By Ryan Storz
Daniel Schatz’s passing last Thursday left the area in shock.
It was less than two years ago that Schatz was slinging passes to Cody Davis, Ryan Restemayer, James Phillips, Zach Mesey and Chris Frye; racking up big yards and big points.
The 2008 team, with Schatz under center, was the best Sullivan team of the decade.
Schatz guided the Eagles to a 12-2 record and an appearance in the semifinals, while throwing for over 1,800 yards and 26 touchdowns in the process.
Schatz established himself as one of Sullivan’s all-time great athletes that year. He threw at least one touchdown pass in every game. He threw two touchdowns or more in eight games. He had four games with three touchdown passes.
Schatz’s transformation from his junior to senior season was huge. While the whole team made big strides from winning four games the previous season, Schatz’s was the biggest. After Sullivan lost its season opener to Hermann in 2007, head coach Patrick Burke described Schatz as “green,” but he commended him for his poise after taking just a handful of snaps in his sophomore year.
Towards the end of the season, it was apparent that Schatz would become a cornerstone. In a Week 8 loss to St. Francis Borgia, Schatz threw for 197 yards and 17 completions. The Eagles lost to Borgia 28-26.
The next week against Owensville, Schatz accounted for all three of Sullivan’s touchdowns in a 42-21 loss. He passed, ran and returned a kickoff for scores.
In the ‘08 opener against Hermann, he burned the Bearcats for 166 yards through the air and another 100 on the ground, while throwing two touchdown passes.
Schatz had arrived.
When the Eagles reached the playoffs for the first time since 1999, Schatz was making big plays. He threw three touchdowns in a regional win over Mexico. He flung two more touchdowns in the sectionals against Fulton while picking up 107 yards on the ground.
He accounted for the only score in a 7-0 win over Berkeley, throwing a touchdown pass and also getting an interception.
When Sullivan faced Cardinal Ritter the next week, Schatz helped put the Eagles on the board within the first two minutes of the game, throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Davis.
With the Eagles ahead 14-10 in the second quarter, Schatz scored the team’s final touchdown of the season on a 35-yard run.
Though Sullivan lost that game and finished 24 minutes from playing for a state championship, nothing took away from how proud the city was of its football team, and the quarterback who helped them get there.
It was not just the gridiron where Schatz excelled. He made big contributions to a 20-win basketball team in ‘08-’09, scoring over nine points and grabbing four rebounds per game.
Schatz’s quick hands and instincts served him well on the defensive end, where he picked up almost three steals per game.
After graduating, Schatz moved on to the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he earned a spot on the Tigers football roster as a walk-on.
He was listed as a reserve quarterback.