It’s a badge of honor to be called a surfer dude. There are plenty on the Laguna Beach High football team, led by their 6-foot-4 junior quarterback Jack Hurst.
Surfer dudes are fearless, agile and stay calm under pressure when there’s an approaching wave. They have good timing, great instincts and enjoy moments of serenity while gliding on a board waiting to test themselves against a wave.
Hurst has to avoid tacklers, so when a wave suddenly appears it’s good practice making quick decisions just like he does in football.
“I do surf a little bit. Don’t know about good. Being on the water is time to be calm for me,” he said.
Hurst has put together a breakthrough junior season after being a two-year understudy to Jackson Kollock, who is now at Minnesota. Hurst has passed for 2,560 yards and 41 touchdowns with four interceptions this season.
“I was sitting behind Jackson and waiting for my moment and my chance,” Hurst said. “We helped each other. It was great walking that journey with him.”
He’d get mop-up duty and learn from Kollock. Both have strong arms but Hurst is more of a drop-back passer.
“Jack’s improvement has been astounding,” coach John Shanahan said. “He turns 17 later this month. How quickly he processes coverages is great. He’s got lot of savvy in him.”
Laguna Beach is a true neighborhood team at 26 players strong, having gone 9-1. The Breakers have drawn Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in a Southern Section Division 3 playoff opener on Friday at Notre Dame.
Hurst is one of the first players to have joined Laguna Beach when it started a seventh-grade team trying to keep local players from leaving. There’s one middle school in the district. The same coaches and same players have followed Hurst through, so the camaraderie and chemistry is an important advantage for overcoming lack of depth.
“It’s been the same kids and same coaches since we were young,” Hurst said. “We’re all very close and play as a team.”
His top target, junior Brady Stringham, has caught 17 touchdown passes. “He’s in the right spot at the right time,” Hurst said.
Notre Dame coach Evan Yabu said of Hurst, “He’s accurate. He’s as sharp as a tack.”
There are few coaching staffs more impressive than the one put together by Shanahan. John Selbe (Cypress), Scott McKnight (JSerra), Mike Milner (El Toro, Fountain Valley) and Mark Flippin (El Toro) are former head coaches. Mike Walcott was defensive coordinator at JSerra. David Ricci coached at Tesoro and Capistrano Valley.
“Once you hear the resume, it’s wow,” Hurst said. “They know some football.”
It’s a reunion of sorts for Laguna Beach. Last season, the Breakers faced Notre Dame quarterback Wyatt Brown when he was playing for Santa Monica. Laguna Beach won 21-9. Brown has passed for 1,504 yards and 13 touchdowns and run for 912 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Laguna Beach and Hurst will need a collective effort on Friday night from his best football buddies.
“I really like that everyone is competing, whether in surfing or skateboading,” Hurst said.
If someone is using surfer lingo after the game — stoked! — you’ll know it was a good night for the Breakers.
