Football: Hartnett makes plays at just the right time for Fort Davis

Fort Davis senior Marcus Hartnett will just say the play couldn’t have happened without the blocking or the receiver that got open in the first place.

But the fact is that early in the second quarter against Rankin on Friday, Indians quarterback Gerry Aufdengarten took a snap and was supposed to run a dive but instead pitched it to Hartnett in the backfield.

Hartnett was surprised but not panicky. He saw the defense come up and receiver Robert Moore continue to run a deep route. He hit him for a 45-yard touchdown pass to give No. 5 Fort Davis a 22-0 lead en route to an important 54-44 Six-Man District 8 Division I win over the No. 7 Red Devils.

It was improvisation at its best, the sign of an excellent player having a tremendous game during a special season.

“The other night was great for us because he finally played, he finally proved to me what kind of athlete he really was,” Fort Davis head coach Lonnie Flippen said of Hartnett. “I knew he was a great athlete, but we hadn’t played competition like Rankin. He stepped his game up and away we went.”

Away Hartnett went for seven touchdowns — four passing, two rushing and one receiving. All told, he rushed for 134 yards on 12 carries and was 12-for-18 passing for 235 yards and no interceptions.

A hand in every score and a shoulder in almost every tackle — he had a team-high 21 tackles at safety, too.

A complete game from a complete player.

“I felt really good that night,” Hartnett said. “Everything was working for me. It was a really big game.”

Considered to be two of the top teams in the district — Garden City, ranked No. 5, is also up there — Fort Davis and Rankin are emerging rivals, and the victory helped the Indians (7-0 overall, 1-0 district) fit more clearly into the picture for the district’s two playoff spots.

 So when Hartnett was all over the field, scoring in five first-half touchdowns, it was apparent the team’s most talented player would step up on the big stage.

Even Rankin could see this.

“(Rankin head coach Danny) Davis came to me at halftime and said something to the effect of, ‘No. 21 is the real deal,’ ” Flippen said. “At the end of the game, he said something similar.”

Athletic at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Hartnett is often just faster and bigger than opposing players. This helps on both sides of the ball, and on option plays offensively his job is to read whether the defense is crashing the line of scrimmage — a sign for him to pass — or staying back, which an opportune time for him to run.

Hartnett is capable doing either.

As a safety, he is often the last line of defense, a wall on running plays and a nuisance on a pass. He’s tallied seven interceptions and returned three for touchdowns. The tackles Friday, Flippen said, were after talented Rankin ball-carriers would break through but could not quite escape Hartnett.

For Hartnett, he has proven to be capable replacement for the graduated all-state back Adrian Hernandez.

Hartnett, an all-state honorable mention last year, is the man this year.

“At the beginning of season, Coach said I would have a big target on my chest because I was the new person to watch for,” Hartnett said. “But I feel like I’ve done my job. I want to get back to where we were last year.”

That was the Division I state semifinal game. With a game like Friday’s, that seems possible. 

>> THE BASICS

Marcus Hartnett

School: Fort Davis.

Height: 6-foot-1.

Weight: 175 pounds.

Class: Senior.

Position: Back and safety.

Favorite athlete: Marion Barber.

Favorite food: Green chicken enchiladas.

Highlights: Hartnett had a hand in all seven of Fort Davis’ touchdowns in a win over Rankin. He rushed for 124 yards and two scores on 12 carries and was 12-for-18 passing for 235 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught one touchdown and made a team-high 21 tackles.

>> THE HONOR ROLL

Crane’s Justin Mendoza had 16 tackles and one forced fumble in a win over Kermit.

Greenwood’s Aaron Norris had five catches for 109 yards and one touchdown in addition to an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a win over Brownfield.

McCamey’s Jose Esparza had 19 carries for 151 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Marfa.

Monahans’ Quincy Titus had seven carries for 104 yards and one touchdown in a win over Seminole. He was also 4-for-9 passing for 120 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.