Lenawee Christian's Sam Lutz named Lenawee County 8-Player Football Player of the Year
ADRIAN — Sam Lutz wasn’t born to be a quarterback.
He got the job because he missed tryouts in the fourth grade.
“I came to practice, and they just put me there,” he said. “No one else was in the position. I’ve played quarterback ever since.”
The position grew on Lutz, who recently led Lenawee Christian to the 8-Player, Division 2 state championship. After a sensational senior season, Lutz was named the 8-Player Player of the Year by the Associated Press. Today, he follows that up with the Lenawee County 8-Player Player of the Year honor.
“I love my quarterback,” LCS head coach Bill Wilharms said. “He can do so much. He’s a tough kid who has developed and kept getting better and getting better.”
It’s hard to imagine Lutz being any better than he was this season. He rushed for 1,032 yards on 113 carries, an average of 9.1 yards per attempt. Some of his runs were scrambles, but most were called plays for him. He scored 30 touchdowns.
As a passer, he completed 134-of-184 passes for 2,364 yards and 35 more touchdowns. The yards and passing touchdowns are school records.
He also played both ways. On defense he made 53 tackles and led the county in interceptions with five.
Lutz is the son of Brock and Jennifer Lutz of Hillsdale. He attended Will Carleton Academy as a kid and played football at North Adams-Jerome through a co-op program those two schools had. He played against Lenawee Christian in middle school and enrolled at the school as a freshman.
“I loved the school from the start,” he said.
Lutz wasn’t always sold on playing quarterback. He thought of himself as a running back.
“I don’t think being 5-6, 145-pounds is ideal for quarterback,” he said. “I’ve grown to love the position, the mental part of it and being a leader. I like it now.”
Lutz hasn’t ruled out playing college football but is leaning toward focusing on academics. He wants to go into law.
He was perfect for Wilharms’ LCS offense.
“I’ve got to give all of the credit to Coach Wilharms,” Lutz said. “He’s the one who mentored me and molded me into the quarterback I am. My dad, too. He gave me the love of the game.”
LCS went 14-0 and was barely challenged all season. That’s not by accident, Lutz said.
“Every player on our team worked their butts off,” he said. “We’ve been gifted. That’s all by God’s grace.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Lenawee Christian's Sam Lutz named Lenawee County 8-Player Football Player of the Year
