Dealing with disappointment doesn't seem to bother Zach Foster.
"I just always think about the 'next play'," explained the Gibson Southern High senior quarterback. "If something bad happens, you have to forget about it and go win the next play."
This was evident back on September 26 when the 6-foot, 175-pound standout overcame throwing a pair of interceptions by accounting for 314 total yards and three touchdowns in the Titans' 38-34 upset of defending Class 3A state champion Heritage Hills.
Just for good measure, he also came up the game-clinching interception in the end zone in the closing seconds.
"Zach has a great skill set," explained Gibson Southern head football coach Nick Hart. "He has worked very hard this off-season on his body and understanding where to go with the football. He makes great decisions."
Coming off a three touchdown (two passing and one rushing) performance in a 42-19 win over Boonville on October 10, Foster is now 131-of-208 for 1,489 yards with 20 touchdowns and has run 124 times for 764 yards with seven scores.
"The reason behind my success starts from all the great coaches I've had growing up," Foster said. "My teammates and all the community support we have at Gibson Southern have also played a big part as well."
One of his mentors along the way is Hart, who was a successful signal caller himself in high school and college.
"I think Zach's strengths are he has the ability to hurt you with his arms or his legs," explained Hart, who is the son of Brownsburg's John Hart. "He makes great decisions in the passing game and can hurt you in the run game or scrambling when things break down."
Since getting an opportunity to contribute in the secondary as a freshman with 43 tackles and an interception, Foster has proven to be a difference maker.
This carried over to the 2023 campaign where he earned all-conference accolades with 56 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and six interceptions and helped the Titans to Class 3A sectional and regional crowns.
"He is a great leader because he is one of the hardest working kids in our program," Hart said.
"Our team has seen what he has poured into them and in turn want to follow him."
After getting a taste of running the show as a sophomore (6-of-10 for 66 yards with a touchdown), Foster established himself as the top man last fall by going 162-of-263 for 2,053 yards with 20 touchdowns.
He also ran 115 times for 483 yards with five scores to coming away with all-conference honors once again.
"I feel one of my greatest strengths is my athleticism by being able to create and extend plays," Foster said. "I also rely on my leadership skills by keeping the team up when bad things happen."
It was as a youngster where he established his skills on the gridiron.
"Growing up, my greatest influences were my parents," recalled Foster. "They helped get me involved with football in kindergarten when I started playing in our youth league 'TYFL'."
His talents also extend to the baseball diamond where he helped Gibson Southern to a 22-8 mark this past spring and a share of the Pocket Conference title with a .284 batting average, 21 hits, 16 runs scores, and 10 runs batted in.
"Tracking down balls in the outfield helps me on the football field just with my overall explosiveness and speed," explained Foster. "As for football, the lifts and speed workouts help me succeed in my other sports as well."
Having been around the football field for awhile has allowed him to establish a good working rapport with everyone involved.
"My relationship with my receivers and offense linemen is great," explained Foster. "I've grew up with all of them and they are still my friends today outside of football. I have a lot of trust in each of them that they're going to do their job during the game."
This also includes Hart and company.
"My relationship with Coach Hart is very good," Foster said. "He always makes sure I'm comfortable with the game plan he puts in and is always calm and a good coach to talk to on the sideline during the game. My relationship with the rest of the coaching staff is great as well. Even though I may not interact with them as much as Coach Hart I still have a ton of respect for them and any coaching they give me."
The feeling is mutual for the 14th-year field general Hart.
"Zach is not only a great football player, but he is a better kid and person," explained Hart. "I have an immense amount of respect for him for how he handles himself on and off of the field."
Hoping to have the chance to show off his skills somewhere next fall, he realizes there are other areas he needs to fine tune in order to impress everyone.
"I need to continue to get bigger and stronger for the next level," explained Foster. "I also have to continue to work on throwing different routes and improve on my overall mechanics and knowledge of the game."
Away from the playing fields, he also seems to have priorities in order.
"I like to play golf with my friends or cousins and spend time with my family," said Foster, who currently has a 3.7 grade-point average. "I plan on majoring in business in college and my long-term goal is to start a business and have a family."
With the start of the post-season right around the corner, Foster knows he and his teammates need to be at their best if they want to spend Thanksgiving weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
"We have to keep getting better every day," Foster said. "We all know what our goal is and to reach that goal we have to keep competing against each other and making each other better in practice.
"As for me, I would say I need to work on continuing to get better at going through my reads and continue to improve my overall accuracy with the football."
Before focusing on the tournament, though, he wants to enjoys his senior night festivities when No. 2 (Class 3A) Gibson Southern (7-1) welcomes Princeton (3-5) to Jack Jewell Memorial Field on October 17.
