By Jim Piacentini
On Friday, October 18, the Panthers could not get going in home conference competition against the Wilmington Wildcats. The Wildcats were running all over the field and, at the end of the first half, Wilmington had what proved to be an unsurmountable 41-0 lead.
The running game of the Panthers was simply not there. Christian Combs had 4 rushes for just 15 yards, while Niko Akiyama recorded 5 rushes for only 6 yards.
Receiver Kalub Jankuski caught a 16-yard pass for Manteno’s only score and touchdown. Tyler Buehler had 3 receptions for 10 yards. It was a tough game for the Panthers. The state champion Wildcats remain undefeated.
The Panthers currently are 7-1 overall and 5-1 in ICE. They travel to Coal City on October 25 to play their last game of the regular season. With their record, they’ll move into postseason.