On two different occasions, Whitmer’s season came down to gaining one yard on fourth down.
There was no hesitation on the Panthers’ sideline in either situation.
They called on their muscle with two tight ends and running back Kobe Myers, and both times kept their drive — and eventually, their season — alive.
Myers scored a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:52 remaining, and the Panthers’ defense forced a late fumble to defeat visiting Lewis Center Olentangy Orange 20-17 on Friday in the first round of the Ohio Division I playoffs.
“We have about three different backs that we rotate in there, but if we need one yard, we’re going to give it to Kobe every time,” Whtimer coach Ken Winters said. “We got him in there, got two tight ends in there with [Cavon Butler], and we were running the ball the whole time.”
Whitmer (9-2), the No. 3 seed in Region 2, will advance to play second-seeded Dublin Coffman in the round of 16. The Shamrocks defeated Westerville Central 27-10 also Friday.
VIDEO: Whitmer 20, Orange 17
Myers finished with 98 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries for Whitmer, while receiver Dalan Layton caught 12 passes for 95 yards and touchdown before leaving the game with an injury.
The Panthers scored on their first possession of both halves against Orange (7-4).
Pioneers quarterback Robbie Dayhuff overthrew his first pass of the game, and Whitmer safety PaSean Wimberly intercepted it to give the Panthers’ offense their first possession.
Myers broke through for 32 yards on his first carry to set up a six-play, 73-yard drive he finished with an 11-yard touchdown run to give Whitmer a 7-0 lead.
Whitmer staved off Orange’s attempt to tie the game just before halftime. The Pioneers drove 80 yards in just more than two minutes, but the Panthers dragged down Orange tight end Zach Harrison at the 4-yard line as time expired to preserve their seven-point lead.
Whitmer regularly double-covered Harrison, a highly-recruited defensive end/tight end, and held him to two catches for 27 yards
“We had seen film on him [and knew] that he was one of the top five in the region, so [we were] playing over the top,” said Wimberly, who also had two passes defended. “We knew we had to be physical with him and give him the work.”
In the end, zero points in the first half came back to bite the Pioneers.
“I just wish we could have punched it across and scored some points there [in the first half],” Orange coach Zebb Schroeder said. “The drive right before half was crucial, too, because we got right down here and didn’t get any points.”
Panthers quarterback Riley Keller found Dalan Layton for a 28-yard touchdown on Whitmer’s first drive of the third quarter to take a 13-0 lead after a botched snap on the extra point.
However, Orange rallied with a field goal and two touchdowns from quarterback Robbie Dayhuff, the second of which gave the Pioneers’ their first lead with a 21-yard touchdown run with 5:55 to go.
The Panthers scored on a 62-yard drive in response to take a 20-17 lead, and the Pioneers never made it to field-goal range. Whitmer forced Dayhuff to fumble, and Panthers defensive lineman Bryant Hayes pounced on the ball with more than a minute to go to seal the victory.
For a Whitmer team that has made a habit of winning late in the game during the past two seasons, this finish was business as usual.
“Especially going back to last year, we know it’s 48 minutes,” Winters said. “Last year we won two games in the last minute, so if there’s time on the clock, we feel we can go down and score.”
First Published November 3, 2018, 1:38 a.m.
