The 2019 high school football regular season will open on Friday with the Fairbanks Panthers hosting Union County rival North Union. In the photo to the left, an unidentified Panther gridder gets ready to pounce on a Jonathan Alder fumble during preseason scrimmage action. In the photo to the left, NU quarterback Isaiah Radcliff throws a pass during a scrimmage against Riverside.
(Journal-Tribune photos by Tim Miller and Sam Dillon)
The 2019 football season will open with a Union County battle at Fairbanks High School on Friday.
The Panthers will host North Union, with the kickoff set for 7 p.m.
Both squads posted outstanding seasons a year ago.
The Panthers and Wildcats were each 7-3 during the regular season.
Fairbanks earned a Division VI state playoff berth and finished the campaign at 7-4.
Panther coach Patrick Cotter knows what his defensive unit will go up against with the Wildcats.
“They run their standard Wing T with one or two tight ends,” he said. “They’ve got two or three backs (including Trevor Moran, last year’s rushing leader in the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference) who can pound the ball.
“They will also sprinkle in a play-action pass (with quarterback Preston Crabtree) on occasion.
“We’ve seen a couple of films from their scrimmages and their quarterback looks like an accurate passer,” he said. “He’s also mobile and moves in the pocket very well.
“He keeps things alive for them.”
Cotter said NU will try to establish the running game behind a solid offensive line.
“We will have to control the line of scrimmage in order to stop that,” he said. “We’ve got to get our linebackers going downhill against their running game.
“Our defensive backs will need to have great eyes,” said Cotter. “They will have to come up and support the run, yet also be aware of their play-action passes.”
The Panthers’ offense will face three and four-man NU defensive fronts.
“They get off the ball very quickly,” said Cotter. “We’ve got to get off the ball quickly as well, control the line of scrimmage and execute our game plan.”
The 2018 season opened with the Wildcats handing the Panthers a 46-3 setback.
Fairbanks regrouped after that spanking and earned its first state playoff berth since 2007.
North Union coach Nick Hajjar knows 2019 is a different season.
“From week one last year compared to where Fairbanks finished, it was two totally different football teams,” he said. “I have tried to get our kids to understand that and I think they do.
“Fairbanks had a heck of a season and have a lot of guys back from that team,” said Hajjar. “When you get a taste of that (the playoffs) it just doesn’t go away. You want more of it and I’m sure those kids do and the coaching staff does as well.
“They will be ready to go.”
Hajjar said the Panthers have a number of skill position players in their spread offense, including running back Mason Cushman, quarterback Braxton Wilhelm, receiver Braylon Green and slotback Braeden Fairchild.
“They are big up front and they’ve got a lineman (Sam Rengert) who is heading to the big time at Iowa State,” said Hajjar.
“This is going to be a battle,” he said. “The atmosphere for this game will be really cool.”