Football: First and 20 for Lansing Catholic's Rush
November 14, 2011
If Lansing Catholic’s Cooper Rush would’ve thrown that late second-quarter pass just a litter farther Friday, his receiver probably would’ve had time to run under and catch it.
But it was hard for the Cougars’ senior quarterback to be disappointed. His first miss came after 20 straight completions to begin a 61-13 Division 5 Regional win over Dowagiac – and was one of three MHSAA records Rush set or tied on the night.
The 20 straight completions tied the mark set by Rockford’s Mike Segard in 1997. Rush also threw eight touchdown passes to set a record ahead of five who had thrown seven, a record seven TDs during the first half, and tied a record with five in the first quarter. And before leaving the game in the third quarter – after just 28 pass attempts – Rush had tossed for 510 yards to tie for third on that single-game list.
This fall has been filled with wild passing totals by Rush, who has committed to sign with Central Michigan this winter. His 3,302 yards for the season are seventh on the MHSAA record list with a possible two games left to be played, and his 41 touchdown tosses are third. A three-year starter, he emerged as an all-state candidate last season. But he’s dwarfed that performance in helping Lansing Catholic to a 12-0 record heading into Saturday’s Semifinal against Grand Rapids West Catholic.
“We’ve improved greatly, especially this year from last year,” Rush said. “I’ve developed a lot more timing with all my receivers, with that extra year playing with each other. All my receivers know what I want, and I know what they want.
“(I tell them) never give up on a route. Trust it, and they know I’ll put it where they can catch it and make a play after the catch.”
Total, Rush finished Friday night 25 for 28 throwing the ball, and he connected with five receivers. Senior Matt Macksood caught 11 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns – the yardage fourth on the MHSAA record list for one game, and the four scores one short of tying for first. (Click to see both players' entries in the MHSAA record book.)
And Rush was hardly just dumping off the ball. All but nine of his completions were for 10 yards or more, and eight went for at least 25 yards. Macksood and his receivers helped out with a few great catches. But most of the time, he and teammates Jack Swain, Connor Bartlett, Dan Liesman and Jim Maher simply had to snag what was thrown at them.
“Every time I dropped back, guys were wide open. It was pretty easy to hit wide-open receivers,” Rush said. “It was the same old (routes) they’ve run all year. They just ran them really crisp.”
Macksood also is rising on MHSAA record lists in a number of categories. He’s surpassed 1,400 receiving yards for the second straight season and is one of five receivers on the MHSAA list with at least 2,800 for his career. His 33 touchdown catches over the last two seasons puts him tied for sixth in that category.
Click to watch the replay of Friday's game online at FoxSportsDetroit.com.
'Difference-Maker' Drogowski Returns to Bolster Lenawee Christian Title March
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
November 7, 2023
Blake Drogowski was given a deadline. He missed it.
He also missed football.
The Adrian Lenawee Christian senior skipped his junior year of football while recovering from a foot injury that occurred during his sophomore season, and he was unsure if he’d come back and play as a senior. He participated in summer weightlifting sessions and workouts but was still hesitant to put the shoulder pads back on.
“After my foot injury, and I was in the process of healing, I kind of lost my love for football,” Drogowski said.
What he calls the brotherhood at Lenawee Christian brought him back to the game.
“Coach (Bill Wilharms) sort of gave me a deadline,” Drogowski said. “Some of my teammates tried talking me into it. I wasn’t sure. I think I missed the deadline by a couple of days. A couple of weeks before the season, I was like, ‘I might as well.’”
Now, 11 weeks into this season, Drogowski is playing at a high level and is one of the reasons Lenawee Christian is in hot pursuit of a third 8-player championship over the last four years. LCS hosts Deckerville on Saturday in one of the Division 2 Semifinals.
“We’ve been saving him all season,” Wilharms said. “He’s so fast. We kind of turned him loose in the Pittsford game and then again against Kingston. He’s been just coming along, coming along. He’s come back and worked so hard in the weight room. He is a difference maker.”
LCS has several difference-makers, which is what has led the Cougars to be ranked No. 1 in most of the polls this season.
The success starts with Wilharms, who has built a powerhouse football program. In the first playoff game two weeks ago, Wilharms earned career coaching win No. 100, counting 12 at Adrian Madison and 88 at LCS. To celebrate, several members of the LCS volleyball team dressed as Wilharms for the game.
“That was fun,” Wilharms said. “It was a total surprise. I didn’t know I was at 100.”
On the field, LCS is led by its field general, Sam Lutz. A senior, Lutz has accounted for 52 touchdowns – 24 rushing and 28 passing. He’s nearing 1,000 yards on the ground and is well over 1,500 yards through the air.
“We’re just out here to do our jobs,” Lutz said. “This team is like a family to me. We are really rolling right now.”
Up front, Tyler Salenbien has had a tremendous season at center, leading an outstanding line. On the outside, several backs and receivers rotate. Brenner Powers has more than 500 yards rushing and 250 yards passing. Easton Boggs, Paul Towler and Jesse Miller have all had big games on offense.
Wilharms makes most of the offensive calls from the sidelines as the players turn to him and await the call. He’s not afraid to draw up plays on the fly. That happened once during the Regional Final win last weekend over previously-unbeaten Climax-Scotts.
The play ended up being a touchdown run by Lutz.
“That one, honestly, we drew it up while we were standing here,” Wilharms said. “They were overplaying him on one side, so we drew it up a different way. I’m not sure we even have practiced that, but it worked.”
Wilharms utilizes all his weapons throughout a game, rarely relying on one player to do everything.
“Ever since I’ve got here the kids have just bought into it,” Wilharms said. “We have a lot of weapons.”
The 2023 Cougars remind Wilharms of his 2021 championship team.
“They remind me of the second state championship team because of the fact they are a fun-loving group who can have fun but then turn it on when they need to in games,” Wilharms said.
Drogowski’s road to becoming one of those weapons was a difficult one. As a freshman he was on the LCS junior varsity team before getting called up to the varsity. He was dressed and on the sidelines when the Cougars won their first Finals title.
As a sophomore, he was playing before a season-ending injury occurred in Week 4 against Athens. He tore a ligament.
“It was one of the last plays of the game, too,” he said. “It was an option play, and the quarterback pitched me the ball and it was just kind of the way I came down; it tore.”
His season was over, but he was still on the roster for the second Cougars title.
“I can see some of that team in this year’s team, how we all play for each other,” Drogowski said.
His junior year, he never came out for the team. With backing from his teammates, however, he has returned. It took some time to get used to being on the gridiron again.
“I missed the brotherhood and being part of everything,” he said. “It’s great being part of the team. I just love all these guys so much.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Adrian Lenawee Christian’s Blake Drogowski (7) and Sam Lutz enjoy a moment during a game this season. (Middle) Drogowski turns upfield during a big gain. (Below) LCS coach Bill Wilharms earned his 100th career win during this playoffs. (Photos by Deloris Clark-Osborne.)