Being a surfer is a badge of honor. Laguna Beach High's football team is loaded with players, led by 6-foot-4 junior quarterback Jack Hurst.
Surfer guys are fearless, agile and remain calm even in the face of an approaching wave. They have good timing, great instincts, and enjoy moments of serenity as they glide on the board while awaiting the challenge of the wave.
Hurst has to avoid tacklers, so when a wave suddenly appears, it's useful to make quick decisions, like he does in football.
“I surf a little bit. I don't know about the good stuff. For me, being on the water is a time to calm down,” he said.
Hurst had a breakout junior season, serving two years as the backup to Jackson Kollock, who is now in Minnesota. Hurst has passed for 2,560 yards and 41 touchdowns with four interceptions this season.
“I sat behind Jackson and waited for my moment and my chance,” Hurst said. “We helped each other. It was great to go through this journey with him.”
He will receive a cleanup mission and learn from Kolloc. Both have strong hands, but Hurst is more of a passer.
“Jack's improvement has been amazing,” said coach John Shanahan. “He'll be 17 this month. It's amazing how quickly he processes reports. He's got a lot of savvy.”
Laguna Beach is a true local team with 26 players and a 9-1 record. The Breakers tied Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the first game of the Southern Section Division III playoffs Friday at Notre Dame Stadium.
Hurst is one of the first players to join Laguna Beach when it created a team of seventh-graders trying to keep local players from leaving. There is one secondary school in the area. The same coaches and the same players have accompanied Hurst, so camaraderie and chemistry are a major asset in overcoming the lack of depth.
“We've had the same kids and the same coaches since we were young,” Hurst said. “We are all very close and play as a team.”
His top target, junior Brady Stringham, caught 17 touchdown passes. “He was in the right place at the right time,” Hurst said.
Notre Dame coach Evan Yabu said of Hurst: “He's accurate. He's sharp as nails.”
There are few more impressive coaching staffs than the one Shanahan has assembled. John Selbe (Cypress), Scott McKnight (JaySerra), Mike Milner (El Toro, Fountain Valley) and Mark Flippin (El Toro) are former head coaches. Mike Walcott was the defensive coordinator at JSerra. David Ricci coached at Tesoro and Capistrano Valley.
“As soon as you hear the resume, it’s just wow,” Hurst said. “They know a little football.”
It's a Laguna Beach reunion of sorts. The Breakers faced Notre Dame quarterback Wyatt Brown last season when he played for Santa Monica. Laguna Beach won 21-9. Brown passed for 1,504 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 912 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Laguna Beach and Hurst will need the collective effort of its best football friends on Friday night.
“I really like that everyone competes, whether it’s surfing or skateboarding,” Hurst said.
If someone talks in surfer lingo after the game, love it! — you'll know it was a good night for the Breakers.
