NORMAL — Sophomore quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren didn’t have to look far to get tips on how to play in a state championship game for Batavia.
Vander Luitgaren, who didn’t see significant varsity time until the final week of the regular season against Glenbard North, can bounce ideas off his dad.
Brian Vander Luitgaren was the starting quarterback at Marian Catholic, winning a state championship in 1993.
“He always tells me to be calm,” Michael said of his father. “He was in this moment back in 1993. He played on a sheet of ice in zero-degree weather.
“He was telling me, because this was a cold one, just stay calm and be a leader out there and you’re going to get the job done.”
Vander Luitgaren didn’t even start Saturday night’s Class 7A state championship game against Mount Carmel, alternating early on with junior quarterback Bodi Anderson as he usually does.
By the time the Caravan finished off their third straight state title with a marathon 55-34 win over the Bulldogs, however, Vander Luitgaren had broken the 7A title game passing record.
Vander Luitgaren ended up completing 29 of 47 passes for 390 yards to spark Batavia (12-2). He threw three touchdown passes, all three going to junior wide receiver Brett Berggren.
Berggren caught eight passes for 191 yards, while Isaiah Brown added nine receptions for 78 yards. Vanderbilt recruit Jack Elliott led Mount Carmel (11-3) with seven total TDs, six passing.
The usual timeshare with Anderson never really developed Saturday, though, as Batavia fell behind 14-0 before even taking an offensive snap. That cut into Anderson’s reps and erased much of the running game from the equation as the Bulldogs were chasing from the outset.
Vander Luitgaren used the rough start as fuel.
“I was motivated being down 14-0 — the offense hadn’t been on the field yet,” he said. “It just gives you a great opportunity to make a great story.”
Vander Luitgaren has been turning this into a great story for over a month now, according to Batavia coach Dennis Piron.
“Extremely proud of Vander and the work he put in with us in practice during the week,” Piron said. “I’m also proud of Bodi and their relationship. They work really well together.”
Vander Luitgaren also had to quickly develop a relationship with a veteran receiving group. When asked how that process has gone, Brown flipped the question around.
“The real question, honestly, is how have they helped us receivers?” Brown said. “For both Bodi and Michael to come in and do what they’ve been doing has been a blessing.
“You don’t see that often — to have two quarterbacks as good as they are. Just to come out here and play the game I love with them is amazing.”
The Bulldogs persevered in similar fashion. Nathan Whitwell delivered a 1-yard TD run with 5:14 left in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 28-21.
After Mount Carmel made it 35-21, Vander Luitgaren appeared to throw a 40-yard TD pass to Jake Myslieiec, but it was called back after it was ruled he had crossed the line of scrimmage.
The Caravan answered with a TD to pull away.
“A couple things, the ball bounced their way a little bit early on and you can’t get behind against a team like that,” Piron said. “A couple plays that we had to have got called back.”
Vander Luitgaren, meanwhile, spent most of his season on the sophomore team, despite spending plenty of practice time with the varsity.
The coaching staff was impressed with what they saw and found a way to get him involved.
“The real time was Week 9 against Glenbard North,” Vander Luitgaren said. “Bodi and I kind of split that week. It was just like a dream come true for me. I didn’t want to take it for granted.”
Vander Luitgaren is now an established varsity player, so the loss already doesn’t sit well with him.
“I feel like it’s going to drive me even more over these next two years to get back to this stage,” he said. “And get two more rings.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
