By Brendan Samuels
LocalSportsJournal.com
HART – There were no weaknesses on display for Hart football on Friday night when the Pirates rolled to a 30-8 win over Mason County Central.
“We won the game at the line of scrimmage,” Hart coach Joe Tanis said. “We’ve been building our program to be a tough, physical football team.”
At the end of the first quarter, neither team was able to put up the contest’s first points. The second quarter turned into a boat race, courtesy of complementary play from Hart on both sides of the ball.
That started less than a minute into the second frame when Hart senior Connor Edwards stepped into a passing lane. That turned into the first of two interceptions for Hart’s defense as they got the best of MCC freshman quarterback Pierce Bladzik.
Set up on their own 35-yard line, it didn’t take long for Hart’s offense to explode. Shortly into the drive, Hart junior Eman Hertzler took off on a 56-yard run that ended inside MCC’s 10-yard line. Edwards punched the ball in two plays later, and after a successful 2-point conversion, the Pirates owned an 8-0 advantage following a drive that took only 59 seconds off the clock.
MCC quickly responded on the ensuing drive thanks to a bounce back performance from Bladzik. The freshman dropped back and hit junior Quinton Lange streaking down the left sideline for a 45-yard passing touchdown. The Spartans also converted on their 2-point attempt to even things up at 8-8.
The remainder of the first half was dominated by Hart.
Starting on the very next drive, Pirates workhorse Joseluis Andaverde rumbled down field on a 48-yard run to put Hart on the cusp of the red zone. Andaverde capped off that drive with a 3-yard touchdown run and converted the point 2-conversion on a pass to Chase Gale to extend their lead.
“We feel like (Andaverde) can go in there and battle and keep fighting. He can break a play at any time,” Tanis said. “He’s a special kid and player and an emotional leader for our team too.”
Hart’s defense came up big on the very next series. Senior Joaquin Flores fell on an MCC fumble, putting the Pirate offense right back on the field. Just as it seemed like the Pirates were on top of the world, the unthinkable happened.
On back-to-back plays to begin Hart’s next offensive drive, the Pirates lost key contributors. First, Andaverde limped off the field, favoring his ankle. Hertzler did the same, this time needing assistance to find his way to the sideline.
Faced with adversity, Hart didn’t flinch. Instead of leaning on the run game like they so often do, Edwards was tasked with throwing the ball. That turned out to be a great call as he connected with Gale for a 55-yard catch and run that ended with six more points. The Pirates jogged to the locker room with a 22-8 lead.
“We felt like we had a play where we could get Chase Gale wide open and we got it,” Tanis said. “To see him catch it was awesome because he’d had a couple of drops the last few games and his confidence was a little shook. For him to go out there with a huge crowd tonight and make that play – he took it right over and swung momentum for us.”
The big plays for Hart continued in the game’s final frame. Just 16 seconds into the fourth quarter, Edwards took off down the left sideline on a quarterback draw play for a 51-yard score. With a 28-8 lead, the Pirates were in good position.
That allowed them to start utilizing some of their younger players. Inserting junior Brendan Hiddema at quarterback, Hart gave MCC a bit of a break. The Spartans capitalized with sophomore Tyler Norton intercepting Hiddema’s first and only pass of the night.
Just 30 seconds later, Edwards gave Hart another turnover with his second interception of the night and fifth of the season. MCC’s defense answered right back when junior Drake McKay recovered a Hart fumble.
“We ask our guys to do a lot of things. Connor had his fifth interception (of the season) tonight,” Tanis said. “He makes plays on both sides of the ball. We’re a small school so we have to ask guys to play both ways. It’s kind of a throwback and it fits what we do.”
After a stalled drive, Andaverde punted for the Pirates, pinning the Spartans at their own 1-yard line. Fittingly, Hart’s defense got the last points of the night when Ivan Lara cut through MCC’s offensive line for a safety, giving Hart a 30-8 score to celebrate on homecoming night.
“We’ve been very lucky with Joseluis kicking for us. We’ve pinned probably three punts inside the three-yard line this year,” Tanis said. “That turned into two points for us on the next play. It was a big deal for us to kick it, sprint down there and keep it out of the end zone.”
Hart’s run game once again highlighted an impressive offensive output. The Pirates rushed for 263 yards as a team behind Andaverde (20 carries, 145 yards, one touchdown), Edwards (12 carries, 77 yards, two touchdowns) and Hertzler (four carries, 76 yards). Andaverde’s effort also put him over 1,000 rushing yards on the year.
Edwards was 2-for-5 passing for 74 yards and a touchdown. Chase Gale was on the receiving end of every reception for Hart, tallying three catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Hart was led in tackles by Austin Martinez and Flores with 9 each. Ty Thomas recorded 7 tackles and a sack while Gale had 2 sacks.
MCC had a good night throwing the ball. Bladzik went 5-for-16 for 127 yards and a touchdown. Eathen Huffman (four catches, 85 yards) and Lange (two catches, 77 yards, 1 touchdown) were his top targets. Senior Ethan Domin led the defense with 10 tackles.
For Hart, the win marks their fifth of the season as they sit at 5-1 overall and 2-1 in WMC Rivers play. With three games left and two of them against struggling teams, Hart’s playoff hopes continue to improve.
A season finale on Friday, Oct. 20 against Ravenna awaits the Pirates for a second-straight year. In 2022, that game eliminated Hart from any chance at playoff football, something Tanis remembers, but was quick to point out that he doesn’t want any type of revenge on the Bulldogs.
“We are not on any kind of revenge tour, but we are on a respect tour,” Tanis said. “We feel like we’re coming every week to earn respect and that’s our goal. We want people to say, hey, we’re playing the Pirates and they know exactly what they’re going to get. They’re going to get a tough, physical game with a team that’s not going to quit and continue to respond. To bury us is going to be very difficult and that’s what we want to be.”
The Pirates will be on the road next week to take on Holton as they begin the regular season’s home stretch. MCC (3-3) will head to Hesperia on Friday for a matchup with the Panthers.
Photos by Brendan Samuels
