Panthers return home to host Tiffin Calvert on homecoming
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CONNORVILLE -- Buckeye Local is coming off perhaps its most disappointing loss of the season following a 54-0 shutout at the hands of unbeaten Caldwell.
This came a week after a narrow 42-36 home defeat to once-beaten Shenandoah in a game the Panthers led 14-0 and likely could and should have won.
Head coach Jim Hoover's team suffered a sutback during the Caldwell defeat in losing quarterback Skylar Ebright to a concussion.
His loss was difficult to overcome vs. the Redskins, but there was another issue that plagued the Panthers in that game.
"Turnovers," head coach Jim Hoover said. "We had four turnovers early and you can't do that against a good team."
Caldwell moved on to face a once-beaten Fort Frye team this week while Buckeye is forced to regroup without its quarterback.
The good news is the Panthers return to the friendly confines of World War II Memorial Stadium in Yorkville, the site of their most recent victory, a 68-12 win against Monroe Central.
The bad news is it's far from a cakewalk that's coming to visit. Division VII's Tiffin Calvert brings its 4-3 records to Yorkville. The Senecas are currently the No. 11 team in Region 26
The Panthers, meanwhile at 2-5, are No. 23 in Division IV, Region 15. A .500 record is still a possibility and Buckeye isn't mathematically eliminated from playoff contention yet. But if they want to start making a push to climb the rankings ladder, playoff mode starts now.
Buckeye must content with a sizable team, led by quarterback Harry Shultz (6-0, 190 pounds).
Shultz has thrown for 1,163 yards and seven touchdowns against eight picks.
He has a host of larger targets to throw to, lead by 6-3 junior Billy Clouse and 6-2 senior Lee Morgan.
Clouse has 525 yards and five TDs to Morgan's 325 and four.
Leading the Senecas rushing attack is 6-2 junior Jacob Rombach. The powerful tailback has only eclipsed 100 yards once, a season-opening 126-yard, two touchdown performance. But he does have465 yards and five scores.
Calvert handed Berne Union its second defeat last week, winning 40-7 at home.
They are pretty big at the skill positions, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, and their quarterback is shifty with a good arm,"
Hoover said. "They run a lot of two back sets and their back runs hard."
Calvert's line will also be one of the biggest the Panthers have faced, but that story is starting to become commonplace for the Buckeye front wall, which currently features three sophomores all in the 170-180 pounds range.
With the temporary loss of Ebright, look for Trey Hoover to get a few more snaps at quarterback in addition to his running back duties.
He won't take them all, but given Hoover played QB till his sophomore, it won't be a difficult transition.
"I'm definitely not a afraid to throw with him because he played (quarterback) up until his sophomore year," Coach Hoover said. "We've put him in some at quarterback for some designed runs already."
Now, he'll just have to throw the ball more on occasion.