The United Township Panthers open their 2025 season this Friday night at the Soule Bowl vs LaSalle Peru. Joe Winkel will have the play-by-play beginning at 7:15 p.m. Here is the link to our live stream:
United Township Football Live Play-by-Play
In the 6 previous years that Nick Welch has been the head coach at United Township, the standard for success in East Moline has shifted in ways that were unheard of over the last two decades. When Welch was hired in 2019, it was at the end of a revolving door of coaching changes and uncertainty of what the UT football program was going to be. The Panthers have been inches away from breaking through over the last half decade, but whether it was a global pandemic, or unfortunate medical results, or a series of heartbreaking defeats in 2024, the playoff drought will be at 24 years as we start the 2025 campaign. However, UT now steams ahead to its most anticipated season in a long time. With 17 returning starters, could 2025 finally be the year for the orange and black?
In addition to so much continuity on the field, UT also has its entire coaching staff back from 2024. Welch said, “All the guys coming back, Coach Roome and our defensive staff being in the second year. Offensively we’ve had a lot of continuity.” Welch said Panthers have had a major uptick in defense since adding Anthony Roome last year as defensive coordinator. “I feel like last year by far was our best tear defensively and now we’re in year 2 in Coach Roome’s scheme, and not just him but position coaches understanding how a practice looks and our terminology. It’s really starting to manifest itself.” That defense is paced by returning All-Metro safety Leo Sim, who last year had a breakout season as a sophomore. Sim is a do-it-all safety who shines in coverage and stopping the run. Another top returner on defense is linebacker Damien Zannou, the leader in the middle of the unit. The top returner on the defensive line is big Riley King, who had some big moments as a junior. On offense, the Panthers bring back their explosive playmaker, running back Isaiah Navarette. He enters his 4th year of varsity football as one of the premier players in the Western Big 6, with 893 yards rushing and 12 total touchdowns last season. Jasiah Massey (39 catches 485 yards, 5 TDs) returns as the Panthers top pass catcher from a year ago. Up front UT brings back the most production on the OL since 2020. Four starters return, including 3-year starters Tristan Wallarab and Eli Oppenheimer, as well as Chase Bance and Angel Gomez. Oppenheimer was one of just two juniors last year to make 1st team All-Conference for offense, and Wallarab made 1st team honors for defense. Rowan Kallal rounds out the highest profile returners as someone who had moments on both sides of the ball last year at TE/DL. Kallal has had a really big off-season and could be poised for a big 2025.
2024 was a horror show of how to lose football games for United Township. From special teams mistakes, to self-inflicted wounds on offense, UT couldn’t get out of its own way last season en route to 3 of their 5 losses being by a combined 4 points. So how did UT get better? How does this team that has been so close shake all that off and attack the offseason? Welch said that physically and mentally, they have improved as they head into the fall. “I really feel like we’re a lot stronger. That happens when you bring back a lot of seniors…Our communication has improved quite a bit. Massey added, “I think our physicality started a lot earlier.”
It isn’t fair for this iteration of the United Township Panthers to carry the pressure of almost two and a half decades of coming up short on their back as they try to break through. It isn’t fair for this version of the UT program to be compared to versions in the past when the program was in the dark ages. It isn’t fair that this program won’t be fully respected until they finally do the thing they haven’t done – make the playoffs – since 2001. The best part about all of this? None of that outside noise matters to these kids. This team is loose, they are focused, and they couldn’t care about anything but what is in front of them. At the end of the day, this group of Panthers that don the Orange and Black are a different breed of cat; and in 2025 if all goes right, they will have the chance to show it.