Senior linebacker Lucas Anderson, fresh off his first career interception, leads Chesterton into homecoming showdown vs. LaPorte tonight

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

The way Chesterton senior linebacker Lucas Anderson recalled the play from his sophomore season, rich with detail, it was obvious he has relived it in his mind many times.
“Playing Crown Point. I remember looking over and I saw the receiver doing jumping jacks that he was open,” Anderson said. “So, I took a step over, and it hit me right in the hands. … And I dropped it.”
Those opportunities can be difficult to come by for linebackers, so when they drop an interception, they beat themselves up almost as badly as they beat up ballcarriers. Almost.
Anderson had another chance at a pick last Friday night at Michigan City.
“We do our 3 drop (to a specific spot to cover underneath routes in a zone defense). I was sitting in my zone, looking for the receiver and he threw it right to me,” Anderson said.
And he didn’t drop it this time, his first interception in his third season of varsity football.
“That felt awesome,” he said. “It felt awesome. Getting the first one, hyped with everybody, especially early in the game.”
It was the second turnover on Michigan City’s fourth play from scrimmage. Caden Koedyker recovered a fumble on City’s third play.
Chesterton took over at midfield after the Anderson interception and scored the game’s first points on Hunter Boyd’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Louis Raffin in the end zone, but the Trojans went on to lose, 30-7, to drop to 1-2 on the season.
Anderson came up with another huge play in the first half, making the tackle on fourth and 1 from the 2 to preserve the Trojans’ lead on a night he made three solo tackles and had 11 assists.
The Trojans look to even their record into tonight’s 7:30 kickoff vs. LaPorte (1-2).
Opponents have outscored Chesterton 69-36, an average score of 23-12, despite the Trojans winning the turnover battle, 7-2.
Boyd has thrown 66 passes without an interception and the Trojans have picked off three passes, Logan Chestovich (vs. Michigan City) and Bradley Robinson (vs. Hobart) joining Anderson. Roberto Stabolito has forced two fumbles, Colin Kellogg and Koedyker one apiece. Chestovich, Tyler Dhamers and Kellogg have joined Koedyker in recovering fumbles.
Anderson leads the team with 25 tackles (eight solo, 17 assists).
He has been starting games since midway through his sophomore season. His experience enables him to anticipate things in games, make the most of film sessions, and be there to inspire less experienced players and answer any questions they might have.
Anderson attributed his big stop on fourth down at Michigan City to anticipating the play call because he had noticed a trend from watching film.
“I recognized that usually in that formation, they were in quads (four receivers on same side of field), they’re running jet (sweep),” Anderson said.
So, he cut the most efficient path to the ballcarrier, based on guessing right, came up from behind and dropped him well short of a first down.
“We’re required to watch 30 minutes a day,” Anderson said. “Film is the best thing you can do to prepare.”
A well-conditioned wrestler, Anderson brings the agility to slip through small gaps, the ability to play low and win the leverage battle, the toughness to enjoy seeking big hits, the stamina to bring the energy in the fourth quarter, and the knowledge to play efficiently.
So far, more colleges have expressed interest in Anderson as a wrestler than football player. He wrestles at 175 and plays football at 185. Dropping the 10 pounds won’t be a problem, he said.
This very well could be his final year playing a sport he loves, so he’s not about to cheat himself either in preparation or effort.
“It’s more about having fun right now than anything,” Anderson said.
He enjoys playing linebacker because of the “physicality. You can do everything, and then you’re also making a lot of big hits, big stops. I love doing everything.”
All three of Chesterton’s linebackers, Anderson, Stabolito, and junior Zane Westerlund play with a linebacker’s physical edge.
“Oh yeah, that’s our main thing,” Anderson said. “If we’re physical, everybody else is going to be physical. If we make physical plays, everybody is going to see that and want to do that. They’re going to try their best and they’re going to be physical.”
Anderson said that he and Stabolito, “are really different. He would rather hit you than do anything right. He does a lot of stuff right. He’d just rather go for that hit. I keep him calm, keep him focused on technique.”
Like Stabolito and Westerlund, Anderson likes to hit them low and hit them hard, which is one reason the linebackers have been the team’s most effective position group three games into the season.