team finished 12-13 and won another Division II sectional title. Bella Demers was first-team NBC, with Autumn Draper on the second team and Hannah Binkowski and Brooke Kwiatkowski on honorable mention.
Demers was selected to the All-District first team. Draper and Binkowski were on the second team and Kwiatkowski and Kirsten Green were honorable mention.
The boys golf team finished second in the NBC. Keaton McCullough and Travis Moebius were first-team All-NBC, Jacob Storey made the second team and Caylob Lepper and Zak Morris were on the third team.
Members of the All-NBC Academic lists were also announced. Seniors on the list were: Jack Lake, Murphy and Chance Ruelle (football); Kain, Lewis, Light, Miller, Courtney Becker, Addison Bertsch, Ava Leonard and Smalley (soccer); Vaughn Gugger, Mason Jones, Kyleigh Delaney, Natalie Drake, Skyler Janes and Emily Swartz (cross country).
Elyce Ashalintubbi, Lauren Blair, Isabella Delffs, Anevay Emerson, Maleia Kreiner and Allison Miller (cheerleading); Jack Dauer, Moebius, Spencer Schwab and Storey (golf); Demers and Alyson Wilgus (volleyball); and Kemi Adeyemo, Mena Schlumbohm and Alexandria Ybarra (girls tennis).
