The origin of his record-setting career at Vermilion Catholic was something senior quarterback Jonathan Dartez would rather forget.

Dartez was hopeful of getting on the field, maybe at wide receiver along with his older brother Saul, when those plans were scrapped following an injury to the projected starting quarterback in the team’s scrimmage.

There wasn’t a lot of time for options and with Vermilion Catholic, a Class 1A school, on the brink of the start of the 2021 season, Dartez was shifted to quarterback to battle another player that was also trying to make the transition from wide receiver.

The Screaming Eagles won two of their first five games, including a pair of losses to Class 3A teams, and Dartez’s confidence was clearly shaken, trying to play a position that he hadn’t previously practiced until the team’s emergency situation arose.

“Those first three weeks, I did not want to be there at all,” Dartez said. “Everything was going bad. Then in the fourth week, I stopped listening to everyone else tell me what to do. I knew who I was. I knew the athlete that I was. After that, it started rolling and never stopped.”

Vermilion Catholic began district play with a convincing 56-20 victory over Hanson Memorial, triggering a 5-0 run to the league championship and more importantly, cementing Dartez as the program’s quarterback of the future.

The Eagles finished with a home loss to St. Frederick in the Division IV select state quarterfinals and an 8-4 record. That ended the career of the two Dartez brothers being a part of the same team, but with Jonathan excelling throughout his on-the-job training, the outlook for the 5-foot-9, 170-pounder and program was promising.

“There’s very few freshmen that are going to walk in as a freshman year and see they almost have that instant respect from the upperclassmen,” VC head coach Broc Prejean, a 2005 graduate of the Abbeville school. “He had that and that’s a product of who he’s been all of his life. It’s also a product of how hard he works.

“He walked in the weight room as a freshman and made sure he let everyone know that he was going to try to outwork everybody,” Prejean said. “That’s who he is. There’s nothing we’ve asked of him that he won’t do. He’s just a unique kid and an ultimate competitor. Sports is what he loves and what he’s passionate about. He’s constantly competing.”

Vermilion Catholic will once again be among the state’s top Class 1A/Division IV teams with Dartez factoring into his team’s projections to reach the Caeser’s Superdome in December in New Orleans.

Winning an elusive state championship remains the only piece missing from the impressive resume’ Dartez has established over the past three years. VC opens the season on Sept. 6 at Catholic High in New Iberia.

“That is going to be the goal,” Prejean said.

Because of his team-first nature, Dartez holds many of his career statistical numbers in great reverence, but none greater than his 33-6 record as a starter. The Eagles are three-time district champions and have reached the state playoffs each year highlighted by a state runner-up finish to Ouachita Christian in 2022.

VC’s spread and run-pass option offense has been a match made in heaven for Dartez to rewrite the school’s record book. He’s already the program’s leader in points scored (660) and total touchdowns (106) and needs 732 yards to become No. 1 in total yards (8,378) and 450 rushing yards (4,008).

“I told myself to wait until the season ends before thinking about all of that,” Dartez said. “It depends on how good we are. I could run up the stat sheet, but if you don’t win any games no one’s going to remember our team. If I do pretty good in the game, I think we’re going to win. I don’t try to think about it. I know what’s at stake. I know I’m getting closer to some records.”

Four years down to one

Dartez said his older brother tried to prepare him for the rapid nature a high school career can take, imploring him to soak in every moment.

“It’s easy to say, but hard to do,” Dartez said of his brothers’ request. “Just looking back, it did go by pretty fast. Some of the best memories I have are with my teammates on the field. That’s going to be hard to lose.”

Four years after first entering the front doors of the 57-year-old parochial school, Dartez is embarking on his final year at a school where he was named to the Class 1A All-State first team in football the past two years and honorable mention in 2021. He’s also earned the rare distinction of being a first-team, all-district choice in three sports, adding the distinction in basketball (averaged 12 points a game) and baseball (batted .380).

“He’s a great athlete on the basketball court,” said Prejean who enters his fifth season with a 41-6 record. “In baseball, he’s a stud catcher who can play the infield and outfield. He has (next-level) ambitions, but he understands that it’s an uphill battle. If someone gives him an opportunity, I know he’s going to jump on it.”

Dartez said a significant amount of the respect he’s gained from upperclassmen was derived from his all-out approach in the weight room, utilizing their advice to fuel a work ethic that’s driven him to outperform the competition. He also believed a measure of his acceptance among teammates was courtesy of his older brother, an established receiver.

But the younger Dartez wanted more, pushing himself to greater lengths.

“I kind of said when I was a freshman I didn’t want to be known as Saul’s brother,” Dartez said. “I wanted to be something else and kind of make a name for myself at VC. I always challenged the seniors, and they respected me that if I told them something, I was doing something five times as much as them. I was never a person to just fuss at them. I was doing something more. It comes with being competitive.”

Dartez helped VC to the first of back-to-back 10-0 regular seasons in 2022, propelling the Eagles to a No. 1 seed in the state playoffs which ended in a 28-14 loss to Ouachita Christian in the final game of the season.

VC was attempting to win the school’s third state title, adding to its previous victories in 2003 and 2013.

The Eagles, who replaced 17 of 22 starters from the previous season, enjoyed another undefeated regular season in ’23, including a pair of one-score victories over Ascension Episcopal and Loreauville, and received another top-seed for the playoffs.

VC found itself dangerously close to the end of the season, trailing Ascension Catholic 22-0 in the first 1 ½ quarters of the state quarterfinal. Jyrin Bessard’s 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown sparked the Eagles and Dartez took over in the latter stages of the second quarter and the entire second half.

The Eagles, who trailed 22-14 at halftime, faced deficits of 29-20 and 35-27 through three quarters until Dartez responded with 350 total yards and four touchdowns. His 22-yard scoring run on fourth down, part of his 24-carry, 179-yard effort, provided the game-winning points with 2:26 remaining.

Riverside Academy stopped VC’s postseason run a week later in the state quarterfinals, taking a 34-7 rain-soaked victory.

“We’re down by 22 and we came back and won,” Dartez said of one of his most memorable performances. “I looked at the seniors and they weren’t that nervous. They looked at me and thought we could win the game. After that, we won and boosted our confidence.”

Prejean said there’s plenty to Dartez’s makeup that goes beyond measurements.

“Stature-wise, he doesn’t jump out,” he said. “He’s incredibly strong, just dynamic. He’s low to the ground, has a great center of balance with a great understanding of acceleration. He fits the mold of a jack of all trades. You try to be creative as a coach and give him opportunities to have the ball in his hands and find some open space.”

‘There’s really no pressure’

VC’s frenzied offensive scheme, a Cajun version of basketball on grass, is predicated on utilizing the entire width (53 ½ yards) of the field, Prejean said.

With Dartez at the controls, VC has more than enough skill players to complement the ability of its quarterback who stands ready in the shotgun to take the center snap.

“We put four to five kids on the field that can affect the game and make you nervous about which one’s going to get it,” Prejean said. “It starts by snapping it to the quarterback. He’s surrounded by a great cast of players.”

When VC gets into a rhythm, the Eagles have proven difficult to slow down. After the first five games of his career, Dartez has directed the Eagles to 13 games with 40-plus points and four with 50-plus points during his career.

“This offense is designed for a quarterback that runs and scrambles,” Dartez said. “I don’t know how many receiving corps are faster than us. We’ve got speed everywhere and that really separates our offense. I don’t think there’s a person that if you were not accountable for, he’s going to break one for 60. That’s the best part of our offense.”

Dartez will attempt to surpass the production of a junior season in which he amassed 3,420 total yards and 47 touchdowns. He carried 245 times for 1,840 yards and 28 touchdowns while completing 96 of 159 passes for 1,583 yards and 19 scores.

“You can’t play with him and not follow him,” Prejean said. “He sets examples in the weight room and in our conditioning. The way he shows up on Friday nights and is a natural for making the big plays in the big moments. It’s been neat as coaches just watching that develop from his freshman to senior year.”

Dartez doesn’t believe he shoulders any additional burden to get VC safely across the finish line for the school’s third state championship. He realizes Division IV will feature its usual gauntlet of competitors such as Ouachita Christian, Southern Lab, Riverside, and Kentwood, the latter of which will be a select school this season.

The Eagles have 15 starters returning, including four of five offensive linemen led by honorable mention all-state senior offensive tackle Jackson Trahan. They also have a trio of senior receivers in Hudson Hebert, Ross Dartez (no relation to Jonathan), and Bessard.

“I think this team is one of the best I’ve played with,” Dartez said. “We’re very competitive. We’ve all played with each other throughout middle school. We’re also super close with no drama. I think that’s the main reason why we’re going to be successful this year. Everyone wants each other to be successful.”

Dartez began preparing for his final season right after the baseball team was eliminated in the second round of the state playoffs. He took part in his final spring training before moving into the team’s summer workouts.

That was just part of the busy summer Dartez undertook, spending the first four days of the week lifting weights and throwing with his teammates, and then moving to baseball for the weekend. He also spent time on his own, imagining how his senior season would unfold under the glare of an adoring fan base and student body that are full of anticipation at the prospect of another season filled with Dartez’s highlights.

“I’m very hungry,” Dartez said. “This is our time. I’m weight-free with nothing to lose. There’s really no pressure.”