Northview rises up: Maumee absorbs first loss

Maumee fullback Ray Parry evades a tackle try by Northview's Brandon Stansley in the first half last night.

Luke Wark / The Blade
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Perhaps Maumee should have chosen a different school to play for its homecoming game.

Northview's Wildcats have owned the series between the two Northern Lakes League foes in recent years. Northview entered yesterday's contest having won three of the last five meetings.

When the final second ticked off the game clock last night the Wildcats had resumed their recent pattern of pestering the Panthers.

Northview left Maumee with a 15-10 victory after outplaying the Panthers for most of the 48 minutes.

"We talked to them all week about having pride in the program and pride in the school," Northview coach Eric Keller said.

The Wildcats coach could take pride in the fact that Northview

(3-2, 1-1 NLL) came ready and seeking to hand Maumee (4-1, 1-1 NLL) its first defeat of the season.

The Wildcats knocked off the

Panthers for the third straight time on the Panthers' home field. This latest gem was

literally a team victory in which every facet of the Wildcats' team outdid the opposition.

Maumee fullback Ray Parry evades a tackle try by Northview's Brandon Stansley in the first half last night.

Northwiew lineman Joe Hood recovered two Maumee fumbles to lead a swarming Wildcats defense that held the Panthers to 178 total yards and only 11 first downs. Andy Mutchler sacked Maumee quarterback Jake Causer in the end zone for a safety late in the fourth

quarter.

Jimmy Spencer kicked field goals of 30 and 35 yards in the second half to lead the special teams. Matt Page recovered a Maumee fumble on a kickoff early in the fourth quarter to help Northview come away with three turnovers.

Quarterback Mike Schneider, along with running backs Casey Meredieth and Eric Hatcher, did just enough behind an effective run-blocking scheme to gain 184 yards on the ground.

Schneider scored the Wildcats' lone touchdown on a one-yard run in the opening quarter to give Northview a 7-0 lead.

"They played with so much enthusiasm and intensity, yet, they played within themselves," said Keller of the Wildcats.

Meredieth, the first freshmen to ever start for Keller, led the Wildcats' ground game with 113 yards on 17 carries.

However, Northview had to play much of the final quarter without Meredieth after he was ejected from the contest for swinging at Maumee defensive back Alex Junga.

Meredieth said he was wrong for his actions that took place right after he broke off a 47-yard run before getting tackled at the Maumee 12 by Junga.

"He poked me in the eye when he tackled me, but I shouldn't have done that," Meredieth said.

"He made a youthful mistake," Keller said.