FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Running the ball ‘calling card’ for Lutheran North

By George Pohly

Eddie Cesar took the snap in shotgun formation and rolled to his left. Once outside the tackle, the right-handed Lutheran North quarterback faked an option pitch with his left hand, saw an opening in the Cranbrook defense and sprinted untouched to the end zone to complete an eight-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring in the Mustangs’ homecoming game.

With six minutes left in the first quarter, Lutheran North was on the scoreboard, using its first possession to go 65 yards in a drive that featured mostly running plays sprinkled around a 29-yard pass from Cesar to Tommy Valenti that put the ball at the Cranes’ eight.

It was a sign of things to come, as Cesar finished with three rushing touchdowns and two TD passes in a 48-7 Catholic League Intersectional 1 victory Friday night.

“We had limited mistakes and kept doing what we’ve been doing all season,” coach Garrett Wenzelburger said.

The victory gave Lutheran North a 5-1 record — its best mark after six games since the 2018 team went 5-1 — and raised the stakes for the Macomb Township team.

If the Mustangs win their next two games, Friday at home against Riverview Richard (3-3) and at Ann Arbor Richard (5-1) on Oct. 13, then Wenzelburger’s team would win the Intersectional 1 championship and earn a berth in a Prep Bowl game at Ford Field — something Lutheran North hasn’t done since joining the Catholic League in 2010.

“It’s been fun,” said Cesar, who was a candidate for homecoming king but jumped for joy when teammate Dominic Carroll won.

Cesar said Cranbrook’s defense was intent on stopping running back Enrico Piccinini.

“But,” the quarterback said, “we’ve got so many playmakers that it didn’t matter.”

Piccinini, who rushed for three touchdowns against Carrollton and two against Clarenceville, broke loose for a 58-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and Carroll caught Cesar’s two TD passes.

Carroll, tight end Ian Ruatto, Hudson Macdonald and Valenti are receivers who help the Mustangs move.

The blocking line, Wenzelburger said, has been consistently good. It features only one senior, Colin Murdie.

“Our calling card so far has been running the football,” Wenzelburger said. “We’ve been able to block teams well. The rushing attack has been phenomenal. Enrico has been on fire.”

The option is a staple of the attack, Cesar said.

“We work on it every day in practice,” he said. “It’s one of our main plays. We’re ready to use it at all times.”

On defense, Ruatto plays middle linebacker and Carroll cornerback.

Ruatto was a state Division 2 qualifier in the high hurdles last track season.

“(Carroll) is kind of an enforcer at that cornerback position,” Wenzelburger said.

Cesar passed for four touchdowns and ran for two when Lutheran North defeated South Lake in Week 1.

“He’s a great quarterback,” Wenzelburger said. “We give him a lot of (flexibility) to make decisions with the ball. We trust him.”

This is Wenzelburger’s sixth season as coach.

A playoff berth — Lutheran North is in Division 5 — would be the Mustangs’ fourth in his tenure.

“This is a great group of guys,” he said.