DEWITT — Here is quick reaction from DeWitt’s 70-26 victory over Flint Metro League Stripes champion Fenton in a Division 3 regional final on Friday, Nov. 14.
Player of the game
CHANNING RIDLEY, DEWITT: The sophomore scored in three different ways while contributing to the Panthers improving to 12-0 and moving two wins away from a state title. He returned a kickoff 91 yards for a score immediately after Fenton took a 7-0 lead, had seven carries for 145 yards and a TD and added two catches for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Key moment
Fenton had pulled within a touchdown in the late stages of the opening quarter on a 22-yard touchdown run by Noah Sheil to gain some momentum. But DeWitt had an immediate answer when Jadon Bender followed by returning the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. That played a role as the Panthers took control while matching a season high in points.
What it means
DeWitt captured a second straight regional championship while moving to 12-0 with the victory. The win gets the Panthers back to the Division 3 state semifinals, which is the spot where their season was ended in 2024. DeWitt will face Warren De La Salle in the semifinals, which will take place Saturday, Nov. 22 at a to be determined neutral site.
Quotable
“It means a lot. To do it my senior year and to do it in back-to-back years and to do it three years in my high school career- you never take it for granted because this is something special and its led by Coach (Zimmerman) and all the other coaches on the coaching staff. I’m just super excited and I think this makes the guys more hungry, especially with how senior-led we are. All the seniors are all super hungry to get a state championship.” — DeWitt senior Traverse Moore on the Panthers’ latest regional title.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow hm on X @brian_calloway and Bluesky @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Four downs from DeWitt football’s regional final rout of Fenton
Reporting by Brian Calloway, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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