Any list of the greatest Southwestern High School soccer players now starts with Aiden Hartsell.

In nine matches this season, the senior has collected all four offensive records within the Spartans program.

In Tuesday’s 8-0 win over Morristown, Hartsell scored five goals to push his season total to a program-record 36 goals and his career total to an even 100, also a program record.

Ranked No. 8 in the most recent state coaches poll in Class A, the Spartans improved to 7-2.

Hartsell (photo, left) clearly understands he is a talented scorer. He is pursuing a future playing at the collegiate level as his record-setting season progresses. The speedy, left-footed striker knows even more so his teammates are making this happen for him.

“I just want to lead my team in a positive way and make it far into the postseason. (The records) mean a lot but without the team those records wouldn’t have been able to happen,” he said Saturday morning after Southwestern’s 3-2 loss to No. 2 Providence. “It is all a team effort.”

Hartsell scored 35 goals and had 21 assists in 2020. So did his older brother, Anick, who has been wiped off the top of the Southwestern record board.

Head coach Taylor Meredith knew the offensive success of the 2021 Spartans would clearly be on Hartsell’s shoulders, but he did not expect such a scoring onslaught so early in the season.

In Southwestern’s season-opening 6-1 win over Knightstown, Hartsell scored three goals and had three assists to break Anick’s career assists record of 37. But by halftime and the Spartans up 2-0, Hartsell did not have a goal.

“We had a conversation at halftime where I said, ‘Hey, you might only get 15 goals this year and 30 assists instead,’” said Meredith, who earned career win No. 50 Tuesday against Morristown. “And then real quick I was wrong and I don’t even know why I said that.”

Hartsell scored three goals in just over six minutes in the second half to start his record-collecting spree.

In game two of the season, Hartsell scored six goals in Southwestern’s 7-1 win over Hauser to set a new program record for goals in a game. He has since moved that record to seven goals in one game.

And he broke Anick’s career goals scored record in match three, a 5-3 victory at Oldenburg Academy.

“There is that level where you have to want it more than everybody else,” said Meredith of a goal-scorer’s mentality. “And he does that. He has that mindset where he is going to score every single time.”

Hartsell is satisfied with the records but there is a bigger goal out there for his final season – winning the program’s first regional championship.

“The goal is to do better than last year,” said Hartsell of the Spartans’ 2-1 loss to Lutheran in the regional title game.

Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Providence, the defending state champs in Class A, could prove to be a stepping stone to accomplishing that feat and, potentially, set up a semistate rematch with the Pioneers.

“We will take this (loss) to heart and remember this one,” said Hartsell. “If we go far down the postseason we know we will see these guys again. We will take this game and let it humble us and push us and drive us the rest of the year.”

And it’s Hartsell in the driver’s seat for Southwestern.

“It’s his charisma that makes him special,” said Meredith. “He is the funniest kid. He is always loud and joking. He never backs down from a challenge. I think competing with his brother all of his life has made him special. He was always getting beat on by Anick, who was bigger and stronger and could put him in his place.

“Now that he is playing without him, it’s crazy. He is so fast and so talented with the ball on his feet. His competitive level is insane.”

Southwestern gets another postseason preview today with a road trip to Lutheran (5-3-1), ranked No. 9 in this week’s poll.