HART – It didn’t take long for Hart to regain the same form that led them to the first playoff berth in program history. The Pirates ran all over Lake City, Thursday, Aug. 29, in a convincing 40-0 victory to open the 2024 season.
With a hefty class of departing seniors last spring, a bit of uncertainty has surrounded the Pirates. With only one returning starter on the offensive line, a new quarterback room and the loss of a workhorse in the backfield, how effective would Hart’s single-wing offense be?
Head Coach Joe Tanis decided to figure that out early as Hart won the coin toss and opted to give the ball to their offense immediately. Unfortunately, the early returns for the Pirates weren’t what they had hoped for. A three play drive to start the game ended with no positive yardage gained and a punt into the hands of the Trojans.
Lake City took over at their own 36-yard line, piecing together short runs and making their way into Hart’s territory. On the ninth play of that drive, Hart’s defense stood tall, knocking the ball out of the hands of a Trojan ball carrier. Junior defensive tackle Adrian Lara fell on that ball, giving Hart’s offense another opportunity in the first quarter.
“Going against a Power-T offense in week one isn’t always fun,” Tanis said. “(Lake City) didn’t run it last year and they’re huge. They were mammoths up front. Our kids, we talked about (this) being a fourth quarter game and we expected it to be a game into the second half. We were really able to use our depth. I was really impressed with the way our guys responded and the way they handled that. We knew (Lake City was) going to move the ball early and we had to get our bearings, but we did the things we needed to do.”
Led by freshman quarterback Kolton Rockwell, Hart’s offensive attack gained traction. Rockwell went 2/2 on passes, including 28 yards and a nine-yard touchdown pass to senior Eman Hertzler to cap off the drive. Senior Alex Hicks punched in the two-point attempt on the ensuing play, putting the Pirates in front, 8-0.
Offense slowed to a halt for both teams as several drives ended with no change to the score. Hart had a chance to add to their lead after junior quarterback Halen Boos – the other half of Hart’s two-head attack at the position – connected with senior Ty Schlukebir for a 47-yard gain deep into the Trojan’s side of the field. Lake City was able to force a turnover on downs near their goal line on that drive, holding Hart to a one possession lead.
“We’re a run oriented team. That’s what we do and who we are. You can see the difference between this year’s team and last year’s team tonight. We can throw the ball and we threw the ball at a high efficiency tonight and that’s what we want to do,” Tanis said. “We expect to run the ball really well so our passing game should be wide open. We’ve got two quarterbacks who slung it tonight.”
“Halen Boos and Kolton Rockwell rotate every other series right now. They’re different kids but they’re both three sport athletes and both have an impressive skill set. It makes it tough on the play caller because you have so many options. I have so many guys that can carry the ball and do amazing things with it. Just trying to balance those and make sure we’re spreading the wealth. We have a lot more confidence in our pass game this year. We spent a lot more time in the offseason throwing the football and we knew that was one area we could grow in. We’re excited to have two guys that can interchange and spin the ball really well.”
The Pirates were able to add to their advantage as the first half came to a close. Once again, Rockwell took control, finding Schlukebir for a 30-yard pass that left the offense knocking on the door at Lake City’s 10-yard line. Sophomore Keaghan Monroe made his first of many big plays, punching the ball in on the ground for a six-yard touchdown.
After the halftime break, it was apparent that the Pirates weren’t satisfied with the amount of missed opportunities on offense in the first half. Tanis made it clear on his trip to the sideline that he wanted the scoreboard to be a bit more lopsided than it was.
That became even more clear when junior Logan Jorissen attempted an onside kick and recovered it to keep possession with Hart.
That sparked something on both sides of the ball for the Pirates. Junior Kyle Greiner and Monroe each punched in touchdowns on the ground in the third quarter to lead the offense, while Hicks and senior Brody Clark each recovered fumbles on the defensive side to completely shut down Lake City.
A 28-0 lead at the end of the third quarter continued to balloon in the fourth.
Senior Kaden Bond caught an 11-yard touchdown from Boos just minutes into that final period, but it was a herculean effort from Monroe that drove a dagger into the Trojans.
On a pass attempt along the sideline, Monroe went airborne and came away with a diving interception. The Pirates proceeded to drive down the field and end the night with an 11-yard touchdown run from Hicks.
A 1-0 start to the year is as good as it gets for Hart. Doing so without allowing a point after losing defensive coordinator Jacob Tumele to Greenville is even better.
“We play good complimentary football in all three phases and that’s what we pride ourselves on,” Tanis said. “Blake Helenhouse, one of our players, said at halftime that we could get an onside kick and I trusted him. Logan Jorissen came in, kicked it and recovered it. We take pride in being good in all three phases. Defensively, (Lake City) was 0/13 on third downs and we got five takeaways tonight.”
“We lost our defensive coordinator – Jake Tumele – who was amazing. That was a big loss to our program. For our guys to come out and play defense like they did tonight, made me very happy.”
Hart will enjoy their victory, but the real work begins as their focus turns to conference play. The Pirates will travel to Ravenna for a matchup with the Bulldogs, Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.
“There’s gonna be a lot of little things we’re going to watch on film and clean up. Next week is a whole different animal,” Tanis said. “(Ravenna) is a spread offense, so we’re going to have to evolve and show we can play a different style of defense against a different offense. I’m excited to put some wrinkles in and get ready for that one. That’s a big game. Ravenna is a blue blood. We have to go down to their place. We’ve been holding (some plays) close to our chest. We have a lot of new stuff in and we want to make sure we space it out throughout the year.”
