One of the best things that could’ve happened for Jayden de Laura and Nick Herbig was to meet daily on the football field at practice.
The Saint Louis seniors continually battled physically and strategically, often at full speed in open space. A quarterback with the intangibles and the physical ability to fool any defender. A linebacker with the aggression and calculation, relentless and uncompromising.
“Preparation is the most stressful part,” Herbig said, referring to finals week at Saint Louis before the team departed to Las Vegas for the GEICO State Champions Bowl. “If you’re prepared, (the stress level) is an 8. If you’re not, it’s a 10.”
Iron sharpened iron. The result: Star-Advertiser All-State offensive and defensive player of the year honors for de Laura and Herbig.
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“From the time he came in, Nick always worked hard,” de Laura said of his teammate. “A lot of sacrifice came into this. Every day, from the beginning of the year just going against each other, he’d disguise it more. I know his tendencies. I have to figure out what he’s doing on the next play, and the same goes for him. He knows my tendencies. That’s what’s great going against each other in practice.”
Herbig enjoyed every minute.
“I’m not surprised at all that he’s (offensive) player of the year,” Herbig said. “He made me a lot better. He’s always mobile, rolling out of the pocket, he made me really practice going for the outside shoulder, not letting him get outside of me. I thought he should’ve won it last year, to be honest. He’s just a great quarterback and I’m so glad he’s my quarterback.”
Kaimuki’s David Tautofi, who guided a roster hovering at 25 players to the OIA Division II title, was voted Coach of the Year. Cal Lee of Saint Louis and Kaeo Drummondo of Hilo, who guided their teams to unbeaten seasons, were close in the balloting.
The helmsman of the state’s most productive offense, de Laura, was a unanimous selection by coaches and media for Offensive Player of the Year honors. A year ago, de Laura was a first-year starter following in the footsteps of Chevan Cordeiro, who had followed Tua Tagovailoa.
Settling in as a senior — he earned All-State second-team honors as a junior — de Laura matured and adapted as the maestro, in similar fashion to Tagovailoa. Making better decisions with the ball, reducing risk while still taking what the defense offered sometimes meant taking deep shots as much as running out of bounds.
He did it with consistency, passing for 3,452 yards and 29 touchdowns as Saint Louis went 12-0 (not including the bowl game), captured a fourth Open Division state title in a row, and a fifth ILH crown in a row. With a 71 percent completion rate and a passer rating of 187.4, de Laura’s senior season ranks with the behemoths of Saint Louis QB lore, including Marcus Mariota. He threw just eight interceptions, and he still rushed for a team-high 341 yards and eight TDs.
The Crusaders offensive staff deployed de Laura with a fleet of experienced pass catchers and a relatively young offensive line, often in five-wide formations. That allowed de Laura to replicate when his predecessor, Cordeiro, offered defenses, particularly in open space on the perimeter. Like Cordeiro, de Laura led his team in rushing.
“Jayden is a multi-dimensional player. He can throw, run, lead, and pressure does not affect him,” said Punahou coach Kale Ane, whose teams game-planned for de Laura four times the past two seasons.
“He’s similar to the QBs he represents at the school. Some Marcus, Chevan, a little Tua, but he also reminds me of a couple of older Saint Louis QBs — Darnell (Arceneaux) and Kaipo Spencer,” Ane said. “All great athletes, dual threats, and the tougher the game, the better they performed. I love to coach against all of them or, in Kaipo’s case, play against him. If you don’t bring your ‘A’ game, they will hammer you. They force you to give up your game (plan).”
Despite late offers from Ohio State and USC, de Laura signed with Washington State.
“Jayden is in the conversation of top QBs in state history,” Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho said. “He is smart with the ball, has a quick delivery and can be fun with the ball, and kills defenses with his legs.”
After an impactful first season as a starter, de Laura’s improvement was devastating in 2019.
“Honestly, his confidence. Jayden took his game to another level and dissected defenses. He took what they gave him,” Carvalho said. “We had to game plan the entire field for Jayden. He could make all the throws.”
Darren Johnson’s quick defensive unit at Campbell had its hands full with de Laura.
“He is a special kind of quarterback who can prolong plays with his legs and arm. Washington State got them a dream kind of guy. He runs the (Saint Louis) offense to perfection,” Johnson said.
Herbig was a first-team selection as a junior, a flash who buried quarterbacks and running backs in the backfield. As a senior, his versatility as a pass rusher and a defender in coverage added another layer to an outstanding defensive unit.
His route to Kalaepohaku began in middle school, when he and older brother Nate moved from West Kauai. Nate became an All-State offensive lineman and matriculated to Stanford. Nick also embraced the culture at his new school.
“I probably would’ve gone to Waimea High School. Coming over here changed my whole mentality, my work ethic, my fire, everything about football,” he said. “I’m really glad I came to Saint Louis.”
Herbig left a lasting impact.
“Nick is a great player, reminds me of the players he will be playing at Wisconsin,” said Ane, who attended Michigan State. “Tough, hard-nosed and competitive. He fits the M.O. of a Badger linebacker. They are getting a good one. What makes him great is his preparation and attention to detail. He is always in the right place at the right time, and it’s not luck.”
Carvalho compares Herbig to another rangy defender who had plenty of success at the highest level.
“I’m a (Chicago) Bears fan, so I would compare Nick to Brian Urlacher. He has the speed, strength and quickness to play the run, rush the passer and cover any running back or wide receiver. An ideal three-down linebacker.”
Johnson hearkened back a generation for an apt comparison.
“Nick reminds me a lot of (the late) Nick Maafala,” Johnson said. “He can take over a game at any given time. Real good, very active and hard to block.”
Herbig was a true gamer. In the Open Division state final against Kahuku, he racked up 5.5 tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks, and returned an interception 96 yards for a TD as the Crusaders won 45-6.
Herbig will graduate early and enroll at Wisconsin in early January.
“For me, I had a long talk with my parents and my brother. It was a chance to get a head start, taking classes early, learn the system, the plays, start working out with the team. Put on some weight, some muscle. Get stronger and faster,” he said.
The Badgers run a 3-4 defense, similar to what Saint Louis operates.
“That was a big part of my decision,” Herbig said.
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