MESSENGER-INQUIRER • Friday, August 23, 2019
2019 HIGH SCHOOL
Top Gun Hartz living his dream as Aces’ quarterback BY JIM PICKENS
MESSENGER-INQUIRER
rew Hartz came to be a quarterback at Owensboro Catholic High School quite
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naturally. He grew up watching a long succession of Aces quarterbacks have success on the gridiron, became enthralled by the pass-happy spread offense employed by former Catholic head coach John Edge and dreamed of one day being at the controls of this high-octane machine for the green and gold. Now a senior, Hartz is beginning the third year of that fulfilled dream. “My goal this season, personally, is to be one of the best quarterbacks in the state — and strive to be the very best,” said Hartz, who has evolved into a sturdy 6-foot-3, 200-pounder. “It’s all about going out there and being the best you can be. That’s what it comes down to. “I’ve gotten a little more comfortable each year. As a sophomore, it was getting used to the speed of the game, and there’s a big difference between varsity and either freshman or JV. As a junior, I felt a lot more comfortable. Now, I have a lot of confidence heading into my senior season.” If the last name sounds familiar, it should. His older brother, Houston Hartz, was a highly-successful quarterback at Catholic in the early portion of the decade, graduating in 2014. “I really looked up to Houston a lot — him, more than anyone else,” Hartz said. “I was in sixth grade when he was a senior, so I watched him play quarterback here when I was young — I always wanted to follow his lead and one day be the quarterback of this football team.” In between, of course, the Aces were led by record-setting quarterback Ray Zuberer, now a standout baseball player at Western Kentucky University. “Oh, I learned a lot from the way Ray played, too,” Hartz said. “From him, I learned how important it is to have agility, about getting in open space and throwing on the run — he was very good at that.” Will Warren, who later transferred to Owensboro, continued the trend of outstanding Aces’ field generals in 2016. Then, the ball was handed to Hartz, who as a sophomore in 2017, took over for the injured Warren after four games — completing 117-of-198 passes (.591) for 1,805 yards and 26 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions. The Aces went 8-5 and reached the Class 2-A Region 1 championship game. Last fall as a junior, Hartz went 162of-260 through the air (.623) for 2,606 yards and 32 TDs, with just seven interceptions, as Catholic went 8-4 and reached the second round of the playoffs. SEE GUN/PAGE 2