Batavia’s Michael Vander Luitgaren snuck up on everyone last season. Bodi Anderson started the season as the Bulldogs’ quarterback, and Vander Luitgaren eventually worked his way into a significant amount of playing time.
Vander Luitgaren dazzled the crowd in the Class 7A title game against Mount Carmel. He threw for 390 yards and three TDs.
Anderson gracefully volunteered to make way for Vander Luitgaren in the spring. Anderson will now play receiver and corner.
“He showed he’s the starting quarterback,” Anderson said. “It’s ok to go help my team out and switch positions.”
Vander Luitgaren started receiving attention from colleges over the summer, and impressed Batavia coach Dennis Piron during the first two weeks of practice.
“Every once in awhile as a coach you get a player and you see him in practice and go ‘wow,’” Piron said. “We are lucky to have a kid with that level of talent, humbleness and leadership.”
Most football coaches are naturally defensive-minded, but high-powered offenses have taken over in the state title games recently. The Class 7A winner has scored an average of 41 points over the last five championship games.
“The difficulty for a lot of us is when you match up against Mount Carmel and everything they pose,” Piron said. “We haven’t figured out a way to slow them down. You can’t make mistakes or have bad luck. When you do that, you open up the floodgates.”
Brett Berggren, who had eight receptions for 191 yards and three touchdowns in the title game, returns as Batavia’s top receiver. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 6 in the preseason Super 25.
“Offense is definitely taking over,” Vander Luitgaren said. “Our offense this year is going to be explosive. We are going to score points and light up the scoreboard.”
The Bulldogs’ offensive line, led by Tucker Saam and Ryan Myers, is a strength of the team, and there are very high expectations for junior running back Charlie Rosengren.
“[Rosengren] has looked every bit of a superstar running back as you could ever hope for,” Piron said.
Batavia’s defense returns linebacker Nick Jansey and defensive back Andrew Culotta. Piron is excited about a talented, younger group ready to step up on defense that includes sophomore lineman Mason Merritt and sophomore linebacker Gavin McKelvie.
One of the biggest developments for Batavia this season is that Mount Carmel has moved up to Class 8A. The Caravan beat the Bulldogs in the playoffs the last four seasons, twice in the title game and once in the semifinals.
“It hasn’t been the result we wanted, but it has been a great learning experience,” Anderson said. “It taught us that it is ok to lose and it is ok to learn from that. Mount Carmel is a great 8A school and they have been for awhile.”
@michaelsobriensports Bodi Anderson made way for his friend to take over at QB for the good of the team. #ihsa #football #batavia ♬ original sound – michaelsobriensports