2023 Preview Central Dauphin East
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The Central Dauphin East Panthers finished their 2022 campaign at 3-7 in the Mid-Penn conference. Starting the year 2-1 the Panthers lost 6 out of their last 7 contests, but they did score a shutout victory over rival Central Dauphin…
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Continue ReadingThe Central Dauphin East Panthers finished their 2022 campaign at 3-7 in the Mid-Penn conference. Starting the year 2-1 the Panthers lost 6 out of their last 7 contests, but they did score a shutout victory over rival Central Dauphin late in the year 35-0. The Panthers under Head Coach Lance Dean have an opportunity to regroup from last year in hopes for what could be an above .500 season in 2023. They do return key playmakers on both sides of the ball for which Panthers faithful are hoping leads them back to the District 3 playoffs where they were in 2021.
To start things off for the Panthers is one of the top prospects in the state for the class of 2025 Jared Porter Jared Porter 5’9″ | 170 lbs | ATH Central Dauphin East | 2025 State PA . The 11th ranked overall prospect the buzz on Porter has been high for quite some time with FBS offers from Akron, Kent State, West Virginia and UCONN already offering this junior to be. A dynamic playmaker on both sides of the ball, he caught the attention of Coach Weider this past spring who had this to share:
Porter played defensive back and running back for Central Dauphin East last year. At running back he is a natural runner who is very good at making people miss in the hole and making a big play. Porter has elite speed and if he gets a seam he is gone for a big play. The other part that is impressive about his film is he is able to lower his shoulder and take on defenders for extra yards. At the defensive back position, he has elite coverage skills as he is able to cover receivers very well. The other part of Porter’s game that is impressive is his ability to provide run support from the defensive back position. Porter is a division 1 prospect who will continue to get multiple College Football offers.
https://twitter.com/JaredPorter717/status/1526637795837677569?s=20
A big time lineman that is starting to gain scouts attention through the conference is Adam Putric Adam Putric 5’11” | 255 lbs | OL Central Dauphin East | 2025 PA . Playing offensive guard last year for the Panthers as a sophomore this kid has a real mean streak and loves to pancake his opposing defender. Whether it is pass or run play this young man plays with fire and is a good building block to have with what could be a special offense this fall. A little over 5’10 and 250 lbs. he is one of more physical offensive lineman already in the conference. I expect a big leap as heads to his Junior campaign that will attract the attention of PSAC coaches soon. He is also a star in the classroom boasting a 3.5 GPA, this rising junior gets it done both on and off the field.
Sophomore linebacker Zac Brown has an incredibly high ceiling that is just starting. Coach Weider shared his thoughts below:
Brown played linebacker for Central Dauphin East last year. He is a very strong and athletic player who makes many plays for the Central Dauphin East defense. A big part of Brown’s game was Central Dauphin East sending him on blitzes to attack the offense. They would send the blitzes from different angles to use Brown’s athleticism to create havoc for the offense. Brown is also good at reading and reacting to the play and then coming downhill to make a tackle. Brown is an athletic tough linebacker who makes a ton of plays all over the field. He should only get better going forward as well.”
Steven Zerbe
Steven Zerbe
A big time target who missed most of his junior campaign with an injury is wide receiver Steven Zerbe. It’s a shame he was hurt for the majority of last year as he is a special talent and could make a big difference offensively for the Panthers this fall. He is 6’2 with good speed, he should be a nice target to keep defenses from spending all their attention on Jared Porter Jared Porter 5’9″ | 170 lbs | ATH Central Dauphin East | 2025 State PA . In limited action last year Zerbe showed he is a difference maker and he starred for their track and field team this past spring too.
Xavier Armstrong
Xavier Armstrong
One of top corners in the conference Xavier Armstrong is back looking to improve CD EAST defense overall. As he states below this young man can do it all, whether that is coverage, tackling or takeaways, he did a little bit of all last fall. Armstrong has elite ball skills and rarely errors from his free safety position, you rarely see him out of place on film. My bet is with a good senior year he will be on the top of many recruiting boards through many division 2 schools.
https://twitter.com/Xarmstrong4/status/1618416897288212480?s=20
Adryce Arp
Adryce Arp
One name we may want to keep an eye on is Bishop Mcdevitt Transfer Adryce Arp. Arp played sparingly for the Crusaders, but is a big target at receiver that is hoping to have an impact heading into his senior campaign. The young man does a lot of with the football after the catch so pairing him alongside Zerbe and Porter this could be a great opportunity.
Junior Demaj Jalloh Demaj Jalloh 6’0″ | 160 lbs | QB Central Dauphin East | 2025 State PA returns as the Panthers starting quarterback this year, he is a dual threat passer who had some of his best moments in his team’s dominating win over Central Dauphin. Plenty of weapons are back at his disposal so there is no reason to believe he wont take the next steps in his progression. His first year under center he showed he can command his squad, if he can limit the turnovers expect his offense to be among the best in the state.
Mike Vojtas
Mike Vojtas
A key piece back on the offensive line is the underrated guard Mike Vojtas. Another road grader with some nastiness to him, Vojtas is a stout 6’0 290 lbs. lineman who is going to turn heads this fall. If you get a chance watch his performance against Reading early in the year, he was dominant and the Red Knights have an underrated line. Vojtas should be an all-conference selection this year and I could see him playing major division 2 football the following fall.
Final Thoughts:
The Central Dauphin East Panthers are similar to cross time rivals Central Dauphin in many ways. They both play in one of the best conferences in the state and neither has really any cupcakes on their schedule out of conference. If the Panthers are healthy and are humming along offensively, I can see them making some serious noise. Overall record prediction I would say 5-5, but hopefully that is enough motivation for them to do even better.