Hobart quarterback Aleks Tatum had an idea about what senior night might be like for him.
But Tatum, who is in his third season as the Brickies’ starter, might not have realized the full scope of the moment until it came.
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“Very emotional,” he said. “I suppose every senior goes through it, but it really goes in the blink of an eye. To think that it was just a few years ago I was starting as just a sophomore, and I got my first look on special teams as a freshman. So it’s really crazy to see how you go through so many friendships. I’ve been through three groups of seniors, and those guys were such good role models for me.
“So sometimes I just reflect it on myself and really think about what I’m leaving behind, not just for the team but for this community — because at the end of the day, this is a community.”
Tatum put together a worthy performance during a Northwest Crossroads Conference game against Hanover Central on Friday. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder completed 8 of 12 pass attempts for 210 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for 77 yards as the Brickies topped the Wildcats 42-14.
Hobart (5-2, 3-2) had lost back-to-back conference games to Andrean and Lowell, which precipitated a degree of introspection for Tatum and his teammates. He said he took a brief “mental break” to reset, and he proceeded to deliver against Hanover Central (5-2, 3-2).
“He played really well,” Hobart coach Eric Schreiber Jr. said. “The first four weeks, he was so loose, playing free, having fun, executing, being composed. The moment was pretty big for him against Andrean, trying to do too much like a lot of our guys that night. Things weren’t going our way, so he’s trying to be a superhero, and the game last week, he’s rushing throws, not getting the ball to the right guy on time, not trusting his teammates to get to their spots.
“We spent a really long time this week just focusing on those things, getting back to how he was playing the first four weeks. They’re kids, and they learn, and he learned from those two weeks. Luckily, it didn’t happen in the postseason. We had some time to fix it. Hopefully, we can continue to press on.”
Tatum entered Friday having completed 62 of 104 pass attempts for 1,255 yards and 13 TDs with just one interception. He had also rushed for 300 yards and five TDs.
Against Hanover Central, Tatum added a 37-yard TD pass on a juggling catch by versatile junior Miles White, a 28-yarder on a diving catch by senior wide receiver Stephen Miller, a 41-yarder on a dime to senior wide receiver Bryce Tolliver, and a 55-yarder on another strike to White.
“He’s pretty much the leader,” White said of Tatum. “If we were a family, he’d be like the father. He makes sure everybody’s OK. He checks on everybody.”
Tolliver, a Northern Illinois recruit who also had a 97-yard interception return for a TD, appreciates Tatum too.
“I love Aleks,” Tolliver said. “We have a great connection. We’ve been building it more from last year. I feel like we’ve come together as friends, on the field, in practice. We’ve just built our connection.”
Schreiber described Tatum as “the heart and soul” of the Brickies.
“Kids gravitate toward him, from our team standpoint but even from a community standpoint,” Scheiber said. “There’s a bunch of little kids out here that love him and want to say ‘hi’ to him and, as weird as it may sound for a high schooler, but getting his autograph. It’s so cool for him. I’m so happy about it. He’s so deserving. He’s such a great kid, great student, an incredible leader.
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“He definitely reflected a lot over the weekend, this past weekend, to kind of get back on track. He expressed that to his teammates. He’s a kid that in film, he’s going to take blame when he does wrong, and he’s going to be coachable in those types of things. The kids seeing that from him, who’s been a three-year starter, who’s been there, done that, it’s incredible. It showed a lot for our kids to see that.”
Tatum said he has grown as a player over the course of his career, not just physically. He was 175 pounds as a sophomore.
“It just slowly happens,” he said. “You slowly start to mature. You start to understand things. You start to not get too high or get too low.
“Physically, it’s helped a ton, but it’s more mentally, how to lead a team. Sophomore year, I had great people to look up to, so I had something to strive for. So it’s being a leader, and not just being a leader, but being someone people can talk to. There’s a ton of kids around here now, so it’s being an idol, being someone these kids can look up to. It’s being mature on and off the field.”
Tatum has offers from Wabash and Trine, as well as interest from Grand Valley State and Findlay.
“He’s still kind of going through the process and still trying to find his way,” Schreiber said. “Like with a lot of kids, if they’re not there yet, it just takes some time.”
Tatum intends to play somewhere.
“Anywhere I can get an offer, I’m taking a huge interest in,” he said. “I love this game so much. It’s had such an impact on my life, and I’m not ready to give it up yet.”