Max Hatty signs his college letter of intent with parents Matt and Jackie looking on.
BY BRIAN RZEPPA
One of the standouts of a Trojans defense that allowed just over 18 points per game, Trenton High School senior Max Hatty will be continuing his football career beyond the high school level.
With his commitment to Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio, Hatty will continuie living a lifelong dream.
In a story not unfamiliar to many athletes, Hatty’s interest in football began at a young age and continued to develop as he moved along the ranks.
“I started playing flag football just for something to do with my friends and the more I learned and more I played at higher levels, it turned into a game that I love and don’t ever want to stop playing,” Hatty said.
As he progressed through high school and began to make his mark as one of the better linebackers in the Downriver League, Hatty began to realize that he may have a chance to continue his career beyond Trenton.
“During my junior season a coach told me that I had a chance to go somewhere. After my senior season, a few teams got in contact with me and that’s when I knew that I for sure had a chance to play at the next level.”
His progression into a senior leader and a player that had the potential to play in college is something that Hatty largely credits to the coaching staff at Trenton.
“The experience of playing for Coach Czarnecki and Coach Segedi was really a dream come true. I had always dreamed of playing for them on Friday nights. Every coach on the Trenton staff is first class and it was an amazing experience to be coached by them.”
Hatty’s time at Trenton was capped off with a one-point win in pre-Districts against rival Carlson High School. A close game to the end, Hatty and the Trenton defense came up big and snuffed out a two-point conversion try that would have clinched the game for Carlson.
Despite a season-ending loss to Allen Park, Hatty was able to leave Trenton with his head held high. As he began to survey the next step of his academic and athletic career, Hatty found exactly what he was looking for in Heidelberg.
“Heidelberg felt like the perfect fit to me. It felt like home and I felt comfortable with the students. It felt like the football program was going to be a great family for me during the next four years.”
There are still months before his freshman season with the team, but Hatty has his sights set on cracking into the lineup.
“They want me to learn the playbook and become as strong and as fast as I can. If I’m able to do that, they want me to help contribute on special teams and possibly get some reps at linebacker if needed.”
Planning to major in computer science and pre-med, Hatty is keeping his academic options open and plans on using the next few years to carve out the path he wants to walk in life.
A key piece for the Trojans over his time with the team, Max Hatty is just as likely to make a similar impact with Heidelberg.