Vista Grande linebacker signs with Wisconsin Lutheran
This is No. 18 in a month-long series of profiles of Arizona high school seniors that signed with four-year colleges. Here's the full list (currently totaling 288) of players from within the state moving on to the next level.
SPOTLIGHT: 3/4/22
Baseball was the sport that Conor Sullivan began with at Vista Grande. However, it's football, a sport the linebacker didn't even play until his freshman year, that he will continue to play in college at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
The 5-9, 160-pounder visited the campus in Milwaukee and the school checked off the boxes. He even got to enjoy lunch with the coaches. Sullivan received an offer from the Warriors in January and committed a couple weeks ago.
"They pride themselves with creating a better environment for the players and staff alike," Sullivan said in an e-mail interview. "When I was looking at what factors I wanted in a college, two of those things were a good sports management program and a family environment that would be able to help me strive. WLC has both of those things. The campus was beautiful and the city of Milwaukee felt like a good environment to be in. I felt like the cold was going to be a factor if I went there, but it turned into one of the many things I liked about visiting over there."
Vista Grande, the newer of the two high schools in Casa Grande, opened in 2009 and played its first varsity season the following year. Until last year, the 2015 season had been the only one that produced a winning season (7-4). The next five years saw the Spartans go a combined 5-42. Included in that were the first three years Sullivan attended VGHS (3-24 varsity record). But things turned around in 2021. The Spartans recorded their second winning season by going 5-4 after the first game was scrubbed due to COVID. Sullivan said it felt good to have a winning season in his final year of high school.
"Winning our first Homecoming game and Senior Night game after three years of having losing seasons shows that the program is changing and worth taking notice of," Sullivan said. "We only had a handful of seniors and most of our team were sophomores and freshman. Under (Head) Coach (Jon) Roberts, we wanted to win games and didn't give up when we started to get points scored on us. That is one thing I didn't see at all during the season (as opposed to previous years). We would keep on fighting until the game was over."
Having come from a baseball background, tackle football was something new to experience. It can be intimidating, even as a defensive player, to tackle people. By sticking with the game, Sullivan was able to see improvements along the way.
"I only started to get better over time and when my senior year came, I definitely improved in all aspects," Sullivan said. "One thing I can definitely say I improved on was wanting to tackle a lot more than before, compared to my junior year. It felt like something changed in myself where I wanted to tackle more and get to the ball more."
After playing baseball for three years at Vista Grande, Sullivan opted to focus on football this spring and is getting ready for his first college season. Off the field, he is one of the commissioners for Link Crew, which helps the freshman class feel involved and welcomed. Sullivan is also a member of the National Honor Society and carries a 3.7 GPA. Finally, he is a member of SAAC (Student Athletic Advisory Committee). This group works to build a sense of community and increase school spirit and student attendance at sporting events.
Wisconsin Lutheran wrapped up its 2021 season with a 3-7 record that included a 3-5 mark in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (Div. III). The season for the Warriors finished with a heartbreaking 51-49 loss to Benedictine (Ill.). The Eagles scored in the final minute of the game to spoil Senior Day at WLC.
Wisconsin Lutheran is private and has an enrollment of 1,200. It is ranked as one of the top 150 Christian schools in the country by Niche. Its residence halls are rated No. 1 in the state by the same company.
Sullivan is disciplined in the classroom and knows that his studies are important. It's his work in academics that have helped his post-high school dream come true.
"When it comes to school, I focused myself on doing good in the classroom before I did anything else," Sullivan said. "For the four years I was at Vista, I was able to do this and it worked out the way I wanted it to. I remember telling myself my freshman year that I wanted to go to college out of state and four years later, that possibility is coming true. I always believe that being a student comes first before being an athlete."
