Mt. Pleasant 2023-24 football preview

MT. PLEASANT — Mt. Pleasant football will have all new leaders when the 2023-24 season rolls around this fall.

Along with head coach John Bowlin’s first season at the helm, the Panthers will have new leaders in all the major statistical categories.

Graduate Jacob Richtman threw all but one pass in 2022. Richtman amassed over 1,736 yard and 14 touchdowns. The Panthers will have a new player under center this go around.

In the rushing department, graduate Zerek Venghaus led the way with 340 yards and five touchdowns on 83 carries last season.

The Panthers do bring back the likes of Payton Hagans, Payton Walker and Hayden Logan, all of whom carried the ball over 10 times.

Hagans ran for 172 yards, Walker 87 and Logan 37.

Receiving wise, the Panther lose five of the six top receivers.

Wyatt Woodsmall (545 yards), Carter Amos (413 yards), Garrett Cook (286 yards), Bowen Davis (158 yards) and Venghaus (118) yards all caught nine plus passes last season.

The lone returner with over 100 yards receiving is Hagans with 28 receptions for 286 yards and two touchdowns.

Along with Hagans, the Panthers will look to Logan, Payson Coleman and Cooper Kleinkopf. All caught at least one or more passes last season.

Defensively, Davis finished with a team-high 52 total tackles last year.

With Davis graduating, Walker moves into prime position to take the helm on that side of the ball. Walker followed Davis with 34.5 tackles in 2022. Logan and Jaden Bauer both finished with over 20 tackles last year as well.

The Panthers went winless last season (0-9) and they will look to break the spell this fall.