Athlete of the Week: Pinckney football standout Nolan Carruthers matched a record-setter

PINCKNEY — As his football career at Pinckney progressed, receiver Nolan Carruthers had a constant lifeline to one of the greatest in Livingston County history at his position.

In the three years before Carruthers played for the Pirates, Caleb Wardlow was putting up huge numbers for Pinckney. Wardlow set county records with 1,635 receiving yards and 25 touchdown catches from 2019-21.

Once Wardlow moved on, Carruthers picked up the torch and raised the bar.

Carruthers now owns county records with 185 receptions and 2,364 receiving yards for his career. His 22 touchdown catches rank second to Wardlow’s total.

Carruthers, the Livingston Daily’s Athlete of the Week, said Wardlow was someone he “100%” looked up to as he was preparing for his own varsity career.

“I texted him and also asked him, ‘What are your thoughts on this and blah, blah, blah,’” Carruthers said. “He always had my back, was always there when I had questions. That was cool of him. After seeing him get all the highlights, I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s what I want to be like.’”

The highlight reel catches became more common for Carruthers as his senior year progressed and sophomore quarterback Jax Raymond became more comfortable in his second season as a starter.

During a 24-20 first-round playoff loss at Chelsea, Carruthers had touchdown catches of 54 and 90 yards from Raymond. Carruthers set his final school record in that game with 203 yards, making 11 receptions.

Carruthers said the increased explosive plays began up front.

“Our O-line hasn’t given up a sack since Week 4,” Carruthers said. “They gave Jax time. You see what happens when Jax has time to look downfield and throw it to one of our receivers and they make plays.”

The growth of Raymond also allowed Carruthers to do his thing beyond catching screen passes near the line.

“Him being my quarterback last year helped a lot,” Carruthers said. “Also, being the little brother of Brady, who was my quarterback before, and me just knowing him for a while helped a lot. We worked in the offseason quite a bit.

“His leadership, his mobility, him off the field being a leader. Him holding older people accountable was just amazing to see.”

Carruthers and his teammates endured an 0-9 season in 2023, then lost their first four games this season. But they regrouped to win five games in a row, becoming the first Livingston County team to qualify for the state playoffs after an 0-4 start.

“It was awesome,” he said. “It was definitely a feeling us seniors deserve. I feel like after going 0-9, we all wanted it. It was just a surreal experience for us.

“It was motivation mainly. Coach (Jason Carpenter) was not giving up on us and we weren’t giving up on coach Carp, because we all believe in each other. That was the main story to it.”

On a team with a small roster, playing defense was a must. Carruthers also made an impact on that side of the ball, racking up 71 tackles and intercepting three passes.

Carruthers was also the county’s leading hitter during baseball season, earning Livingston County Male Athlete of the Year as a junior.

He plans to play football in college, with the possibility of going to Eastern Michigan University as a walk-on.

Contact Bill Khan at [email protected]. Follow him on X @BillKhan