PETOSKEY — The future of the Petoskey high school football team was always going to be in Lukas Nemec’s hands.
It just a matter of time.
Even as a freshman, during a historic season and with a record-breaking athlete at quarterback a year ago, Nemec was too good not to get some reps at the varsity level under center.
Now, it’s the sophomore’s team to lead.
“I’ve been looking forward for this moment for a long time,” said Nemec, who will enter his first season as the starter.
While he started every game at the junior varsity level, he also dressed for the varsity games and watched behind senior starter Korbin Sulitis, who went on to earn first team all-state, set multiple passing and rushing records and guided the team to an 11-0 start.
But, Nemec did more than just watch and learn, he also got action on the field late in games, including in the postseason, showing the kind of arm talent that’s generated buzz since his middle school days.
“I learned a ton,” Nemec said. “A lot of experience and I thought with me being a freshman and going in was pretty awesome. The senior class were a bunch of leaders, Korbin specifically. He was a guy I looked up to. Joe McCarthy, who graduated a few years ago, he’s been helping me a lot with my game too.”
Both Sulitis and McCarthy are a pair of good examples to follow for Nemec, with both holding passing records for the Northmen. McCarthy set marks over three years of varsity, while Sulitis saw action on offense only in 2024.
Nemec’s start to his career came with completing 10 of 15 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns, adding another 101 and two scores on the ground.
At 6-foot, 2-inches and nearly 200 pounds as a freshman, Nemec was ready for the moment and he’s been building himself up with his teammates this summer, ready to take on an even larger workload.
“I’ve been down state a bit, training down there and training with a few of the receivers and all that jazz in the weight room,” he said. “We’ve been training pretty hard, so we’ll see how it goes.”
He’s also been busy on the summer college camp tour, hitting stops at Notre Dame, Purdue, Michigan State, Central Michigan and Western Michigan, getting his name out there early in his career.
While nearly all of Petoskey’s weapons on the offensive side of the ball have graduated, the cupboards aren’t bare for Nemec. He’s got classmates he’s built a bond with over the years that’ll make the move up to varsity or be featured in more prominent roles.
Freddie Hollerback and Justin Kline in the backfield, along with Landon Lancaster, Luke Pike, James Holt and Braden Fralick as receivers.
“Not a lot of experience, but I think with all of the hard work over the summer and offseason that they’ve been putting in, we’ve got a good chance to be pretty good,” Nemec said.
With some of the balls Nemec threw at the varsity level last season and throws he’s made during summer 7-on-7 work, there shouldn’t be a drop off in the passing game for Petoskey and Jared Webb’s offense.
There will of course be some learning curves and perhaps sophomore moments. Those can be unavoidable in youth.
But, even coming off one of the best seasons in Petoskey history, there will be no tempered expectations.
For Nemec, the bar has been raised within the program and it’s up to his next group of players to rise with it.
“Obviously our goals are to be just as good as last year,” he added. “I think everyone has to step up, including me. It’s a lot of pressure, but pressure is a privilege, so I’m excited to see how it goes.”
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey offense turned over to highly anticipated sophomore QB Lukas Nemec
Reporting by Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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