Drew Minnich dives in for a score to put NorthWood up 24-7 during Friday’s win over Northridge. (Photos by Nick Goralczyk)

NAPPANEE — A very proud Nate Andrews addressed his team Friday night in a postgame speech under the east goal post at Andrews Field, “You certainly have answered the bell every week.” Andrews praised his team for answering the bell both on and off the field and explaining why those are characteristics of a great team.

“Speaking of great teams,” Andrews said with a smile as he paused to look at his players, “we’re 11-0 and playing for a championship next week.”

The No. 2 ranked Panthers took one more positive step as they thumped Northern Lakes Conference foe Northridge in the IHSAA Class 4-A Sectional 19 Semifinal 44-13 Friday evening. It was a much different game then the 14-0 Panther victory over the Raiders back in September.

“We got their best effort, or at least close to it, the first time around,” Andrews said of his opponent. “We knew we we’re going to get that again. The thing about it is, we told our kids, they wanted our best shot the first time around and we didn’t give it to them. We tried to make an effort this week to give them our best shot because that’s what they wanted and that’s the way it should be.”

NorthWood scored on the opening drive of the game, an 18-yard pass from Trey Bilinski to Bronson Yoder. That was followed by a successful two-point conversion with a hook up from the same duo. The Panthers moved the ball with ease and looked like they would roll early on. But, just as it did in September, Northridge put up fight.

The Raiders were forced to punt on their first possession but flipped the script and forced a NorthWood punt later in the quarter. Northridge then scored on a three-yard run by Julius Graber to make the score 8-7 with just 1:27 left in the first quarter.

NorthWood wasted little time getting back down the field. The Panthers sent a reminder to Northridge about being the underdog with a 30-yard pass from Bilinski to DeAndre Smart as time expired in the first quarter. Another two-point conversion made it 16-7 Panthers.

“That is a good football team,” said Northridge head coach Tom Wogomon. “We punched back. We wanted to be, at the end of the first quarter, we wanted to be in it. It was that last play of the first quarter that they scored on. That wasn’t the back-breaker, but we wanted to be in it at the end of the quarter and try to make them play a little tight. They had more pressure to win then we did to lose. We fought really well, that’s just a really good football team.”

Josh Schlabach (8) breaks up this pass intended for Bronson Yoder.

Wogomon’s team would have taken an 8-7 score after one, but 16-7 was fine as long as the Raiders could keep NorthWood from breaking things open. Then again, if teams knew how to do that, the Panthers would not be 11-0.

NorthWood scored with just a minute remaining in the second quarter, a 27-yard completion from Bilinski to Drew Minnich on third-and-25. The Panthers once again converted the two-point try and led 24-7. That still wasn’t the back-breaker as the Raiders would receive the second half kick, but the Panthers were not done in the first half just yet.

Smart intercepted a ball on the ensuing Raider drive and returned it to Northridge’s 35 with just 18 seconds remaining. Three plays later Bilinski found Minnich as time expired in the half. The Panthers led 31-7 at the break. Back broken.

Brayton Yoder returned an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter to put NorthWood up 38-7. The lead grew to 44-7 on a run from Landen Gessinger. Graber connected with Brad Schwartz for a 58-yard score to give the Raiders the final touchdown of the evening.

Northridge finishes the season a 3-8 but returns a large group of skill players.

“We are young,” Wogomon said. “We started nine (underclassmen) on offense, seven on defense. We’re a young group coming back. We’ll lick our wounds and see where we’re at. We’ve got a team that’s really got to have a great offseason next year. I like the core coming back. We’ve got some young skill, we still have to find out linemen. But, this is a group that’s going to grow.”

Julius Graber, a sophomore, threw for 160 yards for the Raiders. Ridge was led on the ground by Conner Graber’s 55 yards. Schwartz reeled in seven catches for 160 yards.

Bilinski led NorthWood with 205 yards and four scores through the air. Brayton Yoder was the team’s leading rusher with 107 yards at an eye-popping 9.7-yards per clip. Smart had eight grabs for 113 yards. NorthWood out-gained Northridge 477-276.

The Panthers move to play No. 13 East Noble in Kendallville next Friday. The Knights (8-2) topped Plymouth 40-22. NorthWood beat East Noble 42-28 in last year’s sectional semi-final.