It’s Matix Frithsmith’s world, and everyone else is just living in it.
The Hart High School senior did it all for the Hawks football team on Friday, running for four touchdowns and catching one while racking up over 330 total yards as the Hawks won in dominant fashion over the West Ranch Wildcats, 42-7, at College of the Canyons’ Cougar Stadium.
“When those lanes open up and I see green grass ahead of me, there’s nothing better than that,” Frithsmith said. “I mean, when there’s nobody in the hole, you just got to give it all to my guys. Like that’s just untouched through the holes, it’s just amazing.”
As if running and catching wasn’t enough, Frithsmith also was tasked with playing some quarterback for Hart (6-1, 3-0) head coach Jake Goossen-Brown, and the Hart captain responded with a completion on the night for 26 yards.
“There’s not a lot of guys like him,” Goossen-Brown said. “I’m lucky, and I feel special and privileged that I get an opportunity to coach him, you know. He really does make my job easy because I can do a lot with him. And he never shies away from whatever I ask him to do, you know. So, I appreciate he trusts me, and I trust him, so it’s a good thing to have.”
Of the five times that Frithsmith reached the end zone on Friday, he said his receiving touchdown is the one he’ll remember the most.
“That one was pretty fun,” Frithsmith said. “It wasn’t the greatest ball, had to pick up my guy … It was a screen pass, so our linemen got out there, laid some great blocks, and then just making people miss and getting in the end zone.”
Frithsmith brought his touchdown total up to 18 on the season on a night when the Hawks needed him to step up with junior quarterback Camren Ketner missing a second straight contest. Goossen-Brown was impressed with junior Jamo Pazak’s ability to step into the quarterback role at times on Friday, though, as he threw for 175 yards on 9-of-15 passing with two touchdowns. One of those went to Frithsmith, and the other to junior Silas Tucker.
“I thought he did some good things at times,” Goossen-Brown said. “You know, he was able to manage the game well. He was able to hit some big plays. You know, he hit some big, deep balls. He was able to connect with Silas. So that’s really good for us in the future, and it puts a little competition going together, which, you know, competition breeds success.”
The one blemish for the Hart defense on the night came on the last play of the game when West Ranch (1-6, 1-2) junior quarterback Humza Harsolia hit senior Charlie Samuelson for a 12-yard touchdown.
The Hart defense held West Ranch to 106 total yards on Friday.
“We just wanted to come out and be 1-0 today, you know, and make every play that we can make,” Goossen-Brown said. “And I think our defense has been doing a great job all year. You know, coach (Aaron) Huerta does a great job with them and gets them going, and we have some good players out there and they’re making big plays for us.”
Hart could be without senior Josh Rogozik for the foreseeable future after the running back went down with a left arm injury during the first half Friday. Goossen-Brown called Rogozik one of the selfless leaders for the Hawks, and it remains to be seen what his status will be. He was seen on the sidelines with his left arm in a sling after exiting the contest.
West Ranch is set to face Saugus next week.
Hart has a road matchup against Castaic next week as the Hawks look to further their case as a team to beat come playoffs time — as well as in the Foothill League. A win over Castaic and then Canyon the week after — along with wins for Valencia over Canyon and Golden Valley — would set up a winner-take-all showdown between Hart and Valencia for the Foothill League title, a trophy that Valencia has held for three straight seasons.
But Goossen-Brown said that hasn’t crossed his mind just yet.
“I’m just trying to go beat Castaic next week,” Goossen-Brown said. “I just want to be 1-0 and that’s what we’re doing. We’re just trying to figure out how to try to play Hart football and be the best team we can be right now. We’re trying to play our standard of football.”
