BUTCH HARMON
Sports Scene
Year in and year out, the DeWitt football team is one of the best in mid-Michigan. This year, with a talented group of players on hand, the Panthers are poised for an even bigger season.
The Panthers have turned in some solid seasons the past couple years, but this year’s squad is aiming for a finish similar to the 2020 and 2021 seasons. DeWitt won a state championship in 2020 and reached the state title game in 2021.
“We haven’t had this much talent since the 2020 team,” said veteran DeWitt head coach Rob Zimmerman. “We have several players who have already committed to playing football in college.”
One of those players is senior quarterback Elliott Larner who will be playing college football at Michigan Tech. Larner is a versatile quarterback who can make big plays with his arm or legs.
A quick quarterback, Larner points to overall team speed as one of several strong points of this year’s team.
“Definitely our speed,” Elliott Larner said. “Our speed is going to be very effective for us this year. And then up front we’ve got some guys that are pretty big that will help us lead the way.”
Larner will be teaming up with a familiar face on many of those big plays with the return of Abram Larner to the slotback position. Abram will also be playing defensive back along with Elliott. Both Elliott and Abram were first-team, all-conference players last season.
“We are a really, really close team this year,” Abram Larner said. “I think we bond together really well. This year is going to be really special for us and I think we will make a good run in the playoffs.”
The passing game is loaded with playmakers across the field. Junior wide receiver Jadon Bender is a big-play receiver while junior tight end Jacob Schorfhaar (6-foot-4, 235 pounds) is a mismatch problem for opposing defenses with his combination of size and speed. Both Bender and Schorfhaar earned first-team, all-conference honors last season.
Along with having plenty of talent up and down the roster, the Panthers have strong leadership that will also be key to success this season.
“Obviously leadership is the most important part of this,” Bender said. “We have great leaders here. Teamwork. We haven’t had a close team like this since our state championship team and I think that is most important.”
The Panthers can also strike on the ground with running back Travis Moore (6-0, 170) who brings good speed and quickness to the backfield. Moore is a returning first-team, all-conference player.
“I think our offense will be a definite strong point,” Moore said. “We have a lot of returners. All of us are returning on offense so I think our offense is going to be a strong point this year.”
Paving the way for the backs and the passing game is an offensive line anchored by junior Luke Nolen (5-8, 235) who earned first-team, all-conference honors last season. Also looking to make an impact up front are junior linemen William Kawika-Solomon (6-3, 303), Andrew Nehf (6-1, 315) and Drew Rumsey (6-2, 270).
Defensively, the Panthers boast a strong secondary led by the Larners and Moore. Junior linebacker Cooper Chambers (5-11, 195) is a returning first-team, all-conference selection. Senior Gavin Dusseau (6-1, 210) is also in the mix at defensive end along with Tyler Dusseau. Bender lines up at outside linebacker while Schorfhaar is at defensive end.
DeWitt turned in a 7-3 record last season with two of the three losses coming against Division 3 state finalist Mason. The Mason game in week two is one the Panthers have circled on the schedule. As usual, DeWitt faces a rugged schedule. Along with playing against the top competition in the Capital Area Athletic Conference Blue Division, DeWitt opens the season with a non-league game against Haslett and also has a difficult test in week four when it plays host to West Virginia powerhouse Hurricane High School.
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