It was a banner season for DeWitt’s Jake Johnson, a 6’2″, 185-pound junior quarterback, and for Chris Ruby a 5’10”, 175-pound senior defensive back.
Both were named to the Division 3-4 All-State team by the Associated Press. But both would have preferred a 14-0 season that did not materialize because of a 34-27 loss to Zeeland West in the Division 3 state final.
Ruby had a 56-yard touchdown run that helped the Panthers get back into the title game. Johnson was 15 of 24 for 289 yards and three touchdowns. He had two passes intercepted. He rushed 13 times for 41 yards. Josh Borta was his favorite target, with five catches for 185 yards.
Defensively, Ruby had six solo tackles and three assists.
But for both Johnson and Ruby, not getting the championship ring was disappointing, even though it was a fun season.
“We had a very good season,” Johnson said. “It was an awesome season for us this year.”
“We were expecting to end up where we did,” said Ruby. “When we lost to Grand Rapids South Christian last year in the semis, it was our mindset we’d go to semi and win. That was our goal from game one, to get to Ford Field. We wanted to win. But it was our goal all season to get to Ford Field.”
In August, Johnson had the inkling that something special was in the making. “We had very high goals this season, and we knew we were going to be a pretty good team and hopefully fulfill all our goals this year,” he said.
Major highlights were a 21-20 squeaker over St. Clair in the state semifinals and a 48-20 victory over St. Johns in the regular season.
“Beating St Johns, we had a new school record in total offense with 605 yards,” Johnson said.
This marked Johnson’s second varsity season at quarterback. Last year, he was injured for half the season after breaking his throwing hand. He returned in time to take the team to the state semifinal.
He worked hard in the off-season to get ready for 2013. “My arm strength definitely got stronger and [also] reading defenses,” he said. “I put on about 20 pounds and got faster.”
He takes pride in being a pocket passer, being able to get out and run, being accurate, and being able to make good decisions. His best game was 258 yards passing and 160 rushing against St. Johns.
Johnson enjoyed working with Borta. “He’s a special kid,” Johnson said. “He’s strong and athletic. No one seems to be able to guard him, because he’s fast and catches the ball very well.”
Against Zeeland West, a slow start marked by turnovers was critical for the Panthers.
“In the second half, we scored early, got a turnover, and didn’t look back,” Johnson said. “Defensively, we made a lot of adjustments [at halftime]. Offense just had to get our composure and settle down a little bit. We were down by three touchdowns.”
It didn’t surprise Ruby that his team overcame the steep deficit and nearly won. “In that locker room, we believed we could come back and make it a game,” he said. “Our coaches made some adjustments on defense that helped us in the second half.
“We just played like we normally do in the second half.”
For DeWitt players, it was a thrill being at Ford Field for a state title game.
“It was an amazing experience being able to play over there on TV,” Johnson said. “It was incredible to get down there.”
“I think everyone is pretty much proud of what we did,” Ruby said. “We really wanted to win that game. Once we beat St. Clair, all we were thinking about was winning that state championship. It was unfortunate we didn’t. I don’t think there’s one person on our team or in our community that wasn’t proud or satisfied with how the season went. We did a lot of neat things this year. We came up a little short at the end. Overall, it’s a really great season.”
Johnson is one of several players returning. “We’ll be very good next year, also,” he said. “We’ll try to get down to Ford Field again. We’ll set some high goals.”
Johnson started quarterbacking in the sixth grade, broke his hand in the seventh, and played in the eighth. He focused on the job starting as a freshman. “It’s my favorite position,” he said. “It’s where the coaches put me.”
Johnson is already thinking about 2014. “I need to get bigger…get faster, and study the game and keep getting stronger,” he said.
Johnson used to play basketball, but he will not this season. He is a sprinter and a long jumper in track.
When it comes to football, Johnson and Ruby will always remember the 2013 season, one in which the Panthers continued the strong tradition of outstanding football at DeWitt.
“I think it’s got to come down to the coaching,” Ruby said. “If you look at the record of coach Zimmerman, it’s really remarkable. Coach Zimmerman is so well-respected, not just in DeWitt but in communities around us. [The coaches] know how to inspire the players to buy into what they believe we can do. They pushed us and challenged us and made us believe we can do what we did. Without the coaching, I don’t think we would have been close to doing anything like what we did this year.”