Ahlers is Steadying Force for Titans Football

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports 

(November 7, 2021 8:00 AM) At 5 feet 8 inches tall, Lumen Christi Catholic High School football player Teddy Ahlers probably doesn’t scare anyone in pre-game warmups.

It is when he gets onto the field that people take notice.

The second-year quarterback is a calming influence on the Titans, making the throws that are necessary and crossing up defenses with a run every now and then. 

Ahlers is leading to Titans to the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 7 regional final this week at home against Detroit Loyola. Lumen Christi is 10-1 on the season while Loyola is 6-4 overall. 

The senior took over the quarterback position three games into the 2020 season and is 14-5 as a starter.

The Titans are ranked No. 1 in Division 7 and look for the school’s 12th state football title. 

But being No. 1 and proving it is a year-round job for the Titans.

“The ultimate goal for us is to win a state title,” Ahlers said. “We get out here (on the practice field) every day during the summer and work in the weight room. 

“There is a lot of screaming and encouraging a guy to do one more rep in the weight room. It is a brotherhood.”

Ahlers is a cog in an offense averaging 33 points per game. Unlike most quarterbacks, the less passing yards Ahlers obtains, normally the better the results for the Titans.

He threw for a season-high 166 yards in the Titans’ only loss of the season. Ahlers threw for one touchdown and ran for another against Northwest; was the leading rusher with 75 yards in a key win over Hastings; and had a solid game in a win at the end of the season over Western to earn a share of the Interstate-8 Conference title.

Ahlers believes that slow and steady will win the race for the Titans.

“If you lose your emotions and let them (opponents) get the best of you, you are not going to play your best,” Ahlers said. “You have to keep your head and stay level.”

That slow and steady formula may come in handy for Ahlers who would like to study to become a physician’s assistant – a program that normally takes six years.

He has a 3.7 grade points average at LCCHS and is just outside of the top 10 in his class.

Football has taught the senior a number of lessons on the football field that are hard to learn in the classroom.

“Football teaches you that when you get hit in the mouth, you have to keep going and work hard,” Ahlers said. “You can’t learn that anywhere else.”

He is also aware of the school’s tradition of winning on the football field.

“You know how well the other teams did before you,” Ahlers said. “We are just trying to continue to do that and build our own (legacy).”

So far, the Titans look pretty good with that goal and with Ahlers under center.