TOLEDO, Ohio — Whitmer overview:
2023 Record: 7-4 (Made Playoffs)
Head Coach: Ken Winters (9th year)
Top Returning Players:
Carter Lowe, Senior OL (1st Team All-Ohio; committed to Ohio State)
Napoleon Jemison, Senior LB (1st Team All-Ohio)
Tylin Davis, Senior DB (1st Team All-NLL)
Jaden Jones, Junior RB (2nd Team All-NLL)
Brannon Dempsey, Junior DL (2nd Team All-NLL)
2024 Schedule:
WEEK 1 8/23 vs. Dublin Coffman
WEEK 2 8/30 @ Central Catholic
WEEK 3 9/6 vs. Clay
WEEK 4 9/13 @ Fremont Ross
WEEK 5 9/20 vs. Southview
WEEK 6 9/27 @ Anthony Wayne*
WEEK 7 10/4 @ Perrysburg*
WEEK 8 10/11 vs. Northview*
WEEK 9 10/18 @ Findlay*
WEEK 10 10/25 vs. Springfield*
*Denotes Northern Lakes League Buckeye Division game
The Panthers are eager for their upcoming campaign as they bring back more than a dozen players with varsity experience, leadership that is being portrayed throughout fall camp.
"I've never seen so much energy from a group of guys. I've been here a long time, and they match some of the really good teams we've had," said head coach Ken Winter. "The energy has been great, they're hitting hard right off the bat. We're pretty excited about what we saw last week and hopefully carries into this week."
All-state linebacker Napoleon Jemison is one of the talents he'll rely on.
"I'm really hyped, I can't wait for the season to get started. Can't wait to play," Jemison said. "Making a difference by everybody giving it their all, coaches and players giving it all."
Whitmer is coming off a season that ended with a co-NLL championship, but also a first-round playoff exit. The Panthers lost to league foe Perrysburg 20-14 after closing out the regular season, winning seven of their last eight games.
That performance serves as motivation for the class of 2024.
"Especially for the returning guys, we have a good amount of them," said senior Carter Lowe. "Bringing over what we did last year in terms of our losses and using that for our first couple of games, I'm excited to show that."
The program will once again kick off the fall with a tough slate. Dublin Coffman won 10 games last year, while the other non-league opponent in Central Catholic sits as the reigning back-to-back state champion.
"What we did last year wasn't good enough," Winter said. "So, we got to do it a little bit better this year because we don't want to start the season off again 0-2."
On top of another grueling schedule, the Panthers are implementing a new system on offense. Former quarterback Pat Gucciardo Jr., who played for Whitmer in the mid-1980s, will serve as the team's new offensive coordinator.
"That's been a challenge, just learning the new offense and learning what coach Gucciardo did over the years and what we've done," Winters said. "There's been some growing pains there."
Experience has helped slow down the difficulty of a new element. Eastern Illinois commit Brady Ford is back behind center for a third year as the starting quarterback.
Up front, he'll have the luxury of a solid offensive line that aims to bolster the unit's explosiveness through the passing game.
"In the beginning, we struggled a little bit. We're really getting used to it now, it's looking faster and clean," Lowe said. "Excited to see what he [Gucciardo] does for us this year. I think it will allow us to do a lot, score more points."
Lowe is among the highest-rated recruits in the country as a 4-star prospect. He's slotted No. 150 overall, according to ESPN, and is the third best offensive lineman in Ohio according to 247Sports.
The Ohio State commit will carry that label into his senior season, embracing the challenge of any team or player that stands in the way of aspirations.
"We don't want any game to be easy, that's not what we want," Lowe said. "Obviously, being committed to Ohio State and being a high-ranked target, everyone is coming at me harder. That's what I want, don't need anybody going easy on me."
Whitmer is seeking to improve upon back-to-back seven-win seasons and advance past the first round of the playoffs. 2021 marks the last double-digit campaign for the Panthers as well as a postseason victory (14 straight playoff appearances).