As one of the senior leaders for Clay Center this season, Ethan Leitzel is embracing a challenge unlike any he has faced before. After spending the past two seasons making plays as a running back, return specialist and safety, Leitzel is stepping into the quarterback role with the goal of leading the Tigers both on and off the field.
“I am excited to be one of the leaders on the team with my fellow seniors, whom I’ve played with since youth football, and being given the opportunity to learn a new position and lead the team as QB,” Leitzel said.
The transition to quarterback has defined Leitzel’s offseason. Rather than relying solely on his athletic ability, he has immersed himself in learning the nuances of the position, from mastering the playbook to developing the mechanics needed to direct the offense.
“After being a running back, kick and punt returner on offense my last two varsity seasons, I was asked to move to QB this year and I have been focused on learning this position,” he said.
Leitzel dedicated his offseason to making that transition as smooth as possible. Along with participating in team workouts, camps, 7-on-7 competitions and weightlifting sessions, he added extra skill work and followed a football-specific strength program on his own. The work paid off with multiple personal records in the weight room, school records in the squat and hang clean, and the second-fastest time on the team’s 40-yard dash leaderboard.
“I’ve worked on learning the playbook, proper techniques for the position, including handoffs, reads, passing and receiver routes,” Leitzel said.
His commitment to improvement follows an impressive junior campaign in which he was selected by his teammates as a team captain before the season. Leitzel rarely left the field, playing every snap on offense and defense while serving as the Tigers’ primary kick and punt returner.
Offensively, he rushed for 459 yards while averaging 7.4 yards per carry and scored five total touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded 62 tackles, including 22 solo stops, along with one interception and one forced fumble.
While learning quarterback is at the top of his priority list, Leitzel also wants to continue making an impact in the secondary.
“For individual goals, I want to be selected as a captain again by my teammates, be successful at my new offensive position, and continue to improve on defense as a safety,” he said.
More importantly, Leitzel hopes the Tigers can build on the leadership of their senior class and translate it into team success.
“As a team, our goal is to have a winning record and make a deep playoff run,” he said.
