Hamilton resident Jake Liedtka looks out for a pass during a 41-0 win for Notre Dame at West Windsor-Plainsboro North Oct. 16, 2015. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.)
In the early 1980s, Dave Liedtka Jr. helped the Notre Dame High football team win a state championship. Three decades later, he helped the Irish fill out their roster.
Dave Liedkta III played for ND before graduating two years ago. And in this, a resurgent season for the Irish, Jake Liedtka is the team’s leading receiver and a big-play threat for an offense that scored 40 or more points in three of its first six games.
A product of Hamilton Square, Liedtka had 12 catches for 310 yards and five touchdowns in the Irish’s 4-2 start. Last year, he had 20 catches for 278 yards and four touchdowns.
It was all part of the grand design.
“There was never any doubt I was going to Notre Dame, that was always in the plan,” Liedtka said with a laugh. “My dad played there and for Ursinus, which is where (first-year coach Marc Lordi) is from. My dad brags about some high school stories at Notre Dame. He’s always been a positive influence for us with football.”
Dave Jr. also hailed from Hamilton and his sons got into football at an early age. Liedtka played for the Nottingham Little League district all-star teams, competed in the Mercer County CYO Basketball League for St. Gregory’s and followed Dave III into the Hamilton PAL Football League, where he played for the Cowboys under Lou Luyber.
“My dad played college ball and so did my brother, so I just wanted to follow him,” Jake said. “I was always interested in playing football.”
So much so, that he gave up baseball despite his all-star career in little league.
“I wanted to get my priorities straight,” Liedtka said. “I kind of lost my interest for baseball and was more focused for basketball and football. I played a little travel basketball too, but I realized football was the sport for me.”
And receiver was the position for him, as he played it throughout his career except for a brief stint at quarterback in PAL.
In ninth grade, Liedtka played for the freshman team and teamed with quarterback Greg Campion, a fellow Hamiltonian, to catch seven touchdowns for an undefeated team.
He thought he was ticketed for the JV as a sophomore but when two receivers transferred, he moved into the starting lineup for the varsity.
“I had a pretty good season,” Liedtka said. “I wasn’t the primary receiver, but I had about 200 yards and caught three touchdown passes. It was a good learning experience to prepare me for the next few years.”
It was certainly a culture change, however, going from playing against 14-year-olds to 17-year-olds.
“I was going into my sophomore year and I wasn’t ready to play,” Liedtka said. “Once I got put into that position I realized I had to get ready and it was a big adjustment, but I ended up making it. Our first game was against Central Bucks South and I thought ‘Wow, this is not much more different, it’s just more speed and size.’”
Liedtka’s first varsity TD catch came that year in his home township. In the season’s second game at Hamilton West, the score was still tight. He ran a slant pattern over the middle on the 10-yard line, made the catch and got into the end zone to pad the Irish’s lead.
“I still remember it, and it was awesome,” he said. “I actually got into the end zone and was kind of in shock. I didn’t know what to do with myself. So I kind of just ran off the field.”
Liedtka, who has mainly lined up at left wideout throughout his high school career, blossomed in his junior year. He teamed up with Campion the first part of the season, but when the quarterback got hurt the Irish turned to Xavier Lezynski, who had played defensive back his first two-plus seasons at Notre Dame.
Lezynski was no stranger to Liedtka, as the two went to a youth football camp at Notre Dame in seventh grade and struck up a lasting friendship.
“When I stepped in at quarterback, I knew his skill set,” Lezynski said. “It was nice for me to have Jake as a target. I trusted him for sure. Since it was my first time playing quarterback since eighth grade, I knew he was a big target who I could rely on. He was always someone I felt comfortable to throw too and it helped me break through the butterflies.”
Liedtka is tight with both signal callers and has sympathy for Campion, who he has known since kindergarten.
“We’re good friends, we always planned on playing together in high school,” Liedtka said. “It was unfortunate, he got hurt his sophomore year and again his senior year. It was tough. He’s a tough kid and always was a great quarterback. It’s unfortunate the way things turned out for him.”
When Campion went down, however, Liedtka had faith that Lezynski would learn the plays quickly and adjust to the offense. That’s exactly what happened, as the receiver and quarterback built a quick chemistry.
“He was very easy to adjust to, the way he plays,” Liedtka said. “We play off of each other’s momentum. We’ve always had really good chemistry on the field. The first game he came in here, the first or second pass he threw to me went for a touchdown. We just started going from there and never looked back.”
In looking forward, however, changes were coming. The legendary Chappy Moore—who Dave Liedtka Jr. played for in the ’80s—stepped down at the end of last year. That meant the Irish seniors would have to learn a whole new system in their final season, and that led to some anxious moments.
“Going into the end of junior year we found out (Moore) wasn’t coming back,” Liedtka said. “I was nervous a little bit. Our seniors weren’t decided on how we felt about the change. Once Lordi came in during the summer, and we started working out and doing stuff, we realized it was a good choice.”
Going by the early returns, it was definitely a good choice as the Irish looked like one of Mercer County’s top teams at mid-season.
Lordi’s youth has not been a problem.
“He’s brought the program back to where it was,” Liedtka said. “Once he came in, I knew he meant business coming from college. He got things right on track right away. He took care of things. He’s an awesome guy. I like him.”
Lezynski likes him as well. Unlike a lot of young coaches, who want it to be their way or no way, Lordi isn’t afraid to listen to his players. That is especially true when the quarterback has a suggestion about his main receiver.
“There are certain plays where I’ll tell them ‘I swear, I promise you Jake can beat this guy,’” Lezynski said. “I’ll look at the guy covering him and I know if Jake runs a vertical he can beat the guy. I’ll suggest that and they say ‘Yeah, we trust you.’ It’s nice that (Lordi) listens to me and the offensive coordinator listens to me. It’s nice to be able to relate to them.”
More often than not, the play works as Liedtka continues to improve his athletic skills. He was the Parochial A state high jump champion in winter track last year and got sixth in the Meet of Champions in the 55 hurdles. In outdoor track he was second in the county in the 110 hurdles and qualified for the MOC in the 110 hurdles, high jump and triple jump.
His yards per catch total has improved greatly this year and it’s no accident.
“We worked in some new deeper routes all off-season,” he said. “I use my speed to my advantage. I’ve worked on it all off-season and it’s worked out really well. I think as I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed from a possession guy to a deep-threat kind of guy.”
And nobody is happier about that than Lezynski.
“He really has the total package,” the QB said. “His route running has become a lot more crisp throughout the year. He’s got some of the best hands on the team, and his speed in track has really helped him out a lot. He’s a speed demon on the field. He can run by anybody.”
Liedtka is unsure of what’s next after this year, as far as what school he will attend and what sport he will compete in.
“I’m unsure about what exactly to do in college, either football or track,” he said. “But I would love to do football. It’s always been my favorite sport.”
Watching him play, that becomes very apparent.
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