Dartez gives Eagles a true RPO threat at quarterback

Jonathan Dartez was thrown into the starting quarterback’s role at Vermilion Catholic as a freshman after an injury to senior starter Mikie Bazar in 2021.
Dartez showed dynamic running skills, rushing for 902 yards and 15 touchdowns and throwing for 58 yards with nine TDs. He played six games at quarterback before Bazar returned from his back injury, then played receiver, running back, and whatever else the Eagles needed him to do.
“He handled it gracefully, and he just kind of got better each week as we went,” VC coach Broc Prejean said. “And we improved as a staff, understanding what he was good at and where he was most comfortable. We all grew together, and we felt like he was in a really good place by the time Mikie got back. That allowed us to put (Dartez) into other positions, and he was a jack of all trades for us last year.”
After working hard in the offseason to improve his passing skills, Dartez earned the starting quarterback job this spring, and Prejean said he’s looking forward to the chance to run a true run-pass option offense this fall.
“He’s one of the first guys I’ve been able to coach who truly can implement all three phases of the RPO,” Prejean said. “He can get it out there, make the right decision to hand it to the running back, get it out to the receiver if they’re not going to put enough guys over him, and then he can pull it down, and he can run it. Many teams are running the RPO style, but they’re running it intending to hand it off or throw it. Jon Jon has the opportunity to be all three. That’s exciting as a play caller, to be sure.”
That ability to run the RPO helps open up the field for the offense.
“Our mentality is to utilize the concept of spread truly — use all 53 1/2 yards sideline to sideline, and make sure we always have five guys on the field that can handle the football if they’re the right guy to it on that play,” Prejean said. “Jon Jon allows us to do that.”
Combining that run and pass threat is a goal for Dartez.
“Our goal is to be a fast-paced offense and just get whatever done,” he said. “If the throwing’s open, I worked all summer to improve it. If the running’s open, if I have to hand it off, I’ll do that, to win games.”
Dartez averaged 6.8 yards per carry and 15.8 yards per reception. He had 441 receiving yards and five TDs for the year.
“I think his time playing receiver in that latter half of the season last year is going to be invaluable to him,” Prejean said. “There were times this summer where you see he’s starting to think like us. Based on what he sees, he’ll see a defense, and he’ll know a certain route has to come open if it’s run correctly. It allows him to anticipate and be ahead of the game and manipulate safeties and linebackers when he can.”
Dartez said that being moved to quarterback was a little stressful but that he had great support from the school and community.
“It was fun because the whole school supported me as a freshman coming up, and it helped me for this upcoming year, just learning the plays.
“I made lots of mistakes last year. But it’s going to help me this year. I got all the jitters out.”
His coach said those mistakes, including interceptions that still bug Dartez, are part of the learning curve.
“I think the bumps last year were invaluable,” Prejean said. “And we talked about it even last year. I’d remind him after a tough game that next year you will remember that tough game and lean on it. You’re talking about a kid who had six starts at quarterback, six starts at wideout, and then he was the starting catcher on the baseball team, so I think at this point he has a lot more experience than many sophomores and juniors in the state. We’re not going to count on him as a sophomore anymore. He’s just our quarterback.”
Prejean said the team had a competition at quarterback in the spring, but the experience Dartez gained at the start of the 2021 season helped decide for the coaches.
“We went through spring looking at a few guys,” Prejean said. “His ability to know and handle the offense stood out. You saw the experience was there, he knew what calls to make, and the growth and maturity had come exponentially since his freeman year, so he solidified himself in that role. He had a great summer throwing the ball at 7-on-7, so we know he can do what we need him to do now.”
“I think the spring game helped me out,” Dartez. “I did good, and I got to control the offense better. I think it’s just the playbook. I knew all the routes, and I even told the coach which routes were open and which routes weren’t open. I called audibles and all that.”
While his running ability is still his strength, Dartez said, he worked hard to improve on his passing over the spring and summer.
“He did a lot of his work,” Prejean said. “He worked with a former quarterback, Drew Lege, on his own time over the summer. He was calling practices with the receivers on his own time. I think being able to watch offenses similar to ours during 7-on-7s, he started to understand where his talents lend themselves to and where the ball needs to be distributed. And he did a great job all summer of making smart decisions. That’s the biggest thing we talk about — don’t put the ball in danger, get it out where it needs to be, take what’s there, and just trust yourself. This summer, he did a great job of that.”
“(Lege) really helped me out,” Dartez said. “I can throw much harder, much farther, at least 20 yards farther.
“I think if I’m going to be a good passer and complete at least 60 to 70 percent. I don’t think they can stop my running and my throwing.”
Dartez is learning some of the position’s finer points heading into this season.
“He’s a competitor,” Prejean said. “I think he’s learning that sometimes the best throw isn’t always the deepest throw. It’s just getting the ball to a guy in space that’s available to receive it, and letting that guy be an athlete for you. As he’s starting to trust and develop chemistry with our receivers more and more, he’s understanding that. The five-yard throw might end up being a bigger play than the 20-yard throw. That’s what I think he really did a good job of this summer.”
In addition to football and baseball, Dartez also plays basketball and soccer at VC.
“He’s a kid that kind of does everything for the school,” Prejean said. “He’s just a tremendous competitor.”