Lutheran football stair-stepped its way through the Class 3A playoffs over the past three seasons, going from the quarterfinals in 2020 to the semifinals in 2021 before falling in the championship last year to Roosevelt. The Lions believe they can take that final step this fall, with a 25-man senior class carrying the expectation that this team can be the one to win the school’s first state football championship. “We understand what it took to get here, so these players want to be the team that gets over the hump,” Lutheran head coach Stephen Robbins said.