Koontz seizes the night
Establishing identity as QB for Hanover Central, sophomore totals 5 TDs in win
Hanover Central sophomore Matt Koontz has been waiting for this season for three years.
Since he started running the Wildcats’ offense as a quarterback in middle school, Koontz knew the varsity spot could be his in 2021.
Despite getting his first taste of varsity action as a cornerback last season, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Koontz said that can’t compare to what he’s experiencing now.
“At corner, you’re involved in maybe one or two plays a game,” he said. “At quarterback, you’re involved in every play.”
Koontz was fully involved in yet another offensive eruption by Hanover Central at Whiting on Friday, throwing for 247 yards and rushing for 123 yards with five touchdowns during a 69-6 Greater South Shore Conference win.
When these teams met three years ago, the Oilers won 61-0. But things have changed. This time, Hanover Central (6-1, 2-0) scored on each of its first five possessions to take a 35-0 lead over Whiting (2-5, 0-3) by the 11:31 mark of the second quarter.
Koontz was the catalyst while working through one of the bigger challenges of his young career: finding a way to distribute the football evenly to a group of capable receivers and running backs.
“I don’t want to force the ball to just one guy,” Koontz said. “I have to be able to get the ball to whoever is open.”
Junior Gannan Howes was Koontz’s most frequent target, catching four passes for 84 yards and three TDs. But he was one of several Wildcats to factor into huge plays.
Junior Tony Bartolomeo caught a 56-yard pass, while the biggest play of the night was a 63-yard TD pass to senior Eddie Goff.
Howes said that multifaceted attack stems from a collective effort on the sidelines between possessions.
“We give him tips on the sidelines for things to look for,” Howes said of Koontz. “Sometimes it’s things that’ll help the other receivers. Sometimes it’ll help ourselves. But if the ball doesn’t come to me, it’s no big deal. I know the other guys are going to catch the ball and score.”
One of Howes’ TDs was a 44-yard score on a screen pass, with his fellow wide receivers clearing the path — something they have no problem doing, according to Bartolomeo.
“I was happy to block for him on that touchdown,” Bartolomeo said.
Hanover Central coach Brian Parker said his team had plenty
of experience at other position groups on offense, which helped with the process of acclimating Koontz to the starting role.
“We were mindful to not put too much on his plate at the beginning,” Parker said. “As the summer went on and the season has gone
on, he’s taken the coaching well. He started as an athlete who was playing quarterback. Now he’s developing into a quarterback who happens to be an athlete.”