Football Game Preview: Whitmer Panthers vs. Northview Wildcats

The Whitmer Panthers will venture away from home to challenge the Northview Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Whitmer has four straight wins, Northview has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Northview better have a healthy lead at halftime, because if Whitmer's game on Friday is any indication, that's when Whitmer really gets things going. The Panthers put the hurt on Anthony Wayne with a sharp 45-21 victory. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by 21 points or more this season.

Whitmer's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Joey Morales, who rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. Jamon Holmes was another key back, rushing for 144 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 8.0 yards per carry.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Whitmer was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 348 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 195 rushing yards in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Northview played a tough game on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by Perrysburg and fell 48-6. While losing is never fun, the Wildcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio football rankings (they are ranked 530th, while the Yellow Jackets are ranked 62nd).

Whitmer's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Northview, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.

Everything came up roses for Whitmer against Northview in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 63-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.