DANVILLE — Charlie Duncan couldn’t have hand-picked a more suitable successor.

Before Duncan was Danville’s defensive coordinator, he was a first-team All-Ohioan for the Blue Devils in the fall of 1993. He graduated the following spring as Danville’s all-time leader with 56 tackles for loss.

Duncan’s record stood for more than three decades before Caleb Lucas shattered it this fall.

The physical, 6-foot-2, 225-pound defensive end has 61 career TFLs and counting as the Blue Devils (12-2) prepare for Friday’s Division VII state semifinal against Hillsdale (13-1) at Shelby. With 29 tackles for loss this season, Lucas also eclipsed Gunor Doretich’s 2015 single-season mark of 27 backfield stops.

“I couldn’t ask for a better person to break my record. He does things the right way,” said Duncan, who was a member of Danville’s first playoff-qualifying team in 1992. “He’s an extremely hard worker and he does what is best for the team, whether he’s making plays or taking on double-teams so his teammates can make plays.

“It’s fitting for him to have the tackles-for-loss record. He spends more time in the other team’s backfield than they do.”

Lucas recorded at least one tackle for loss in all 14 of Danville’s games this fall. He had a season-high four TFLs in a 46-6 win over Corning Miller in the Region 27 semifinals.

So what’s the secret to his success?

“Just hard work,” said Lucas, who is considering offers from several Division II and Division III college programs. “I always try to get into the weight room when others can’t and do all the little things.”

An All-Central District first-teamer, Lucas has 123 tackles on the season. He ranks second on Danville’s career list with 27 sacks.

Not bad for a kid who got a late start on his football career.

“If I’m not mistaken, he didn’t start playing football until his freshman year,” Duncan said. “You could tell he was an athletic kid, but he needed to develop the skills of the game. 

“You could tell he was a quick learner.”

Indeed.

A four-year letterman, Lucas had 12 tackles and one tackle for loss as a freshman. He made 60 tackles with seven TFLs and 4.5 sacks as a sophomore, helping the Blue Devils reach the regional final in head coach Matthew Blum’s first season at the helm. Lucas had 120 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 11 sacks as Danville returned to the regional final last year.

As eye-catching as they are, his statistics aren’t what distinguish him from his peers.

“Caleb Lucas is the best leader I have been around in my coaching career,” said Blum, who has piloted the Devils to the state semifinals for the fifth time in program history and first time since 2017. “He does everything the right way and it has truly paid off for him. 

“He has led our program in a positive direction the last three years during my time as head coach.”

The Blue Devils will try to make program history Friday. Danville has never reached a state championship game, falling in its four previous semifinal appearances. 

Hillsdale is in the Final Four for the first time in program history.

“To reach the state semifinals, it means everything,” Lucas said after last week’s 40-6 win over Beaver Eastern in the Region 27 championship game. “I thought it was exciting to play in a regional championship, but to reach the Final Four is phenomenal.”

With Lucas and rugged linebacker Josh Byers leading the charge, Danville’s defense has been virtually impenetrable during the postseason. In four playoff games, the Blue Devils have surrendered 14 points.

The defense has allowed just six of those points as Eastern’s score came via a pick-six and Portsmouth Notre Dame recorded a safety in Danville’s 60-2 regional quarterfinal win.

“I’ve coached some pretty good defenses here,” said Duncan, who was the defensive coordinator on Ed Honabarger’s staff when the Blue Devils reached the state semifinals in 2015 and 2017. “I’ve had some special kids. I might have had some kids who were bigger or faster or stronger, but this defense right now is clicking as a unit. It’s special.

“This group is selfless. Each kid is doing his one-11th, which is something we preach here.”

Lucas is glad to do his share.

“After that Northmor game (a 41-6 loss to the Division VI state semifinalist Golden Knights in Week 5), we put it all together,” Lucas said. “That game was a slap in the face. We came out the following Monday and since then we have established our identity.

“To win a regional championship is everything, but we don’t want this to end. Getting to Canton (site of the state championship game) is our goal.”