Ryan Hartz isn’t Jack Lausch.
Hartz, a junior quarterback, has had the unenviable task of being the successor to the Northwestern recruit at Brother Rice. But Lausch also left a blueprint to follow.
“Jack was able to show us what it was like to be a great player,” Hartz said. “I saw his work ethic and the amount of times he stayed after practice and helped me.”
Lausch, the 2021 Daily Southtown Football Player of the Year, threw for 2,447 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,084 yards and scored 21 TDs for the Crusaders.
“Just the way he was with us last year, I was able to learn from him,” Hartz said.
And all Hartz is all heart.
He proved himself again Friday night for the Crusaders, throwing for two TDs and also rushing for two additional TDs in a 42-7 victory over Marian Catholic in Chicago.
Brother Rice (5-3, 0-2), a Class 7A state semifinalist last season, clinched a playoff berth in advance of Friday’s showdown with CCL/ESCC Blue rival Marist (5-3, 0-2).
Hartz completed 15 of 22 passes for 227 yards Friday, connecting with senior receiver Owen Lyons for a 14-yard TD and junior receiver Rickey Taylor for a 19-yard TD.
Junior quarterback Carter Magerski kept Marian Catholic (4-4) competitive early with an 82-yard TD on his first pass attempt to junior receiver Paul Frazer.
While Kyle Thomas directed the first series, Magerski’s development allows the Spartans to utilize the size and speed of Thomas by shifting him to wide receiver.
“I come in for Kyle when I am needed,” Magerski said. “I had the early momentum, so I kept playing. Kyle’s a great athlete. I come in and do my thing.
“If they keep me in, they keep me in.”
Junior defensive back Marcellus Clifton also recorded an interception in the end zone for Marian.
That was it, though, as Lyons’ spectacular catch in the second quarter unleashed a 35-point scoring barrage for Brother Rice. He finished with five catches for 74 yards.
Lyons also is a connective thread to the Lausch era, especially with a new coaching staff directed by Casey Quedenfeld, and brings a special aura to the offense.
“Jack was a heck of a player,” Lyons said. “But I think Ryan has really started to pick up the role, bring us together as an offense and helped us find our groove.”
Lyons has a team-best 444 yards receiving on 23 catches, averaging 19.2 yards a catch.
“I just like to do whatever they ask me to do,” he said. “If they ask me to catch and run or catch a big jump ball, I will do it.”
Junior linebacker Leo Niksic was Brother Rice’s defensive catalyst against Marian with five tackles and two interceptions.
He closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 72-yard TD on an interception return. He transcends the normal positional spectrum.
“I’m more of a hybrid player who always plays outside of the box,” Niksic said. “I’m not the biggest guy, but I think I fit in pretty well.
“Everything is just coming together at the perfect time. The offense carries us when they have to, but the defense is where it starts.”
Hartz, the leader of that offense, also is showing greater comfort and ease with every game.
He has completed 98 of 175 passes for 1,297 yards. He has thrown for 14 TDs with just three interceptions, operating almost exclusively out of the shotgun formation.
That allows him to see the entire field.
“I like to be in the pocket, but I can play with my feet when I have to,” he said. “Our system puts me in a good spot where I see how the play develops. I get to see everything that’s going on.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.