Zach Frazier has made a name for himself as one of the top offensive linemen in the sport of football in recent years – first as a four-year starter and All-Big 12 selection for WVU football, and afterwards as a PFWA All-Rookie selection and starting center during his first season in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, he's being looked at as a potential breakout player entering the 2025 NFL season.
But before Frazier was dominating in the trenches at the highest levels of collegiate and professional football, he got his start at Fairmont Senior High School – a school of just under 800 students in modest Fairmont, W.Va. The Fairmont Senior Polar Bears are known in recent years for their football dominance, capturing four state championships and producing three NFL players (Darius Stills, Dante Stills, and Frazier) over the past decade.
A lot of that success was due to Nick Bartic, who was the head coach for the program from 2017-2024 and posted an 87-18 overall record and 23-4 postseason record with the program. Bartic stepped down as the program's head coach earlier in 2025 after putting together a legendary West Virginia high school coaching career over a relatively short tenure. Recently, Clarksburg, W.Va-based news station WBOY caught up with Frazier after a training camp session with the Steelers, during which they asked Frazier about Bartic's impact as a coach.
"He's a legend. I was sad to see him hang it up, but he's had such a great career and such a great run of years," Frazier said. "Really thankful of him and his development of me from a young age and just teaching me football."
Our 12 Sports team got a chance to talk to former FSHS Polar Bear Zach Frazier during Steelers Training Camp, who gave his thoughts on his former high school coach Nick Bartic, who stepped down last January.
— WBOY 12News (@WBOY12News) August 12, 2025
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