One of the best seasons in recent Watervliet history came to a close Friday night at Panther Stadium.  Perennial power Contantine invaded Panther Stadium Friday night and left with a convincing 47-0 win.  For the Panthers it was their first loss since week 1, ending a 9 game winning streak.

The Panther defense came out tough early in the game, stuffing the Falcons on back to back three and outs.  The offense moved the ball some early in the game, but couldn’t put multiple first downs together.  With the score still 0-0 midway through the first, Senior Punter Timmy Flagel pinned Constantine at their own one yard line.  Constantine proceeded to drive 99 yards for their first score of the night.  As the first quarter came to a close the Panthers only trailed 7-0.

However, the offense continued to struggle and the offensive and defensive lines began to be decimated with injuries.  Senior left tackle and defensive end Max Goodrich entered the game at about 70%, forcing him off the defensive side of the ball for the first time all year.  Then, in the second quarter right guard and defensive end Chris Saurbier as well as defensive tackle Jake Elliot were both knocked out of the game.  The strength of this Panther team all year had been dominating line play on both sides.  Playing a tough and talented opponent such as Constantine without a full compliment of starting linemen proved to be too tough a task.  The Falcons continued to run the ball well in the second quarter, building a 27-0 halftime lead on their way to victory.

Offensively the Panthers were shut out for the first time in over two years.  Coming into the game the offense had been prolific averaging over 30 points and 400 yards per game.  Senior QB Kevin Eastman put the ball in the air 31 times completing 15 for 127 yards.  Eastman, who had one of the greatest seasons a Panther QB has ever had, ended the year with over 2,100 yards passing and 22 TD throws.  For good measure he added over 400 yards rushing and 4 rushing TD’s.  His top targets on the season were also his top targets on the night.  Senior WR Cory Quinn grabbed 5 passes for 42 yards, capping a season in which he caught 44 passes for 492 yards and 6 TD’s.  Quinn, a three year varsity player, ends his career with 80 catches for 975 yards and 8 TD’s.  Eastman’s other main target on the year, Junior Aaron Dabicci, added 5 catches for 42 yards on the night.  Dabicci, and explosive player, ended the year with 48 catches for 836 yards and 11 TD’s.  He also added 211 yards rushing and another TD on just 11 carries.  Dabicci will look to add to his fantastic resume as a Senior in 2010.

Defensively, the Panthers were fantastic all season allowing only 12.5 points per game coming into this past Friday night.  Only one (Constantine) opponent gained over 300 yards against the Panther defense all year long.  The Panthers also held 8/11 opponents to fewer than three yards per carry.  Leading the way Friday night was Senior LB Joe Isbrecht who had 11 tackles (one for loss).  Isbrecht finished off a fantastic two year run as a starting LB in which he amassed 184 tackles.  Sophomore LB Kevin Dembinski finished a fine year with 10 tackles on the evening.  Senior CB Timmy Flagel had another solid game with 7 tackles.  Flagel also finished the season with 8 interceptions.  Also playing in his final game was Senior LB Collin Buck.  Buck ran down 6 Falcon ball carriers on the night and finished the season with 102 tackles.  For good measure Buck, the short yardage back, also amassed 11 TD’s on the season.  Senior DT DJ Howley also had a good final game, picking up 7 tackles.  Howley, who spent most of his Junior season out injured, had a fantastic Senior campaign earning 1st Team All Conference honors.

Also worth noting is the end of the fanstastic careers of Seniors Max Goodrich and Chris Saurbier.  Goodrich a three year starter on both sides of the ball will be sorely missed.  He was possibly the best all around player in the conference in 2009, earning 1st team All-Conference honors on both offense and defense.  Saurbier a 3 year starter on the Offensive Line and a major contributer on the defensive line as a Junior and Senior earned 2nd Team All-Conference honors on the offensive side of the ball.

Other Seniors ending their career Friday were Michael Johnson (61 Tackles, 2nd Team All-Conference), Marco Montejano (20 catches, 260 yards, 4 TD’s, 32/40 XP’s, 3/7 FG’s), Jake Elliot (started every game at DT), Angel Vasquez (16 Tackles, 7 starts at DE) Sean Williamsen (special teams dynamo), Eric Griffin (Special Teams workhorse and defensive contributor), and Aaron Sill (1st year player who improved greatly).

Next up for the Panthers is the end of the season banquet.  The date is TBA.  See the article below for 2009 All-Conference selections.

The wind and rain came in torrents most of the day Friday, much like the onslaught the Panthers brought on Lawton Friday night.  Playing in their first home playoff game since 1999 the Panthers scored early and often on their way to a 49-15 first round victory.

With Lawton electing to receive to start the game Watervliet took the howling wind behind them and pinned the Blue Devils inside the 30.  The defense, much as the week before, stopped Lawton cold forcing a three and out.  A week ago, on their first offensive play Senior QB Kevin Eastman hit Junior WR Aaron Dabicci for a 77 yard TD strike.  The Panthers went to Dabicci again on the first play and the result was the same, an explosive paly.  This time Dabicci took the ball on a reverse 50 yards to Lawton 3 yard line.  One play later, Eastman finished the drive scampering three yards untouched to paydirt.  Senior kicker Marco Montejano added the extra point and the Panthers were up 7-0 with just over a minute gone in the first quarter.

Things continued to go well for the Panthers who recovered a Lawton backward pass on their second play from scrimmage after the first Panther TD.  Having only ten yards to go, the Panthers took little time to finish off their second drive.  Sophomore RB Tyler Scott picked up 7 yards on first down and Senior RB Collin Buck finished things off with a three yard plunge.  With the extra point good the Panthers were up 14-0 just three minutes and change into the first quarter.  Lawton did move the ball on their third possession, but the Panther defense stiffened up in the Red Zone forcing the Devils to turn the ball over on downs at the Watervliet 10 yard line.  The Panthers proceeded to drive 90 yards for the TD mostly behind the running of Eastman and Scott.  The offense line of Senior Max Goodrich, Junior Cody Sposato, Junior Vic Fellner, Senior Chris Saurbier, and Sophomore Jaxon Dehaven absolutely dominated, not only on this drive, but for the entire game.  The drive culminated in Buck’s second TD of the night, again from three yards out.

With the home team up 21-0, Lawton had their only bright spot of the first half when RB Cameron Johnson took a pitch 63 yards down the right sideline for a TD.  The extra point was good and Lawton had trimmed the lead to 21-7 as the first quarter came to an end.  However, the second quarter started much like the first.  Eastman, enjoying the best rushing game of his career, finished off another Panther TD drive with a 16 yard tackle breaking run.  Junior WR and holder Aaron Dabicci fumbled the extra point snap, but ran it in for two points to extend the lead to 29-7.  The defense, offended by the previous Lawton score, was immovable the remainder of the half giving the offense two more possessions.  Those two possessions ended just as the previous four had, with Panther trips to the end zone.  The first score came on the longest run of Eastman’s career, a 49 yard TD run.  Eastman was helped by a great downfield block from Dabicci.  On the second score Dabicci decided to get into the act himself.  Taking a Eastman screen pass and aided with great blocks from fellow WR Timmy Flagel and Tackle Max Goodrich Dabicci did the rest with speed down the sideline going 61 yards for their final score of the half.  The Panthers concluded the half up 42-7 having scored on each of their six offensive possessions of the half.

The Panthers received the kick to open the third quarter and it was more of the same.  On the third play from scrimmage Eastman hit Dabicci on a crossing route, and with great downfield blocks from fellow WR’s Cory Quinn and Marco Montejano, Dabicci took it 53 yards to the house for the final Panther score of the night.  With the Panthers up 49-7 and the running clock in use the remainder of the game went very quickly.  Lawton did add another score late, but the damage was done and the Panthers found themselves on their way to the second round.

Defensively the Panthers stifled the Lawton offense, which had averaged over 40 points per game in the regular season, for the second straight week (allowing only 22 in two full games!).  Senior LB Joe Isbrecht led the team with 9 tackles Collin Buck and DE Chris Saurbier each had 6.  Big DT’s Jake Elliot and DJ Howley had fantastic games, each recording three tackles, with Howley adding a sack.  Senior DE Max “Big Time” Goodrich also had three tackles and a sack despite Lawton avoiding him most of the night.  Defensive back Tim Flagel (playing with the flu) shut down the top receiving threat all night amassing three tackles and three pass break ups.  Cory Quinn and Jake Teunnisen also played very well combining for 5 tackles and 3 pass break ups.

Offensively the Panthers amassed 419 yards on the night, most of them in the first half.  Eastman was fantastic all night rushing 12 times for 144 yards and 3 TD’s, while hitting on 6/6 passes for 139 yards and two TD’s.  Scott rushed 19 times for 79 yards, while Buck trucked it 3 times for 6 yards and 2 TD’s.  WR Aaron Dabicci also had a big night rushing it once for 50 yards, and hauling in 3 passes for 121 yards and two TD’s.

The Panthers (9-1, 5-0) will return to Panther Stadium next week to host a second round playoff game.  Invading Panther Stadium will be the Constantine Falcons (8-2).  Constantine defeated Schoolcraft for the second straight week to win their opening round playoff game.  Game time is set for Friday night at 7:00.

The Panthers took the trip east on I-94 Friday night to face the Lawton Blue Devils in a SAC South showdown.  Both teams came in sporting identical 7-1 records, 4-0 in SAC South play.  The winner of the game would take home the SAC South Crown and as a bonus would likely earn a first round home game in the MHSAA playoffs, which start next week.

Things started out great for the visiting Panthers.  After the defense stuffed Lawton on their opening drive the offense took little time to take advantage.  On the first offensive play of the night Senior QB Kevin Eastman hooked up with Junior WR Aaron Dabicci an a deep post and Dabicci did the rest, taking it 75 yards for the TD.  Senior kicker Marco Montejano added the extra point and the Panthers took an early 7-0 lead.  The defense was stout again on the next Blue Devil drive getting the offense the ball back quickly.  This time Watervliet decided to do it on the ground.  Sophomore RB Tyler Scott led the way, breaking off several long runs as the Panther ground game marched it right down the field.  Senior RB Collin Buck finished off the drive with a 1 yard TD plunge behind big “fullbacks” Jake Elliot and DJ Howley.  The extra point was good and the Panthers ended the first quarter with a 14-0 lead.

The defense continued to play tough, shutting down the Lawton run game time after time.  Midway through the second quarter, the Devils faced a 3rd and 20 from their own 15.  With the defense shutting down the Lawton screen game they decided to go deep.  Junior cornerback John McCarthy was in great position, but the ball was tipped up and caught by a Lawton receiver who did the rest, going 85 yards to the endzone.  With that the Panther lead was cut in half at 14-7.  The offense, facing a tough headwind, had a tough time getting things going in the second quarter.  They were able to get a bit going on the ground, but could never sustain a scoring drive.  As the half came to a close the score remained 14-7.  The Panther defense, with the exception of the long pass, had dominated the half holding Lawton to -13 yards rushing.

The Panthers had the wind in the third quarter, but were unable to take advantage.  A few passes were dropped and Lawton did a good job of bringing pressure.  Meanwhile the defense remained stingy, not allowing Lawton to come anywhere near the endzone.  Lawton continued to try to test McCarthy who continued his excellent coverage knocking down several long pass attempts.

With 5 minutes to go in the game the Panther run game became reenergized.  After nice runs by Scott and Buck, Eastman decided to do a little work on the ground himself.  Dropping back to pass Eastman saw a running lane in the middle of the field and went on a gutsy 22 yard run breaking tackles along the way before being stopped at the 1 yard line.  With a chance to seal the deal the Panthers went back to Buck whose attempted dive over the goalline looked like it was successful as at least one official signaled a touchdown.  However, the ball had come loose and after a lengthy discussion the officials ruled it a fumble and gave Lawton the ball on their own 1 yard line still only down 7.  It was now up to the defense to come up big again, and they were up to the challenge.  After Lawton earned one first down, the Panther Defense made Lawton go the other way, finally failing on 4th and 20 from their own 6 yard line.  The visitors went to Buck once again, and this time there was no doubt about the result as Buck rumbled in for his second TD of the night.  The extra point was blown left by the strong wind, but the Panthers were now up 20-7 with 2:30 to go.

Lawton put together their only sustained drive of the night with Panthers playing deep and keeping receivers in front of them.  However the D stiffened up once Lawton got in the red zone, stopping them on four straight pass attempts.  The offense kneeled out the clock and the Panthers had earned their first Conference Title since 2005 and their first outright title since 1999.

Offensively, the Panthers struggled through the air for the first time all year.  Eastman went 3/12 for 90 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT.  Dabicci had one catch for 75 yards and a TD, Senior WR’s Cory Quinn and Marco Montejano each added a catch for 7 and 6 yards respectively.  The ground game was more successfull, churning up 188 yards on 36 carries.  Scott led the way with 19 carries for 119 yards, his first 100 yard game as a varsity player.  Eastman tucked and ran 10 times for 46 yards, while Buck had 6 carries for 22 yards and 2 TD’s.

Defensively the Panthers were outstanding, especially against the run allowing only 55 yards on 28 carries.  It was the 7th time this season the defense had allowed opposing offenses less than 3 yards/carry.  The defense also continued its streak of keeping opponents to under 300 yards of total offense, a streak that has lasted each of the Panthers’ nine games.  Collin Buck and Kevin Dembinski led the way with 9  and 8 tackles each.  DE Max Goodrich added 6 tackles and a sack, OLB Michael Johnson added 7 tackles.  DJ Howley had one sack while his DT mate Jake Elliot had two sacks.

Next up for the Panthers (8-1, 5-0) is the MHSAA playoffs.  The opponent will not be known until 7:00 Sunday night as the MHSAA announces its playoff pairings.  The playoff selection show will be broadcast live at 7:00 on Fox Sports Detroit.  Regardless of the first round opponent the game will almost assuredly be played Friday night at Panther Stadium.  If you can’t catch the selection show, check MHSAA.com for playoff pairings or check back here for an update on Watervliet’s next opponent.

In a showdown of two teams likely headed for the MHSAA playoffs, the homestanding Panthers edged Decatur in an overtime thriller, 24-16.

The game started out a little slow as both offenses tried to feel their way against good defenses.  The Panthers were doing their best to shut down the powerful Raider rushing game led by Senior RB AJ Jackson.  Meanwhile Decatur faced the task of trying to shut down the explosive Watervliet offense that has averaged over 400 yards a game through a combination of running and passing.  The Decatur offense was able to strike first hitting from three yards out after a long Jackson run put them in prime scoring position.  The two point conversion was good and the visiting Raiders had taken an 8-0 first quarter lead.  The Panther offense went to work on their next series moving down to the Decatur 4 yard line before back to back procedure penalties backed them up.  Senior kicker Marco Montejano made sure the drive did not end up empty, knocking a 30 yard field goals to cut the lead to 8-3.

The Panther offense got it revved up again on their first drive of the second quarter after Senior Cornerback Timmy Flagel picked off his first of two passes on the night.  Led by Senior QB Kevin Eastman the offense picked its way down the field with a mix of passes and runs.  The drive culminated with a 12 yard scoring strike from Eastman to Senior WR Cory Quinn.  The extra point was no good, but the Panthers held a 9-8 lead.  The Panther defense continued to play tough the remainder of the quarter, giving up some yards on the ground, but getting stops when they needed them.  After Flagel’s second pick of the half the Panther offense had just over a minute to go 80 yards.  It proved to be more than enough time as Eastman hit Junior WR Aaron Dabicci on a big play down the sideline, and connected with Flagel and Quinn to move the ball inside the 20.  Eastman then hit Dabicci on a crossing route and the speedy Junior outraced all would be tacklers to the corner for a 14 yard catch and run TD.  The extra point was good and with 25 seconds left in the half the Panthers had taken a 16-8 lead.

The second half proved to be a defensive struggle.  The Panthers continued their stellar play against the pass, breaking up potentially big plays and picking off three more passes.  One from Senior safety Cory Quinn and two from outstanding Sophomore outside linebacker Kevin Dembinski.  Dembinski had a fantastic game playing well against the run and the pass.  The Watervliet offense moved the ball well in the second half, but muffed one field goal and had another blocked, meaning no points on the board.  The only score of the second half came on a Watervliet fumble that was scooped up by none other than AJ Jackson and returned for a Decatur TD.  The 2 point play was good and Decatur knotted up the score at 16.  With neither team able to score again in the half the game headed in to overtime.  It was the first OT game of the season for the Panthers, while Decatur was playing in OT for the third time this season.

Decatur won the flip and elected to play defense first.  The Panther offense took little time in putting the pressure on the visitors.  Eastman hit Quinn for a 9 yard gain on first down to put the Panthers on the one yard line.  Senior RB Collin Buck powered it in from there behind two big Defensive Tackles turned fullbacks in Jake Elliot and DJ Howley.  The Panthers went right back to the same play for the two point play and Buck bounced it outside for the quick score giving the Panthers an 8 point edge.  The Watervliet defense proved to be up to the task as Decatur took the field.  On first down the Raiders went to Jackson (who ended with 235 yards rushing on the night) but Dembinski tracked him down for a huge 5 yard loss on first down.  The Raiders decided to test the outside going the other way, but Senior OLB Michael Johnson would not be outdone by his Sophomore teammate and he too dropped Jackson for a 5 yard loss.  The Raiders, who struggled throwing most of the night, now faced a third and goal from the 20.  On third down three Panther defenders converged on the intended receiver causing him to drop the ball.  On fourth down the Raider QB tripped and fell and pandemonium ensued from the Watervliet sideline.

The defense played bend but don’t break all night allowing only one TD and coming up with 5 huge interceptions.  Senior linebacker Collin Buck led the way with 11 tackles.  Senior defensive end Max Goodrich played outstanding, recording 9 tough tackles.  OLB’s Dembinski and Johnson each had 8 tackles while Dembinski added 2 INT’s.  Flagel was all over the field with 8 tackles and 2 interceptions. The Panthers held the high octane Decatur offense to 295 yards of total offense keeping their streak of under 300 yard games (all alive.

The offense moved the ball well most of the night racking up 400 yards of offense.  Sophomore Tyler Scott, just called up from the JV this week to fill in for the injured Brett Thumm, led the ground attack with 18 carries for 59 yards.  WR Aaron Dabicci had 3 carries for 33 yards.  In all 5 Panthers combined for 118 yards on the ground and one TD (Buck).  Eastman continued his great play going 22/41 through the air for 282 yards 2 TD’s and 1 INT.  Dabicci had 7 catches for 107 yards and a TD, while Quinn grabbed 10 passes on the night for 99 yards and a TD.  Flagel also made his mark on offense grabbing 4 passes for 76 yards.

The Panthers (7-1, 4-0) take to the road to face the Lawton Blue Devils next Friday night.  Lawton (7-1, 4-0) beat Lawrence Friday night.  The game will be for all the marbles in the SAC South as the two teams are tied for first place with only one game to go.  Gametime is set for 7:00.

After a slow start the Panthers rolled to a 42-20 victory over Lawrence on homecoming night at WHS. With the win the Panthers clinched their first spot in the MHSAA Playoffs since 2005. The win did not come without a cost however as sensational Sophomore running back Brett Thumm was lost for the season with a broken leg early in the second quarter.

Things started slowly for the home team Friday night as the Panthers uncharacteristically failed to score in the first quarter. The visiting Tigers took advantage executing a very nice screen pass on their 2nd drive of the night that went for a big gain putting Lawrence inside the Panther 5 yard line. Two plays later Lawrence took what would be their only lead of the night as leading rusher Antonio Ramirez stretched it across from 2 yards out. As the first quarter came to a close the Panthers found themselves trailing for only the third time this season, down 7-0.

The second quarter was an entirely different story for the Panthers. Early in the quarter Senior QB Kevin Eastman connected with Junior WR Aaron Dabicci for a 20 yard TD strike. Senior kicker Marco Montejano added his first of 6 extra points on the night and the score was tied at 7. The defense, taking offense to the first Lawrence score, was stifling for the much of the rest of the game. Lawrence was forced to abandon their power running attack (only 94 yards on 36 carries for the night) in favor of a passsing game. After the next defensive stop, the Panther offense was moving the ball well and went with a Thumm run on first down. As Thumm planted to cut he was hit by two Tiger defenders and twisted awkwardly as his foot was wedged in the turf, which was softened by nearly 24 straight hours of rain. The crowd collectively held its breath as Thumm lay on the field in pain. Unfortunately the news on the field was not good, a broken leg.

Thumm has had an outstanding season, leading the Panthers in rushing with over 700 yards and 9 TD’s coming into the game. Brett was named WSJM’s athlete of the week after his 261 yard, 4 TD performance in week two vs. Gobles. He has been so good in fact that both Marcellus and Lawrence deployed extra men in the box to stop the run. The Panthers will sorely miss Thumm moving forward, but are confident that the rest of the running backs in the program will elevate their game to pick up the slack.

After a lengthy timeout to attend to Thumm, the Panthers came out focused and determined to finish off the win for their fallen teammate. It took just two more plays, a long pass from Eastman to Senior WR Cory Quinn and a 5 yard strike to Senior WR Marco Montejano, for the Panthers to find paydirt again. With that the floodgates were open. The defense stifled Lawrence three more times in the quarter, once blocking a punt. The offense took advantage of their opportunities, scoring two more times. The first on a pretty roll out pass from Eastman to Quinn for a 19 yard strike, and the second a 3 yard checkdown from Eastman to Senior running back Collin Buck (filling in for Thumm). As the quarter came to an end the Panther blitzkrieg of the 2nd quarter had put them up 28-7.

The third quarter was more of the same as Lawrence continued to pile defenders inside and Eastman continued to make them pay with the passing game. On the opening drive of the quarter Eastman again hooked up with Dabicci, this time from 22 yards out. With the defense allowing nothing and earning two takeaways courtesy of Senior CB (and ballhawk) Timmy Flagel who picked off two on the night, giving him 6 picks on the season. The Panthers closed out their 42-0 2nd and 3rd quarters with a tough 5 yard TD run from Buck to make it 42-7 at the end of 3. The Tigers were able to muster a couple late drives to close the final gap to 42-20, but the game, and the Playoff berth, were well in hand.

Defensively the Panthers were stingy, allowing less than three yards per carry for the 6th time this season. Senior Linebackers Joe Isbrecht and Collin Buck led the way with 10 and 9 tackles respectively. LB Michael Johnson had a fine night as well, recording 8 tackles and a sack. Senior DE Max Goodrich continued his outstanding play with 6 tackles and sack, while defensive tackles DJ Howley and Jake Elliot clogged the middle and recorded three tackles a piece. Defenive End Shawn Beezely and Defensive Tackle Donnie Divis each recorded a sack as well.

Offensively the Panthers moved the ball very well, racking up 470 yards of total offense. Eastman had another stellar night going 15/28 for 320 yards, 1 INT and 5 TD passes (his second straight game with 5 TD passes). Dabicci led the receiving corps with 6 catches for 129 yards and two TD’s. Quinn snagged two for 48 yards and a TD, Buck 3 for 47 with a TD, Flagel 2 for 69, and Montejano added 3 for 31 and a TD. The Panthers spread it around on the ground with Buck leading the way picking up 60 yards on 6 carries, with one going for a TD. Thumm had totaled 28 yards on 5 carries before the injury, and Eastman picked up 32 on 5 carries to help the team to 150 yards on the ground.

With a playoff spot secure, the Panthers (6-1, 3-0) now set their sites on a SAC South Conference crown. Standing in the way is perennial conference frontrunner Decatur. The Raiders (5-2, 2-1) beat Hartford Friday night. It will be Senior night in Panther Stadium, with the game set for a 7:00 kickoff.

The Panthers traveled to Marcellus this past Friday night for a showdown with the Wildcats. The Panther defense proved to be much too tough for Marcellus allowing only 96 total yards on the evening as the Panthers won 34-8.

The Panthers took the opening kickoff but were forced to punt. The defense then went to work and forced the first of many three and outs. The offense then went back to work in what would be an explosive first quarter. With Marcellus loading the box to stop the vaunted Panther run game Senior QB Kevin Eastman went to the air. Eastman hit four different receivers as the Panthers marched down the field for their first TD of the night, an 11 yard TD strike to Senior WR Marco Montejano. The defense did not allow a first down during the entire first quarter giving the offense two more opportunities which they did not let fall to the wayside. Eastman went to the air again this time hitting explosive Junior WR Aaron Dabicci on a screen pass that Dabicci took 34 yards to paydirt. Montejano hit his 2nd of 4 extra points on the night and the visitors took an early 14-0 lead. The offense wasted little time on their next possesion as Eastman found Montejano again, this time for a 32 yard catch and run culminating the Panthers 3rd TD of the quarter. As the first quarter expired Watervliet had taken a commanding 21-0 lead.

While the defense continued to be stingy in the 2nd quarter, the offense slowed a little bit. Three promising drives, including one that got inside the Marcellus 5 yard line, came up empty. As halftime commenced the Panthers lead remained 21-0.

The defense continued its stellar play in the third quarter as Marcellus never crossed the 50 yard line. The offense capitalized on good field position as Eastman found Dabicci again for a 19 yard TD. Early in the 4th quarter the Panthers struck for the final time as the Eastman to Dabicci connection hit for a third time, this time from 32 yards out putting the Panthers up 34-0.

Marcellus was able to mount a late drive to keep the Panthers from getting shutout. However, that did not diminish the Panthers dominating defensive performance. Inside linebackers Collin Buck and Joe Isbrecht led the way with 13 and 12 tackles. Senior defensive end Max Goodrich continued his outtanding play with 5 tackles, while DE Angel Vasquez added 4 tackles, including 1 sack. Senior CB Tim Flagel added three tackles and an INT (his 4th of the season). It took Marcellus 39 carries to gain 91 yards on the ground, while the Wildcats only completed two passes on the night for a meager 5 yards. A truly dominating defensive performance to say the least.

Offensively the Panthers struggled to get the run game going. Marcellus loaded the box to stop super Sophomore Brett Thumm who had eclisped the century mark in each of the last four games. Thumm did lead the team in rushing with 30 yards on 16 carries. Eastman hauled it 5 times for 17 yards. While the Wildcats tried to stop the rush they were unable to stop the Panther passing attack. Eastman, enjoying the best passing game of his career, went 24/39 for 288 yards 5 TD’s and no INT’s. A truly outstanding performance. Leading the receiving corps was Dabicci who grabbed 7 balls for 115 yards and three TD’s. Senior Marco Montejano had his best receiving night of the year catching 6 passes for 83 yards and two TD’s. Senior WR’s Tim Flagel and Cory Quinn caught 6 and 3 passes for 56 and 19 yards respectively. Thumm also caught 2 passes for 15 yards.

Watervliet (5-1, 2-0) comes back to Panther Stadium next week for homecoming night as the Lawrence Tigers make the short trip down I-94. Lawrence (3-3, 1-1) fell to Decatur this past Friday night. Gametime is set for 7:00.

Coming into Friday nights game the Hartford Indians had not lost a regular season game since September 7th 2007, a span of over two years and 15 games. The homestanding Panthers put a stop to those streaks with a gritty 24-13 win over the #3 ranked Indians, outgaining them 420-299 in the process.

Things started out right as the new and improved Panther defense held Hartford to a 3 and out on their first series. The offense took little time in taking advantage as they pounded the ball down the field with a series of run plays. The drive culminated with Super Sophomore Brett Thumm punching it in from 7 yards out. The extra point was no good, but the Panthers held an early 6-0 lead.

Hartford, showing why they were ranked so highly, answered right back with a TD of their own. Speedy halfback Mike Poczik zipped 45 yards for an Indian score. The PAT was good and Hartford took over the lead at 7-6.

The Panthers mounted a good drive, but stalled inside the 20. A field goal attempt was no good and Hartford retained the lead. The Watervliet defense kept it tight however, slowing down the vaunted Indian rushing attack and giving the Panther offense two more good opportunities. They would not dissapoint. Senior QB Kevin Eastman calmly led the troops down the field with a mix of runs and passes that ended with a two yard TD leap from Senior RB Collin Buck. The 2 pt. play was no good, but the home team had retaken the lead, a lead they would not relinquish. On their last possession of the first half the Panther run game had it going again as they pounded their way down to the Indian 1 yard line. Unfortunately a high snap moved the Panthers back to the 15 yard line. Unable to pick up any yards from there the field goal unit was sent back out on to the field. This time Senior kicker Marco Montejano’s 32 yard kick was pure and the Panthers extended their lead to 15-7 as halftime commenced.

Watervliet took the opening kickoff of the second half and it was more of the same. The offensive line continued to control things up front as the Panthers pushed their way down the field with a series of punishing runs mixed in with a few timely passes. A 20 yard Brett Thumm TD scamper was called back on a late holding call and the Panther offense was unable to repeat the feat. However, the drive was not for naught as Montejano again split the uprights, this time from 29 yards out and the Panthers inched ahead at 18-7.

The Indians showed some grit as they answered right back. Mike Poczik hit the jets once again, this time from 30 yards out to trim the lead to 18-13. The attempt at a fake PAT was no good. For much of the next quarter both defenses played very well. The Panthers were able to cause and recover two fumbles, while the Indians slowed the Panther run game. Midway through the 4th quarter Hartford mounted an impressive drive, converting twice on 4th down, reaching the Panther 9 yard line. However, the Panther defense stiffened up and kept their rivals out of the end zone in what proved to be a huge stop. The offense picked up a single first down on their next drive, but were unable to sustain a drive. Once again the defense rose to the challenge, stuffing a Hartford drive that had reached Panther territory. With 4 minutes and change remaining the offensive line took over the game. Mixing a variety of runs and a tough catch and run from Senior WR Cory Quinn the Panthers moved the ball down to the Hartford 10 yard line. A delay of game penalty moved them back to the 15 yard line where they found themselves in a 4th down situation. From here the Panthers rolled the dice and went for the knockout. The punch was perfect as Eastman hit Quinn in the seam for a pretty 15 yard TD pass to seal the deal. As the clockticked down the Panthers celebrated a huge 24-13 victory.

The Panthers defense made Hartford earn every yard all night long. Junior Safety Aaron Dabicci led the team with 12 tackles coming down hard from his free safety spot. Linebackers Joe Isbrecht and Michael Johnson had 10 and 8 tackles respectively. Senior LB Collin Buck added 8 tackles playing a hybrid of nose tackle and his regular insider linebacker spot. His play on defense was pivotal in the win. Senior DE Max Goodrich played fantastic as well, chasing down several outside sweeps on his way to 5 tackles. Big DT’s DJ Howley and Jake Elliot did their job stuffing up the middle and DE Angel Vasquez and OLB Kevin Dembinski also played tough in the box. Junior CB John McCarthy played a solid game as well knocking away 3 Hartford pass attempts. It was an impressive night for the defense who held the Indians, who had been averaging over 40 points/game, to just 13 points.

Offensively the Panthers moved the ball very well most of the night. The offensive line of Max Goodrich, Cody Sposato, Vic Fellner, Chris Saurbier, and Jaxon Dehaven helped power the Panther rushing attack to 280 yards. Thumm led the way once again with 30 carries for 138 yards and a TD. It’s the fourth straight game Thumm has eclipsed the century mark on the ground. Collin Buck had six extremely tough carries for 43 yards and a TD, while Eastman hammered out 82 yards on 13 carries for the best rushing game of his career. WR’s Dabicci and Quinn combined for 29 yards on three additional carries. Eastman was very efficient through the air going 11/18 for 140 yards 1 TD and took care of the ball throwing no interceptions. Dabicci, Quinn, and Senior WR Tim Flagel each hauled in three passes for 49, 37, and 35 yards. Senior WR Marco Montejano also snagged two passes for 19 yards.

The Panthers (4-1, 1-0) try to extend their four game win streak as they travel to Marcellus next Friday. The Wildcats (2-3, 0-1) dropped their conference opener to Lawrence this past Friday. Game time is set for 7:00.

Friday nights game started slowly for the Panthers, but the visitors came alive in the second half on there way to a 42-7 victory over the Bangor Vikings.

The defense started the game forcing a three and out, but after a bad punt snap the return team over-pursued and the punter was able to scramble for a first down. The defense forced another three and out, but the punt return was fumbled giving Bangor the ball back once again. Once again the defense was up to the challenge and Watervliet finally took control of the ball. Penalties marred most of the Panthers first half possessions, but on their second possession QB Kevin Eastman put a nice drive together which culminated in a 3 yard TD plunge from Senior RB Collin Buck. Bangor, who struggled running the ball all night, struck back from the air with a 43 yard TD strike. The point after was good and the score was knotted at 7-7.

The remainder of the first half saw promising Panther drives derailed by penalties and missed opportunities. The defense however continued their stingy ways never letting Bangor sniff the end zone. As halftime commenced the score remained 7-7.

After a halftime gut check the Panthers came out with much more energy and enthusiasm, as well as a few offensive adjustments and it was all Panthers from that point on. Eastman and the offense took the opening kickoff and quickly drove down the field with a mix of runs and passes. Sophomore RB Brett Thumm finished the drive with a 17 yard scamper to paydirt. Junior kicker Marco Montejano added his second of six extra points on the night and the Panthers were up 14-7. After a nice kickoff the defense pinned Bangor deep in their own territory. The Vikings lined up to punt and LB Collin Buck came flying in from the edge and blocked the punt which allowed Senior DT DJ Howley to scoop the ball up and rumble in from 5 yards out. With the Panthers now up by two touchdowns, the defense locked Bangor down again, with the defensive backs improving their play and limiting the Viking opportunities downfield. The offense was not done in the third quarter yet. A steady diet of run plays with Thumm, mixed with a couple opportunistic passes led the Panthers to the three yard line. Here Collin Buck “The Truck” forced his way into the end zone for the second time on the night giving the visitors a 28-7 lead. On the ensuing Viking drive Junior defensive back John McCarthy picked off a Viking pass attempt returning it just into Bangor territory. The offense moved quickly down the field again this time finishing the drive through the air as Eastman hit Senior WR Cory Quinn for a 10 yard TD strike. As the third quarter camed to a close a 7-7 halftime score had turned into a 35-7 Panther advantage as the visitors overwhelmed the hometeam with 28 points in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter started much as the third had gone, with another Panther TD. After another blocked punt Eastman wasted no time going up top to Junior WR Aaron Dabicci for a 17 yard TD strike. With 9:11 seconds left in the game the Panthers had now scored 5 TD’s in the second half and forced a running clock for the remainder of the evening.

The Panther D continued their strong play led by the front 8. Bangor attempted 30 runs on the night, but were only able to muster 34 yards on the ground. The defensive line put great pressure on the Bangor QB in the second half, sacking him twice and helping force an 11/33 passing night. Collin Buck led the way with 10 tackles and a sack, while John McCarthy had 5 tackles and an INT. The Panther defense, which has not given up 3 yards a carry to any team this season, will look to stay stingy vs a tough running team next week.

Offensively the Panthers rolled up 422 yards of offense. Eastman was 17/28 on the night for 196 yards, 2 TD’s and 2 INT’s. Quinn hauled in 7 for 71 yards and a TD, Dabicci snagged 5 for 77 and a TD, while Senior WR Tim Flagel tabulated 4 catches for 49 yards. The Panthers continued to roll up rushing yards behind the tough offensive line and the hard rushing of Brett Thumm who led the way with 18 carries for 167 yards and a TD. Buck added 3 carries for 14 yards and two TD’s. In total Watervliet rushed for 226 yards on 26 carries.

Watervliet (3-1, 0-0) returns home to start SAC South play next Friday. Rival Hartford (4-0, 0-0) will invade Panther Stadium. The Indians dispatched of Fennville 35-20 this past Friday to set up a big mid-season matchup. Game time is set for 7:00.

The Panthers outgained the homestanding Cardinals 462 yards to 181 Friday night as they cruised to a 33 point victory. The Panthers jumped on top early after forcing Bloomingdale to punt deep in their own territory. The punt was short and the offense took over at the Cardinal 31 yard line. On the first play Senior QB Kevin Eastman went downfield to Sophomore RB Brett Thumm on a 27 yard strike down the right sideline. One play later Thumm took it in from 4 yards out. Senior Marco Montejano nailed the extra point and the visitors took a quick 7-0 lead.

With the Panther defense shutting Bloomingdale down at every turn the offense got back to work late in the first quarter. Eastman hit on several passes including a 23 yard hookup with Senior WR Timmy Flagel. Meanwhile Thumm and the offensive line punished the Cardinal front with several nice runs. The drive culminated with Thumm’s 2nd rushing TD of the night, this time from 16 yards out.

The Panther offense struggled with 3 turnovers in the first half which killed several promising drives. The defense however was more than up to the task, getting a couple turnovers of their own. Flagel, also playing cornerback, picked off his 3rd pass of the season and Senior OLB Michael Johnson snagged another Bloomingdale attempt. The defensive toughness allowed the Panthers another shot late in the second quarter. Eastman went to Senior WR Marco Montejano on a quick screen pass and Montejano did the rest, evading several would be tacklers with some nifty moves and then turned on the jets going 69 yards to paydirt. Montejano then added his third extra point of the night and the Panthers held a 21-0 halftime lead.

The second half began with a bang as the Panthers took just two plays to reach the end zone again. This time Junior WR Aaron Dabicci took a reverse and showed his speed as he outraced the Bloomingdale defenders on his way to a 58 yard rushing TD. The extra point was no good, but the Panthers had extended their lead to 27-0. Bloomingdale then ground out their only significant drive of the evening, aided by a couple Panther penalties. As the fourth quarter began the Cardinals scored from two yards, then added the 2 pt. conversion to cut the Panther lead to 27-8.

The visitors once again struck quickly. Eastman found Dabicci on a screen pass and with the receivers and lineman walling off would be tacklers Dabicci did the rest, showing fantastic break away speed in outracing two defenders who had angles on him on his way to a 50 yard score. After getting another stop the Panthers would pound down the field with a steady diet of run plays. Thumm finished off the drive with his third trip to paydirt, this time from 18 yards out. Montejano cashed in another extra point and the scoring came to a close at 41-7.

Offensively the Panthers moved the ball very well all night. QB Kevin Eastman was 10/16 for 233 yards and 2 TD’s. Thumm led the team with 6 catches for 83 yards. Dabicci hauled in one for 50 yds and a TD, Montejano grabbed one for 69 yards and a TD, Flagel snagged one for 23 yards, and Senior WR Cory Quinn added 1 catch for 8 yards. The Panthers gained 229 yards on the ground on just 26 carries on the night. Thumm led the way with 115 yards on 14 carries (3 TD’s). Dabicci had 1 carry for 58 yards and a TD, Eastman kept it 7 times for 43 yards, and Senior RB Collin Buck trucked it 3 times for 19 hard fought yards.

Defensively the Panthers were dominant most of the night. For the third straight week the defense held their opponent to less than 3 yards/carry. Leading the way was Johnson who played like a man possessed from his OLB spot, getting 9 tackles (1 for a loss and 1 sack) breaking up 2 passes and picking off another. Inside linebackers Collin Buck and Joe Isbrecht continued their good play as well adding 13 and 12 tackles respectively. Buck also intercepted a pass. The D-line continues to improve every week with Seniors Max Goodrich, DJ Howley, and Jake Elliot all recording 5 tackles and a sack.

Watervliet (2-1, 0-0) takes to the road again next week to face Bangor. The Vikings (1-2, 0-0) beat Marcellus 14-12 Friday night to notch their first win of the year. Game time is set for 7:00.

The Panthers controlled both sides of the ball most of the night on their way to a 40-13 victory over the Gobles Tigers Friday night.

It took a little while for the Panther offense to get on the field Friday night, but once they did things started rolling. After the defense got back to back stops to open the game (Watervliet fumbled the punt return after Gobles first possession) they began what would be a dominating night on the ground with a 25 yard reverse to Junior WR Aaron Dabicci. Four plays later Senior QB Kevin Eastman hit Senior WR Cory Quinn for for a 20 yard TD strike. Junior Marco Montejano added the extra point and the Panthers took an early 7-0 lead.

The defense stuffed the Tigers running game time after time in the first half forcing the Tigers to go to the air, where they had some success. However Senior cornerback Timmy Flagel stopped Gobles best drive of the half with his second INT of the season. The offense moved the ball well most of the first half, but much like last week stalled in the red zone, including a missed field goal. With the score still 7-0 the Eastman dropped back for a screen and was hit as he threw. The ball was picked off and returned for a 19 yard TD. The extra point was no good and the Panthers held a slim 7-6 lead. The offense took little time getting back in the action as Eastman moved the troops down the field in a hurry and hit Quinn again, this time from 9 yards out to push the lead to 13-6 as the half came to a close.

The Panther offense had the first crack of the second half and did not waste it. Once again marching the ball quickly down the field. This time Sophomore RB Brett Thumm punched it in from three yards out for his first TD of the season. The extra point was good and Watervliet took a 20-6 lead.

As the defense continued to be extremely stingy against the Tiger run game, Gobles again decided to air it out. This time the Panther defense was caught off guard as Gobles QB Keith Kellerman threw across his body to Ian Weston for a 73 yard catch and run TD. With the extra point the lead was trimmed to 20-13.

From this point on it was all Panthers. After a nice kick return by Senior Collin Buck, Thumm went back to work, this time hitting paydirt from 24 yards out. The Panthers then kept a steady diet of Thumm with Senior running backs Buck and Michael Johnson. The offensive line punished the Gobles defense on play after play as the home team continually ripped off big gains on the ground. Thumm crossed the goal line two more times in the second half, giving him four TD’s in the second half. Gobles never came close to scoring again and as the clock hit all zeroes the Panthers had notched an impressive 40-13 win.

The Panthers dominated in total yardage gaining 504 total yards to Gobles 212 (73 of which was picked up on one play). Most of that yardage was picked up on the ground where the Panthers gained 366 yards on the night. Sophomore Brett Thumm had a monster game carrying the ball 33 times for 261 yards and 4 TD’s in what was one of the finest nights a Panther ball carrier has ever had. Thumm also hauled in two passes for another 40 yards giving him 301 total yards on the night. Collin Buck added 5 carries for 41 yards, Kevin Eastman ran six times for 28 yards from his QB spot and, Michael Johnson chipped in two carries for 11 yards. Eastman, who was nursing a bruised hand that caused him to leave the Coloma game early last week, went 8-20 for 138 yards, two TD’s, and two INT’s. In addition to Thumm’s catches, Quinn snagged 3 balls for 51 yards and two TD’s, Dabicci had two for 29, and Senior WR Marco Montejano had 1 catch for 18 yards.

Defensively the Panthers were close to dominant much of the night holding the Tiger running game to less than three yards per carry (the second straight game they have accomplished this). Leading the way was Senior Linebacker Joe Isbrecht with 14 tackles, including a couple bone rattling hits. Senior Linebackers Michael Johnson and Collin Buck also had fine games, while Sophomore LB Kevin Dembinski is starting to make his presence known as well. The defensive line was very tough as the big Senior tackles DJ Howley and Jake Elliot plugged up the middle while Defensive Ends Max Goodrich and Chris Saurbier shut down the off tackle plays.

The Panthers (1-1, 0-0) take their show on the road for this first time this season as they head to Bloomingdale next Friday night. The Cardinals (0-2, 0-0) lost to Lawton this Thursday night. Game time is set for 7:00 as the Panthers shoot for two in a row.