Bronson Yoder celebrates in between plays during a game with Plymouth last season. Yoder is back to lead the team at quarterback this year. (File photo by James Costello)

NAPPANEE — As NorthWood opens the football season tonight, the Panthers are looking to do so in true Nappanee fashion. Namely, they’re looking to ‘Embrace the Pace’, and on the gridiron that means controlling the game tempo.

Helping the cause are a number of veteran players back with the team in 2018. First and foremost is three-year starter Bronson Yoder, who will man the quarterback position this fall. Yoder has played at just about every skilled offensive position — racking up better than 500 rushing yards and hauling in 18 catches worth 178 receiving yards last year — and along with his dynamic playmaking and day-in, day-out leadership, that can only bode well for the team.

“We’re going to play him at the quarterback position because we can get the ball in his hands. He’s played all over the place — inside receiver, outside receiver, running back — on offense,” said head coach Nate Andrews of Yoder, whom the fifth-year head coach calls the team’s bell cow.

“He can play quarterback now and orchestrate each and every player because he’s been in their shoes before and done it before. At times when we need to, and we have a certain match-up, we can move him to one of those other spots and it’s pretty seamless.”

Also back with NorthWood football are senior captain and offensive guard Braden Mikel, junior two-way player Jaden Miller, who will play both slot receiver and outside linebacker, junior offensive lineman Garrett Anglemeyer, who moves over from guard to center, and senior Josh Miller, who played in and out of the lineup at offensive tackle last year. Sophomore Nate Newcomer is right behind Yoder on the depth chart and should take the snaps if and when they move their No. 1 to another position.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior Nic Bontrager and junior Veshon Malone will play at linebacker, and the latter may also serve as a blocking back on offense. Junior Ben Mestach also shows promise at linebacker after a productive offseason. Andrews is excited about the number and versatility of his running backs, but his linebacker corps also looks like a strength as the 2018 season opens at Jimtown tonight.

“I think one of our strengths is we have multiple ball carriers that can carry the football and attack different parts of the defense based on their strengths and weaknesses. That’s something that I’ve had before is an attack like that with this many ball carriers that can attack in different ways,” he said. “Another strength is probably the middle of our defense, inside and outside linebacker if you will just because several of those guys have played before, and they bring a certain amount of swagger to the field.”

While both the Panthers’ run game and the middle of their defense look like strengths this season, the team is a little thin up front, and they have holes to fill at cornerback. Given that fact, the facet of the game that really concerns Andrews is on special teams.

“Those are big ones. And then the trickle down effect to our special teams and how are we going to be able to handle that because of a lack of depth. Usually when you see a young team or a young program, whether it’s at our level or the NFL… where you really notice it and see it is in your kicking game on special teams normally,” he explained.

“How can we afford to play a kid that might be a one-and-a-half way offensive and defensive player in the kicking game? Is that more important or how do we sprinkle young guys in with them?”

Along with controlling the game tempo, Andrews wants to see his players outworking opponents and responding to adversity when it inevitably arises. The Panthers are hoping to go 1-0 at Jimtown tonight, and they’re looking to defend their home field throughout the season, with their home-opener slated for Week 3 against Concord on Aug. 31. The perennial goal of the program is always a state title, but the first step would be a championship at Sectional 19, where the team fell short in overtime opposite Angola during last season’s semifinal.

“The ultimate goal of the program is to respect the past and represent the future, and in all those things around here we usually talk about a 4A state championship. Not that if that doesn’t happen it’s going to be a lost season or anything like that because if we did the first three things that I mentioned (controlling the tempo, playing hard and responding to adversity) then we can lift our chin up and get our eyes open with a smile on our face,” said Andrews.