"Some might say Mike Lucido peaked early. But, by god, what a peak. No high school player in the D.C. area got more attention in the 1970s than Lucido, a running back for the Annandale Atoms from 1970 to 1973. Lucido's heyday coincided with halcyon times for high school football in the area, filled with intense rivalries for Beltway supremacy. But with Lucido, Annandale (Va.) was the cream of the crop."
"The boy didn't want his father to miss him playing any meaningful games, but everyone knew ninth graders typically stood little chance of making the varsity team under iconic Atoms football coach Bob Hardage, who served as the team's assistant or head coach from 1958 to 1989, winning four state championships and one national title along the way. So Mike asked his dad to take his tour as soon as possible."
Mike Lucido gained exceptional regional fame as Annandale High School's running back from 1970 to 1973, attracting more attention than any D.C.-area high school player in the 1970s. His reputation emerged as high school football rivalries around the Beltway intensified and Annandale dominated. The family moved from Germany when his father, Army Col. Jack Lucido, was transferred to D.C.; the colonel was later ordered to a one-year Vietnam tour. Mike sought to have the tour taken early so his father could return in time to see him play varsity. Ninth graders rarely made the varsity under longtime coach Bob Hardage.
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