In 2019, Elder Football made a “Cinderella” run after earning the four seed in the playoffs and playing their way to Canton, OH. Last year’s team was full of talent and in my opinion, it will never be replicated. But the 2020 squad has a lot of talent with the likes of Drew Ramsey, Ben Hambleton, Cooper Johnson and Scotty Nieman just to name a few.

I caught up with Scott over the weekend to get an inside look into Elder Football and what makes his game play and the teams play special and how they can get back to Canton and claim the title of “State Champions.”

Last season as a team was not what you were hoping for, losing in the state final. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to come to every game this season and I can tell this is a special group of guys that rivals last years team. “We definitely have a special team this year. The seniors and juniors never got the taste out of our mouths from coming up short in the finals last season. We are hungry for a championship.”

Nieman is the GCL Leader in receiving yards with 574 yards on shortened season including scoring seven touchdowns for the Panthers. Scott has made some dazzling catches that have made fans lose their minds and one most importantly would be the one-handed snag against La Salle week one. I was just trying to make a play said Nieman. “They said before the game that we weren’t going to complete one pass on them, so I let them hear about it after.”

Nemo is currently the GCL leader in receiving yards with 574. Last season as a Junior, he made a total of three receptions for a total of 29 yards. This season he has caught a whopping 21 passes for seven touchdowns with his longest reception being a 68-yard bomb from Ben Hambleton. “I knew I needed to improve after last season. I had a gym in my garage, gained about 15 pounds, and ran routes with Ben (Hambleton) so we could get on the same page very early. I have always been a good receiver, but this year I have gained more confidence and learned the plays more.”

Elder Football currently holds a 3-2 record after week 5 after losses to St. X and La Salle, finishing third in the GCL. With the COVID-19 pandemic being a factor into this season, everyone is eligible for the playoffs. The Panthers will need to make another storybook run in the playoffs this season to reach the final goal, Canton, OH. “We have as good of a shot as anyone else at the title this year, but we need to limit our mistakes all around, offense and defense. I know offensively we expect ourselves to score every drive, even though that is not the reality. When we are firing on all cylinders, we can be an extremely dangerous team and if everyone on both sides of the ball does their job the sky is the limit and we can go as far as we want.”

Scotty and the Panthers have one regular season game, away against Indianapolis Cathedral. This is not only a must win game for the panthers but a statement game too. “We need to win, keep our streak going. We are peaking at the perfect time for an unreal playoff run.”