While 2020 comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect back on several memories made throughout the final months. With one of Washington High School’s most successful seasons in the past couple of decades, recognizing the hard work several players have put in seems to be the right thing to do. Senior Owen Bartlett, a middle linebacker on defense, has put in the work not only for his senior season but ever since he started playing in fourth grade.

In his earlier years of exploring what the sport truly meant to him, he never saw it as more than a sport to fill up his schedule and a way to let go of some pent up aggression. As he has become more captivated by all the sport has to give to him, Bartlett has realized that he can make something more out of his talent.

“I didn’t think I would be as good as football as I am,” Bartlett said, “so now I am trying to play football past high school.”

Most seniors have been finding themselves scrambling to find the best-fit college for them, Bartlett, however, is waiting for the colleges to find him. He certainly has several colleges in mind that he is fond of, but with quite the impressive season the Blue Jays just played, he wasn’t surprised by schools acknowledging his hard work. In recent weeks, Bartlett has been making trips to visit possible college options including Westminster, a D3 school. In the midst of his college tours, he received an offer from Tabor College, an NAIA school in Kansas.

In just the span of one season, Bartlett was able to create quite an impressive spread of stats, so this offer wasn’t in the slightest bit shocking for him. In a season of 11 games, Bartlett was able to make a total of over 50 tackles, which by many people’s standards is impressive. In one game alone against Fort Zumwalt North, he made eight tackles and one forced fumble on a future college running back. Following that, he had nine tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery against Battle.

“I consider them my best games,” Bartlett said. “I felt that I really stepped up to try to give my team the best chance at winning.”

Bartlett felt he did put in the work to make his senior season worth it, but like all other good things, it must come to an end. He looks forward to receiving more offers and continuing his college tours, but until then, he is going to make the most out of his last year of high school.

“[I look forward to] supporting the other Blue Jays,” Bartlett said, “and trying to make the most out of this crazy year.”