After a disappointing end to the regular season that saw the Yellow Jackets finish fourth place in the inaugural Northern Lakes League Buckeye Division, losing all three contests to fellow heavyweights Anthony Wayne, Findlay and Whitmer, there was an outside perception that, while still a solid team, this year’s group would not find the postseason success seen last year and in prior seasons.

The Yellow Jackets 2023 football schedule, concluding with rival Anthony Wayne, made sense for a number of reasons. Both schools had, for the past decade-plus, squared off with their traditional Northern Lakes League rivals (Maumee and Springfield) in trophy games that always brought out extra motivation and desire to win.

♦Continued from page 1 game from a yard out with 2:36 remaining. The quarter ended on an even more sour note with both Takats and Oros falling on consecutive bad snaps to end the period, resulting in losses of nine and five yards, respectively, and forcing a punt to start the fourth quarter.

For some time, the Yellow Jackets’ week seven clash against the Northern Lakes League’s Panthers was marked on the calendar as one of the new Buckeye Division’s marquee matchups, and it largely lived up to that billing.