Larner twins ready for big junior season to keep DeWitt football thriving
Elliott Larner spent last season sharing quarterback duties with two others for the DeWitt football team..
The junior enters the 2023 season with the position to himself.
And the Panthers are counting on Larner and twin brother Abram to be big factors as they look to find their way back on top of the CAAC Blue and once again be a major player in Division 3.
"They're both ultra competitive, not only with each other but from a sports standpoint," DeWitt coach Rob Zimmerman said. "Those guys want to win anything and everything they're a part of. The connection that they have being twins and having worked together their whole lives is outstanding. They were great for us the entire summer.
"Those two will certainly be a huge part of our offense, but we have other weapons to go with them."
Things will start with Elliott Larner, who led DeWitt in passing yards and TDs despite sharing the quarterback spot with the now-graduated Bryce Kurncz and Aspen Keyes, who is now at Jackson. He threw for 979 yards and 11 touchdowns and had just three interceptions while helping the Panthers make a run to the Division 3 state semifinals.
And Abram also made a mark last season as one of DeWitt's top offensive playmakers. He ran for 582 yards and three touchdowns and had 312 yards receiving and two scores. Those totals ranked second behind Kurncz.
"We pretty much put (Abram) everywhere and he's just a playmaker and will make plays," Elliott said.
The mission for both is to build off the success they had in their debut varsity seasons. Abram said the two have constantly pushed each other to boost their skills and saw positive signs of that progress during the summer.
"In 7-on-7s, we connected really well," Abram said. "He gave great balls and we would come down with them
"We did a lot of 7-on-7s and our chemistry went up. I think him just throwing me the ball — the confidence level between us is really good."
Elliott believes he took another step through the competition he faced for snaps under center last year. With improved footwork and patience and a better connection with receivers, Elliott believes he can continue the line of strong quarterback play for DeWitt.
"I'm hoping to carry the shoes of Ty Holtz and do what he did and maybe be better later down the road," Elliott said.
Zimmerman said Elliott has grown by leaps and bounds since last season and sees the potential for a huge season.
"He's the prototypical DeWitt quarterback and can sling it," Zimmerman said. "He throws a great deep ball. He's got really good arm strength, makes good decisions, but he's also a 4.5 (seconds in the) 40 and he's a tough kid and runs the ball. I think he's going to be perfect for our system and we're excited about where he's at right now."
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Off state semi run, DeWitt football expects big year from Larner twins
