It just makes sense: Why Springfield High football moved last year’s QB to wide receiver
His quarterback days are over.
Paul Hartman III supplied 457 passing yards and seven touchdowns last season but now lines up as a senior receiver on the Springfield High football team.
He stepped aside not just to make way for sophomore Brody Scheffler but also to his own avail as a 6-foot-5, 215-pound tight end prospect.
“I just get to use my athleticism and my size,” Hartman said. “I get to kind of run around and have fun out there, so I think it's definitely more of a natural position for me.”
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Hartman has lapped up a few NCAA Division I offers. They include Alabama Birmingham, Marshall and Drake.
“Being recruited as a tight end when I was playing quarterback was tough just because I was like, 'I've got to make a move, I’ve got to get some film at tight end,'” Hartman said, “but now that I'm playing receiver I get the blocking stuff that I need out there and I get to catch a bunch of balls.
“I definitely get a lot more from playing receiver and it was definitely the right decision for me.”
‘Good safety blanket’
Hartman is preparing for the future by getting more physical.
“It's really different,” Hartman said. “I'm just not used to being out there catching the ball. I'm normally the one throwing it, but I think I've adjusted pretty well and Brody's been doing a great job. We've got a bunch of other receivers out there helping me out so we've been doing well and I think I'm adjusting pretty well.”
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Hartman has seven catches for 113 yards and one TD so far this season. He recently hauled in a key 21-yard TD pass from Scheffler in a 29-12 Central State Eight Conference win over Lincoln on Friday.
“It's a good safety blanket -- just throw it up and he'll catch it,” Scheffler said.
Hartman is like a second quarterback on the field, SHS coach Jon Hebb said.
“He's helped a lot because sometimes if he sees something, he'll tell me,” Scheffler said.
His leadership and ability to memorize routes can be attributed to his countless years at QB.
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Hartman said his family wasn’t that big into football, but it was always his niche. He singled out Bob Buckley as one of his most influential coaches stretching back to JFL.
“He taught me a lot that I know, and I owe a lot to him,” Hartman said.
Dishing the ball around
SHS (1-2) perhaps hails a more dynamic offense than last season.
Kale Thurman leads the Senators with 14 receptions for 113 yards and two scores while Owen Neff has nine catches for 173 yards and a TD.
“When we're going, everybody gets to eat,” Hartman said. “All of the receivers are getting yards, we're all getting touchdowns and the running backs are getting going, too. It's not just one guy, we've got a bunch of weapons.”
Scheffler is 41-for-71 for 543 yards and four TDs with eight picks. Kameron Beckman has rushed for 193 yards and two TDs ahead of Chatham Glenwood (3-0) at Memorial Stadium on Friday.
“He's been adjusting well, and he's been getting better every game,” Hartman said of Scheffler. “He's really doing all we could ask for honestly, he's been doing a great job.”
Contact Bill Welt: 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA football: Springfield's Paul Hartman III embraces change from QB
