MAXWELL, CA (MPG) – Conditions couldn’t have been worse last Friday night when the No. 2 seeded Maxwell Panthers took the field against No. 6 Redding Christian in the second round of the Northern Section CIF Division V playoffs, but a boost from the community and more fourth quarter magic saw them punch their ticket to the championship game with a 37-18 win over the visiting Lions.
However, even before the game was played, the condition of the field was a major concern as more than five inches of rain fell between Nov. 21 and 22, but through the ingenuity and generosity of the hometown fans it held up well, as head coach Lane Davis explained.
“A special thanks goes out to the Charter family for bringing out the tarps to cover the field,” said Davis, whose team was relegated to practicing in the gym in the two days leading up to the game. “Then today, the community came out to help us take the tarps off and stack them. It is really just amazing.”
“Amazing” was a word Davis used more than once in the aftermath of the game, not only to describe his team’s resiliency, but also when describing the dedication of his coaching staff.
“I have not encountered any conditions in a high school game like those we faced tonight,” said the longtime coach. “But the way this team faces adversity and comes back, along with the job these coaches do is truly amazing.”
Facing a driving rain for most of the evening, the Panthers played without a turnover, while the Lions had three giveaways, which resulted in Maxwell capitalizing twice, before the third ultimately allowed them end the game in victory formation.
As such, it was a fumble recovery by Macklin Kuska three minutes into the contest that got the Panthers going, when on the ensuing offensive play Walter Avery took the handoff and broke free, racing 40 yards for the touchdown and then tacked on the PAT to give his team the early 7-0 lead.
Maxwell then extended its advantage in the final minute of the first period, when after the defense held Redding Christian to a three and out, Avery ripped off another big run, which with the addition of a facemask penalty set up a four-yard surge by Erik New into the end zone.
However, the Lions, who were plagued by penalties all game long, overcame the setbacks to put a pair of touchdowns on the board in the second quarter, trimming the deficit to two points and making the score 14-12 in the Panthers’ favor.
Still, Maxwell was not to be outdone and responded with the final touchdown of the first half on an 18-yard run by Avery, who then drilled the subsequent PAT.
It was a big night for the senior as he rushed six times for 89 yards and two scores, caught two passes for 27 yards and was a perfect five for five on extra point tries.
Nonetheless, with the rain slowing for a time in the third period, Redding Christian was able to execute in the passing game and pulled within three at 21-18.
Yet, Maxwell has moved the ball through the air all season as well, and did exactly that on their ensuing possession as quarterback Noel Velazquez fired a short pass to New, who did the rest, out-running the defense to score from 75 yards away with just under two minutes remaining in the quarter.
Moving into the final period, the Panthers, as they have all year long, dominated play, starting with an interception by Tanner Vierra inside Lion territory at the 25.
From there, following a catch and run by Brody Jones that put the ball at the 14, New took the handoff and carried two would-be tacklers into the end zone to complete the hat trick and extend the margin to 35-18.
Now in control of the game, the weather led to Maxwell’s final points as the Lions kicked the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety after a bad snap on a punt with seven minutes left on the clock.
To its credit, Redding Christian continued the fight, but Vierra closed the door for good with his second pick of the quarter.
It was redemption of sorts for the Panther secondary, which had been burned earlier in the game, but ultimately it was evidence of how Maxwell has continually come up big in the fourth quarter.
In adverse conditions, the Panthers were still able to roll up 333 yards of offense behind Avery and New, who finished with 45 yards rushing and another 75 receiving, in addition to Velazquez, who completed five of seven passes for 120 yards and ran for another 57.
Defensively, New spearheaded the effort with seven tackles and Eddie Izquierdo finished with six.
With the win, Maxwell (11-1) was set to make its first appearance in the NSCIF Division V title game since 2014, when they defeated Etna 28-0, although it was played after the Pioneer Review print deadline.
The Panthers squared off for the championship on Nov. 27 against No. 4 Los Molinos, a team that they beat 63-28 back on Oct. 18, but also one that averages 478 yards per game and features the Northern Section’s leading rusher Harrison Hamre.