Michael Vander Luitgaren’s name wasn’t very well known heading into the IHSA playoffs in 2024.

His name, in fact, wasn’t even on the back of his jersey.

Primarily the starting quarterback for the sophomore team during the regular season for Batavia, he slowly started gaining minutes under center for the varsity team in Week 9 against Glenbard North, and then again in the first round of the playoffs against Collinsville.

Two come-from-behind victories against Lincoln-Way West and Lincoln-Way Central, guided by Vander Luitgaren, followed. Vander Luitgaren’s improbable late-season rise culminated in the Class 7A state championship game, where he broke three Class 7A title game records.

Now a junior, Vander Luitgaren’s name is a lot more well known around the state.

“He was kind of building every single weekend for us and learning more and figuring the speed of the game,” Batavia coach Dennis Piron said. “A lot of it was on instinct. And now he still has that instinct.”

And now, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior is set to be back under center for the Bulldogs, this time as the team’s top quarterback for the 2025 season.

And he’s ready to get back to Hancock Stadium down in Normal, site of the state finals.

“Obviously the goal for us as a whole is to win state, which is kind of what we’re all working for right now based off of last year,” Vander Luitgaren said. “Losing state is just motivating us to try and get back there.”

Vander Luitgaren spent the majority of the postseason splitting time under center with then-junior Bodi Anderson, who led the Bulldogs to an 8-1 record and a DuKane Conference title in the regular season.

But it was Vander Luitgaren that saw the bulk of the snaps in the comeback victories over Lincoln-Way West and Lincoln-Way Central, as well as in the team’s 55-35 loss to Mount Carmel in the title game, where he completed 29 of 47 passes for 390 yards — all Class 7A records — and three touchdowns.

A few weeks after the season ended, Anderson, now a senior, said he went to Piron and offensive coordinator Sean Anderson to discuss moving to a different position for his final high school season.

“I told them basically that I knew the talent we have in our quarterback room and how Vander stood out in the state game, and he showed us something,” Bodi Anderson said. “So I told him wherever they need me to play, whether it’s offense or defense, I can play there.”

The coaches ended up settling on putting Anderson at wide receiver, a position he last played on the freshman team. As soon as Anderson finished his discussion with the coaches, his next call went straight to an unsuspecting Vander Luitgaren about the situation.

“I was just playing video games in my room, and Bodi just gave me a call, which I was a little confused about,” Vander Luitgaren said. “He was talking about how he was planning on moving to receiver, and he was being a great dude about it. He was just ‘I see a lot of sense with going with you and the skill level you’re playing at right now.’ ”

With the two building a good connection during the deep playoff run, the two players and Piron are confident that it can translate to on-field success, potentially even with some new trick plays.

“From me being a quarterback and switching over, I know where the receivers have to be, and I know the routes and plays,” Anderson said. “We’ve kind of already worked with some new plays that we want to run, but I think it’ll translate over very well.”

Anderson won’t be the only wide receiver that Vander Luitgaren has developed chemistry with. There’s also senior Brett Berggren, who also set title-game records of 191 receiving yards and three touchdowns against Mount Carmel.

“It means the world, I know Michael knows where I’m at wherever,” Berggren said. “It’s just great knowing we have a great connection. I’m just really pumped for the season to try and get that state title and not fall short this season.”

With the amount of returners on the offensive side, Piron says that even in the early portions of the season, the offense is in a very solid situation, especially with the junior quarterback in full control under center.

“I think we’re going to learn a lot this season,” Piron said. “We’re going to get a lot better. We’re going to be able to do some really neat things. And having full control of the complete offense from day one, it’s a game changer.”

And Vander Luitgaren is intent on keeping the promise he made at the end of last season in helping Batavia win consecutive state titles over the next two seasons.

“My mentality is the exact same as it was last season,” Vander Luitgaren said. “During the playoffs, I had a goal and I wanted to get there, and that’s what drove me. I’ve got the same goal this year, I’ve just got to take that extra step from last season to this season to get there.”