Gartner granted a rare second chance

Late last season with the scoreboard clock dwindling down, time seemed to stand still.
Two of Central High's finest athletes weren't playing on the Bears' Den turf as they were expected to be.
Seniors Artie Gartner and Steven Read were eyeing the action from any athlete's worst nightmare - from the sidelines - on crutches.
In August, both gridders were expected to be impact players in the Bears' 20th anniversary season.
But a cracked bone in his right foot along with tendon and ligament damage after a long run against Gainesville High regulated the 6-foot, 190-pound Read to stand on the sidelines next to the cheerleaders.
It got worse.
According to his best friend, Artie Franz Gartner, "I picked up a fumble in the West Port game, I took a step and my (right) knee just gave out. I couldn't believe it."
Gartner not only suffered a sprained knee, the 5-foot-11, 160-pounder suffered a slight meniscus tear. He too never played another snap.
"At one point I looked at Steve and he looked back at me," recalled Gartner. "I remember saying, 'We don't want to end our careers like this.'"
Due to lack of numbers and an injury-decimated roster, the Bears finished with their worst-ever campaign at 1-9 including a forfeit nod over Ocala-West Port.
Following the season, CHS' fourth-year Head Coach Cliff Lohrey was not retained by the Bears' administration. Lohrey has said privately he will not be back at CHS next fall.
Fortunately, two of Coach Lohrey's protégés will play again.
Recently, Read and Gartner signed national letters of intent to play NAIA football for the Minot State University Beavers in Minot, N.D.

Beavers 101

Minot State has a current enrollment of 3,642 students, featuring two players from Spring Hill's F.W. Springstead High School, Bryce Hollingshead and Glenn Clarke.
Head Coach Paul Rudolph, who has been with the program for four seasons, guided the Beavers to their seventh NAIA playoff appearance last fall behind a stout 8-3 won-lost mark.
The Beavers, who are in the process of switching to the NCAA's Division II status - like nearby St. Leo University or Florida Southern or the University of Tampa - went 7-1 in the Dakota Conference to claim that circuit's crown.
The Beavers play on an all-grass surface named Herb Parker Stadium that holds a cozy 4,500 fans.

Gartner 101

Artie, who was born in Seminole County, has resided in Spring Hill "since I was 3-4 years old."
Artie is the youngest of five children to Art and Deborah Gartner.
For good reason, Gartner has been labeled a jack-of-all-trades athlete.
At West Hernando Middle School, he played football for two seasons. In basketball he played both point guard and shooting guard and in track and field he specialized in the demanding high jump, 800 and 4x400 relay.
Once he matriculated to CHS, he maintained his athletic balance. He played football for four seasons. He was promoted to varsity halfway through his sophomore season and lettered on varsity as a junior and senior.
He participated in jayvee basketball as a freshman and sophomore. He's been a member of the weightlifting team the past two years and as a senior he's returned to track and field concentrating on the long jump, 100 meters, 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
The 18-year-old Gartner is quick to point out his first love.
"I love football," said Gartner. "I've had more fun playing football than doing anything else."
Which side of the line of scrimmage does he prefer?
"I prefer offense," Gartner said. "I have quick feet and decent speed. I ran a 4.54 40-yard dash in the Nike Combine last summer at the Wide World of Sports Complex."
Due to injuries, Gartner, who projected to play wide receiver and see some duties as a slotback, was converted instead to a quarterback. Though CHS utilized four different signal callers, Gartner was the most productive clicking on 19-of-50 passes for a team-high 264 yards with two touchdowns against two interceptions.
Running the football, Gartner finished third on the team with 119 yards on 32 attempts and scored once.
Because of the injury predicament, Gartner actually never caught a pass at his natural position, wide receiver. Instead, he did a yeoman's job filling in as an emergency quarterback.
And on a team with a razor-thin bench, Gartner also played in the defensive backfield accumulating 21 tackles.

Senior memories

What does Gartner remember from his final season with the Bears?
"I love playing for Central," said Gartner. "I'll admit there were a lot more downs than ups. Like everybody, I wish we could have done better, but I had a lot of fun along the way. The guys were great."
And the damaged knee?
The knee has sufficiently heeled to allow Gartner to not only run track but also lift weights.
Why Minot?
"Minot caught my eye," said Gartner. "I never visited the school, but when I talked to coach he was a straight-forward guy. He said, 'the best guys are gonna play.' That's good enough for me."
Is the weather of any major concern especially for a Floridian who has never lived anywhere else?
"Honestly, I haven't thought of it much," said Gartner. "Everyone has to adapt. I'm looking forward to a new challenge and getting on with my life."
Gartner, who carries a 2.5 grade point average, would like to major in physical education.
"Yeah, I'd like to be a football coach someday," said Gartner of his career aspirations.
What about the transition to Minot?
"It'll be a lot easier with Steven (Read) there," said Gartner. "We've been friends since second grade. I've got his back and he's got mine."
"I was recruited as a D-back," Gartner noted. "My biggest asset is me being in the open field. I've got pretty good feet for returning kicks, too. And I'm not scared about my knee. I've gone through so much therapy, it feels great."
When Gartner isn't practicing he's doing what most teenagers do these days, playing Call of Duty or hanging with his friends.
"My parents have helped so much," noted Gartner. "They've always been there for me. I remember when they got me started with Pop Warner football and we played our home games at Central. It was a great time."
Isn't last season's finish enough motivation for the future?
"Absolutely," said Gartner picking his words carefully. "It was the worst feeling in the world standing there helpless while other guys are playing... I wanted so much to try and help my teammates."
Fortunately for Gartner, in less than six months he'll get another chance to do just that, 2,062 miles away.

By the Numbers: Central High's Artie Gartner
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO
Rushing:
YEAR ATT YDS AVG. TD LG
2008 008 031 3.88 01 12
2009 032 119 3.72 01 62
TOTALS 040 150 3.75 02 62

Receiving:
YEAR REP YDS YPC TD LG
2008 19 257 13.5 00 47
2009 00 000 0.00 00 00
TOTALS 19 257 13.5 00 47

SCORING:
YEAR TD PAT 2-PT. FG SF TP
2008 1 0 0 0 0 06
2009 1 0 0/1 0 0 06
TOTALS 2 0 0/1 0 0 12

By the Numbers: Central High's Steven Read
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO

RUSHING
YEAR ATT YDS AVG. TD LG
2008 013 -3 0.00 00 09
2009 093 392 4.22 01 43
TOTALS 106 389 3.67 01 43

RECEIVING
YEAR REP YDS YPC TD LG
2007 01 017 17.0 00 17
2008 23 326 14.2 06 42*
2009 09 133 14.8 00 32
TOTALS 33 476 14.4 06 42

SCORING
YEAR TD PAT 2-PT. FG SF TP
2008 7 0 0 0 0 42
2009 3 0 0 0 0 18
TOTALS 10 0 0 0 0 60