NEWFANE — Think Newfane is a passing team now?
Swerve.
After throwing for 225 yards per game last season, the Panthers didn’t throw a pass until the second quarter of their 24-13 season-opening win against rival Wilson Thursday.
Newfane scored 24 unanswered points, with all three of its touchdowns coming on rushing plays. Ayden Buttery, Mac Capen and Khalil Golden all found the end zone as the Panthers racked up 311 yards on the ground, more than double their season average a year ago.
The non-league win doesn’t count towards sectional points, but Newfane got a big win to start the season and ended a Wilson run of five wins in six years in the rivalry.
“We learned a lot from our game with these guys last year,” Newfane head coach Chuck Nagel said. “They had a lot of guys coming back, especially on the offensive and defensive line. It’s watching a lot of film and finding tendencies and weaknesses and try to put them on blast.”
The first drive for Newfane had the offense running the ball five times to move across midfield. But on a fourth and 7 play on the Wilson 39, the Wilson defense stepped up as Wyatt McGinnis stopped Capen on the run, just 3 yards short of the first down.
Newfane’s second drive then ate up the last 3:40 of the first quarter and into the first 2:30 of the second quarter, with the unit primarily running the ball. But, after Capen completed his first pass of the game for 9 yards, the Panthers were stopped again as Wilson’s Michael Jeffords made a fumble recovery in the trenches at the Newfane 43-yard line.
But then the Newfane offense started generating opportunities for primarily the rest of the contest. After Capen’s first rushing score gave Newfane the go-ahead 8-7 halftime lead, the Panthers continued to find more opportunities.
Newfane started the second half, once again by carrying the ball, with a 15-yard gain from Stover and a 16-yard from Capen brought the Panthers inside the Wilson 30. A horse-collar penalty from the Lakemen allowed Newfane for a 1st and goal opportunity at the Wilson 7.
Ayden Buttery’s seven-yard touchdown score followed by Capen’s 2-point run gave Newfane a 16-7 lead with 8:08 left in the third quarter. Buttery then forced a fumble recovery moments later, allowing the Panthers’ offense to stay on the field.
After more runs of over 10-yards from Flowers, Newfane ended its scoring night with a three-yard score from Khalil Golden. Another 2-point pass play from Capen to Perry gave Newfane its eventual 24-7 lead with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.
“We got three offensive linemen coming back,” Nagel said, “… Two guys have three years starting experience (and) one guy has two years,” Nagel said. “You take that with a heck of an offensive line coach, and you take that with a heck of a quarterback, and my skilled guys busted their butts blocking. We got to clean some stuff up, obviously. But I think for the first game, Week One, they did great.”
The Panthers allowed the game’s first score of the night, after the Lakemen, on their fourth try, converted a one-yard keeper from quarterback Victor Cusatis for the 7-0 deficit with 6:53 left in the first quarter. But, until Michael Ruble scored from 15 yards out with under four minutes left in regulation, Newfane provided pressure at the line of scrimmage.
Richard Doxey Jr. and Colin Doxey recorded sacks after finding pressure along the right side of the offensive line in the first half. And a sack from Flowers on Cusatis at the Newfane 17 forced a turnover on downs.
The key, to Nagel, to slowing down Wilson’s skill-players, like Ruble, who finished with 128 yards on 12 carries, was going through the Panthers’ rotations. Having the depth, with a 37-man roster, helped the Panthers continue to apply pressure.
“We knew that they didn’t have a lot of guys,” Nagel said. “We knew that they’d be tired, winded, and it was obvious. You saw a lot of their linemen were playing both ways and struggling to catch some air. … Rotating our guys in keeping them fresh, those guys are getting tired. It’s a recipe for good things for us.”
With the victory, Newfane travels to Medina at 7 p.m. Sept. 13. Wilson continues its season at Alden at 7 p.m. at Sept. 13.