After nearly a year of fundraising efforts by the Lutzie 43 Foundation, Cobb County Board of Education Chairman Randy Scamihorn made a surprise decision last week by taking a proposal to resurface the eight-year old turf at Frank Fillmann Stadium at Lassiter High School off the county agenda.

The Lutzie 43 Foundation was founded following the tragic death of former Lassiter star and Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen in a car crash on June 29 of last year. The project was put in place to dedicate the field in honor of the Foundation.

The financial goal for the project was surpassed with $370,000 raised and the plan was on schedule to begin work on June 15 before a dedication ceremony on August 14 when the Trojans scrimmage North Cobb.

With the planned starting date less than a week away, many in the Lassiter community were shocked as well as the Lutzie 43 Foundation to see Scamihorn take the proposal completely off the agenda only days before the June 10 board meeting.

Mike Lutzenkirchen, the founder and president of the Lutzie 43 Foundation, said in a statement, "On behalf of the Lutzie 43 Foundation and my family, we are so humbled by the generous support we have received for the Lutzie Field project. While we are saddened by the delay in the project, we hope the project can be reviewed and approved by the CCSD Board of Education as soon as possible."

The details and reason behind taking the proposal off the agenda is still unknown and little information was provided by the county on Tuesday. A statement sent to Score Atlanta from Cobb Schools Superintendent Chris Ragsdale read: "I have met with the family and The Lutzie 43 Foundation and I am deeply sorry for their loss. No parent should have to endure the death of a child."

Lutzenkirchen's death came as a result of being a passenger in a drunk-driving incident. The driver was at a blood-alcohol level of .17, more than double the legal drivers limit of .08. Lutzenkirchen, who was seated behind Ian Davis, had been drinking and was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the police report.

His father, Mike Lutzenkirchen, and many in the Lassiter community, see the Foundation's stamp on the field as something to remind everyone about drinking and driving. The Foundation also wants to remember Lutzenkirchen's positive impact on his teammates at Lassiter and Auburn as well as the community.

"The sponsors in the community want Philip's name connected to the field to help push this message,'' said Lassiter athletics director Art O'Neil.

Through social media and the support in the community, the project's organizers hope that the Lutzie Field Project will be brought back to the board before the Cobb County school district's next meeting on June 25. According to the Lutzie 43 Foundation, this would still allow enough time to complete the project before the scheduled dedication on Aug. 14.

"Philip Lutzenkirchen embodied the values of leadership, compassion, hard work and faith that resonate in our community and that make this area such a special place to live and raise a family," reflected Kyle Cooper, chief executive officer of Property Masters, a local landscaping business. "As a local business owner and Lassiter alumni, I would be proud to see my high school alma mater rebrand its stadium field as Lutzie Field."

At Lassiter, Lutzenkirchen was one of the best players to ever come out of Cobb County and recorded 72 receptions for 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns his senior season. As a junior, he hauled in 46 receptions for 496 yards and seven scores while adding 48 tackles, an interception and a blocked punt. He was named a consensus Class Class AAAAA All-State as a senior by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Georgia Sports Writers Association and appeared in all 13 games his freshman season at Auburn. 

Lutzenkirchen signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent after college but eventually began working and volunteer coaching at an Alabama high school.