When thinking of Athens High School football, Ohio State quarterback commit Joe Burrow or Ohio running back commit Trae Williams tend to come to mind.
However, wide receiver Ryan Luehrman quietly has been making a name for himself at the wideout position alongside his teammates. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior is in the midst of his third year as a starter and earned Southeast Ohio All-District First Team honors last season.
Not only is he a star on the football field, but he also earned the same honors the Athens baseball team in the spring and was an All-District special mention basketball player.
Although he is one of the Bulldogs’ top receivers, he also punts and plays safety, having recorded 16 tackles and an interception.
Simply put, Luehrman can do it all.
“I love playing defense. It’s really fun. It’s great to get out and play on both sides of the ball,” Luehrman said. “It can be pretty tiring, but it has its benefits. Wide receiver is my main position, but I like both positions equally as much.”
Luehrman’s no stranger to making plays after he received 1309 yards and 16 touchdowns, and recorded 57 tackles and five interceptions on defense last season. Through seven games this year, he’s received 22 passes for 568 yards and 10 touchdowns — averaging 25.8 yards per catch.
What makes those numbers extraordinary is Athens has won all but one of its games under the new “mercy rule,” which enables a running clock in the second half when a team is up by more than 30 points.
The Bulldogs’ offense, headlined by Burrow, Luehrman and Williams, is averaging more than 58 points, while allowing just 14 points per contest. Athens has scored 202 points more than any other Tri-Valley Conference school, while allowing the fewest.
“It’s a really fun offense to play on. We score so fast, and we have so many threats on offense, It’s just a fun thing to be apart of,” Luehrman said.
Luehrman says the seniors have a special connection with Burrow, who has thrown 10 of his 30 touchdowns to Luehrman.
“It’s so helpful having a quarterback with his caliber, he puts it right there for you,” Luehrman said. “We make plays on our own. If he has to scramble around I’ll be open for him.”
Because of his on-field achievements, he has been contacted by Ohio and Division II Ashland to possibly continue his football career.
“I’ve grown up here my whole life, so I know what OU is like, and I’m planning on visiting Ashland here in the near future,” Luehrman said.
The Bulldogs are undefeated through seven weeks and are riding their powerful offense into the homestretch of the regular season with a No. 2 ranking in Division III Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Associated Press poll — just 31 points shy of the top spot.
Athens will host a Tri-Valley Conference opponent, Wellston, on Friday and look to remain undefeated with just three weeks remaining before the playoffs.
Last year, the Bulldogs lost in the regional finals to Marion-Franklin, something Luehrman and his teammates worked hard to fix in the offseason.
“We’ll take it one game at a time,” Luehrman said. “If we get to the playoffs — we’re planning on making the playoffs — then we’ll take that game one game at a time and keep reaching our goals.”
@AGill072
ag079513@ohio.edu
