Wet and slippery conditions could not put a damper on Whitmer's home playoff opener on Friday night as the Panthers rolled to a soggy 42-7 victory over Start.
A steady drizzle fell throughout the first-round Division I playoff game as temperatures hovered around 55 degrees with steady winds, including gusts of 14 miles per hour.
Whitmer senior running back Jaylen Young, who led the Three Rivers Athletic Conference in rushing, ran for 180 yards and three touchdowns. Young averaged 11.2 yards on 16 carries.
“It was a run-heavy game,” a soaked Young said after the game with a wide smile. “We knew coming into the game that, with the rain, we weren't going to throw it much.
“We have a great offensive line group. They opened up the holes real nice for me to do what I can do. We're loving it. The vibes are great, first playoff win and everyone is feeling great.”
The Panthers amassed 353 yards of total offense — all on the ground. Junior running back Taron Crawford rushed for 106 yards and two scores.
“I kept saying all day long that it was a great day to run the football, and that was our plan,” Whitmer coach Ken Winters said. “I thought we did a pretty good job with that. We got a little sloppy at one point, but we regained our focus going into halftime and we took care of business.”
The teams combined for eight turnovers — four fumbles and four interceptions — in the soggy conditions. The Whitmer defense forced five turnovers.
“We were flying to the football and getting turnovers,” Winters said. “We've played at a high level the last couple of weeks and continued to do that tonight.”
The Panthers built a 28-0 lead with 5:30 left in the first half, and then forced a running clock with 9:44 left in the third quarter. Sophomore defensive lineman Landon Brown (5-foot-11, 260 yards) picked up a fumble and returned it 54 yards for a score to force a running clock as the Panthers seized a 42-7 lead.
The Panthers (9-2) earned the No. 4 seed in Region 2 of D-I. The Spartans (5-6), which won the City League title, came in as the No. 13 seed. Whitmer defeated Start 49-18 in the season opener on Aug. 19.
Whitmer advances to host No. 5 seed Centerville (8-3), which defeated Springboro 34-14 in another D-I playoff opener, in the second round next Friday.
The Panthers, who have won eight of their past nine games, have outscored their opponents 422-158.
“We're looking forward to next week,” Young said. “This was a confidence booster. But we'll stay focused and locked in.”
The teams exchanged turnovers on their initial possessions.
On Whitmer's first play from scrimmage, Start defensive back Jalil Burnside had an interception. Two plays later, Braydon Barnes recovered a fumble to get the ball back for the Panthers.
Young then scored on a 5-yard run for a 7-0 lead with 9:03 left in the first quarter.
Whitmer then recovered an onside kick and scored four plays later on a 17-yard TD run by Crawford as the Panthers went up 14-0 with 7:19 left in the first quarter.
“It was a lot of fun,” Crawford said. “We've been running a lot in practice, preparing for this. We came out here and weathered the storm. We played as a team. We came together.
“Our offensive line is the bread and butter of this team. Without them, we couldn't do what we do. Later in the game, the weather got to them and we were just really persistent running the ball.”
Whitmer's Jvione Guinn blocked a Start punt and then Young scored his second touchdown, a 5-yard run to put the Panthers up 21-0 with 3:46 left in the first quarter.
Young then scored his third rushing TD of the night to give the Panthers a 28-0 lead late in the second quarter on an 8-yard run.
Start then had a 7-play, 63-yard drive to get on the board. Quarterback Timothy Davidson connected with Corvell Morgan on a 24-yard TD pass with 17 seconds left in the first half.
Davidson replaced starting quarterback Corey Robinson, who led the City League in passing yards (1,192 yards and 16 touchdowns), who did not play in the game. Robinson was injured last week.
Davidson performed admirably in the wet weather, completing 14 of 24 passes for 198 yards and one TD.
But Whitmer held the Spartans to just 24 rushing yards.
The Panthers recovered a squib kick to start the second half. Three plays later, including two 11-yard rushes from Young, Whitmer went up 35-7 just 29 seconds into the third quarter.
The Panthers forced two more turnovers, including the fumble return by Brown and an interception by Markhi Moore.
Sophomore running back Michael Faulkner relieved the starters and rushed for 77 yards. Quarterback Kevin Hornbeak, who threw two interceptions, rushed for 23 yards. Crawford scored on a 2-yard run.
“The offensive line has been the heartbeat of our team all season long and, then with Jaylen, Taron, and Kevin back there, they do a great job running the ball,” Winters said.
This is Whitmer's 22nd playoff appearance, including 13 consecutive postseason berths. But the Panthers went 1-5 last year, including a 27-17 playoff loss to Springfield (Clark County).
“Coming off of last year, we wanted to return to glory and get back to winning playoff games,” Winters said. “To get this first one at home for our community is huge. We want to keep this rolling as long as we can.”
First Published October 29, 2021, 10:00 p.m.
