Seniors for the Christ School football team will forever relish the feeling of walking off Fayssoux Field as state champions. The glow has not faded much since November 20.
National Signing Day is another welcome addition to the memory bank as five Greenies make their college choices official.
As of Wednesday, defensive back/wide receiver Cade Mintz ’21 (Charlotte), defensive lineman/tight end Charlie Browder ’21 (Central Florida), lineman Ian Adams ’21 (The Citadel), linebacker/wide receiver Lex Long ’21 (Virginia), and defensive back/wide receiver Painter Richards-Baker ’21 (Dartmouth) will represent the reigning NCISAA Division II state champions at the next level.
Nick Luhm is one appreciative head coach, not only on National Signing Day, but for the contributions the players made throughout Christ School’s run to its first-ever state football championship.
“These guys had a lot of leadership built into them. They were just mature, responsible, and all contributed something different with their personalities,” Coach Luhm said. “Every one of them had different approaches and different ways of interacting with their teammates, and it created a perfect situation for us where you could couple the seriousness with the fun. They knew how to joke around and play off one another, but I knew when it was time to punch the clock that you could count on them, too.”
Christ School has been conducting classes virtually since late-November and therefore Wednesday’s signings took place in each player’s hometown.
The Greenies (6-2) defeated visiting Harrells Christian Academy, 55-21, in last month’s state-championship game. Cade, who compiled more than 1,000 all-purpose yards this fall, and Charlie were named to the NCISAA all-state team.
“I look back to that Friday evening and I didn’t even get a picture with my wife and kids and the trophy,” Coach Luhm said.
“Surreal is a great word for it. I was in an absolute state of relief, excitement, and enjoyment because of everything we had gone through. The guys on our team lived by this idea of opportunity. If given an opportunity, make the most of it. When they showed up for preseason camp, there were no guarantees we were going to play any games. It was an opportunity to get back on campus together and practice. When we saw those six (regular-season games) on the schedule, we saw that as the greatest opportunity in the world. We absolutely tried to make the most of it. Every day, we kept it in our minds that by obeying safety protocols and other requirements, we were earning the opportunity to play football. ‘Do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do’ became something we lived by.”