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 100^th career win during this playoffs. (Photos by Deloris Clark-Osborne.)