Lawrence High quarterback Alan Clothier, left, and Bryce Torneden will meet in the City Showdown at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at LHS.

Lawrence quarterback Alan Clothier gains yards in the first quarter Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014, against Blue Valley West in Overland Park.

Lawrence High junior Alan Clothier did not find himself on his back very often on the wrestling mat during his sophomore season, fighting his way to a state championship in the 182-pound weight class. Clothier has taken the same aggressive mentality on to the football field this fall after being named the Lions’ starting quarterback over the summer.

The wrestling state championship has driven Clothier to work even harder on the football field to bring more hardware back to Lawrence High.

“I didn’t hear him say this, but the kids told me that he talked to his (football) teammates sometime during the course of the spring or early summer and he basically told them that he won an individual state championship, but that wasn’t anything compared to a football team state championship,” Lawrence High football coach Dirk Wedd said. “That tells you a lot about the kid. He’s so unselfish and he cares about his teammates.”

Clothier has the Lions off to a 1-1 start heading into the City Showdown on Friday against Free State. The junior quarterback stepped up when his team needed him most in Week 2 against Leavenworth by leading the Lions on what ended up being a game-winning drive late in the third quarter. Clothier used his legs to rush for 87 yards, a touchdown and a two-point conversion on just 13 carries in the Lions’ 21-14 win.

Adding weight as pressure increases

Lawrence High football fans started to become a little bit familiar with Clothier under center during his sophomore campaign, but they have seen a few differences in their play caller this season.

“He’s up to about 192 (pounds) now, and he played last year at probably 175, 172 something like that,” Wedd said, “so his strength has improved immensely. His throwing has gotten better and better. That’s going to be a huge key for us.”

The dual-threat quarterback is still working on building confidence with his receivers, as he’s completed five passes for 52 yards with two interceptions in two games. The passing game is something that Clothier put extra emphasis on over the summer, and looks to improve as the season goes on.

“I’ve been really working on the short passes and accuracy in getting the ball there,” Clothier said. “I can throw the long ball good and get it there, it’s just getting it on target and where it needs to be every time.”

Just like on the wrestling mat, Clothier is quick on his feet on the gridiron and is not afraid to scramble outside of the pocket. Clothier thinks that his added muscle since the end of wrestling season will only help him as a mobile quarterback.

“I just stayed in the weight room and I just wanted to get bigger for football because I knew I needed to,” Clothier said. “It’s not a joke. They’ll hit you, and I have to have enough muscle to take the hit and keep going.”

Junior quarterback with senior leadership

Cy Burghart, who is a teammate of Clothier’s on the wrestling mat and the football field, said that the quarterback’s leadership should translate to even more success in both sports over the next two years.

“He tries to push everyone,” Burghart said. “He’s really helpful. He shows leadership at a young age and he’s competitive.”

Wedd echoed Burghart’s comments, acknowledging that he is a good role model off and on the playing field.

“He’s got the innate ability to lead a football team. He’s a winner,” Wedd said. “You don’t do what he did on the wrestling mat and not have that carry over to everything he does in life. He expects to be the best in the classroom or on the football field or obviously on the mat.”

Last year, Wedd said that Clothier was unfairly compared to former LHS quarterback Brad Strauss, who racked up 2,278 yards through the air, 743 yards on the ground and had 38 total touchdowns in his senior season in 2012. As long as Clothier stays synced in like he was on the wrestling mat as a sophomore, he believes he can lift the Lions back to a winning season after going 3-6 in 2013.

“I just know what I have to do and what the play is or on the mat and what he is going to do,” Clothier said. “You just have to be in the zone. You have to have a game plan when you go out there and you just have to be ready for anything because anything can happen.”