Top Lansing Area Matchups For Week 1

<strong>DeWitt Panthers @ Haslett Vikings | 8/25/22 </strong> DeWitt has had an outstanding football program for many years now. They will travel to Haslett to take on a team that is coming off a tremendous season in 2021 in their own right. With all the success both teams have had this definitely will be a game that most people will have circled early. <strong>DeWitt Panthers Key Players to Watch</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="323538" first="Matthew" last="Nehf"] | OL</strong> Nehf has the ability to fire off the ball and drive defenders back in the run game. DeWitt has won a lot of games mostly due to their ability to control the line of scrimmage. Nehf will play a key role in the success of the run game for DeWitt in this matchup with Haslett. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="241259" first="Bryce" last="Kurncz"] | ATH</strong> I have talked about [player_tooltip player_id="241259" first="Bryce" last="Kurncz"] a lot. He was one of my favorite players to watch last season. Kurncz has the versatility to play offense and defense. He made plays in every game last season and will look to continue that momentum this season. DeWitt loses a lot of key players on offense and Kurncz will be the go-to guy. You have to believe that if DeWitt wants to start the year off with a win Kurncz will have to play a big role. <strong>Haslett Vikings Key Players to Watch</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="300297" first="Isaac" last="Pavona"] | QB</strong> Pavona is a tremendous quarterback who has the ability to scramble and pick up good yardage on any given play. He can throw with outstanding touch and accuracy. Against a tough defense like DeWitt, you have to believe that Pavona will need to create some big pass plays on the run. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="300297" first="Isaac" last="Pavona"] </strong>and the Haslett offense will be a key matchup to watch. <strong>Caleb Fisher | OL/DL </strong> Fisher is a great offensive tackle. He is great at finishing blocks and playing aggressively. He is a good run blocker and passes blocker. His blocking ability will be crucial in Haslett coming out victorious in this game. <strong>Lansing Waverly Warriors @ Lansing Catholic Cougars | 8/25/22</strong> Lansing Waverly will travel to take on Lansing Catholic Cougars in week 1 of the 2022 season. Last year this was a good football game that ended with Lansing Catholic coming out on top by a score of 28-14. Both teams return several good players and this year’s contest has the makings to be a good one. <strong>Lansing Waverly Key Players</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="249753" first="Joseph" last="Pizzo"] | QB </strong> Pizzo is one of the best returning quarterbacks in the Lansing area. He has the arm strength and accuracy to complete deep passes. He has a good scrambling ability and always looks comfortable in the pocket. I’m excited to see what he does against a Lansing Catholic team that is always tough defensively. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="249762" first="Evan" last="Walker"] | WR</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="249762" first="Evan" last="Walker"] has great speed and can beat defensive backs vertically. Walker does a good job of turning and adjusting his body to make tough contested catches. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="249762" first="Evan" last="Walker"] </strong>will be Pizzo’s go-to guy this year in 2022. <strong>Lansing Catholic Key Players</strong> <strong>Matt Watkins | OL</strong> Watkins is great at run blocking and holds anchors very well in pass protection. He has the strength to move and control defenders when blocking. His strength and effort allow him to seal off defenders.  Watkins’s play will be key in Lansing Catholic’s success running the football not only in this game against Waverly but for the entire season. <strong>Brandon Lewis | WR/DB</strong> Lewis was very productive in 2022, accounting for 1,730 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns. He also had 5 interceptions on defense as well. Lewis is great at making contested catches. He is outstanding after the catch, with the ability to easily make defenders miss.