Jack Hurst, Laguna Beach football live to fight another day
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After a rash of injuries derailed its best-laid plans in the regular season, Laguna Beach’s football team received a second life, a most satisfying reward for its trouble.
The embattled Breakers, recipients of an at-large berth into the CIF Southern Section playoffs, prolonged their season, behind their highest scoring output of the fall.
Jack Hurst threw four touchdown passes, as Laguna Beach defeated Lancaster, 45-30, on Friday in the first round of the Division 6 playoffs at Guyer Field.
Laguna Beach (5-6) had lost four games in a row, a stretch that coincided with what was believed to be a potentially season-ending injury to its senior starting quarterback in the Delta League opener. Hurst, who said he sustained a dislocated kneecap and a tear of the medial patellofemoral ligament against Troy on Oct. 1, returned in Week 10 for the regular-season finale at Huntington Beach.
“I’m just so thankful for coming back,” said Hurst, who celebrated his 18th birthday Friday. “It feels like I’m playing with the house’s money. I’m just playing the game that I love with my friends. I’m just treating every single game just like another game, how we prepared earlier in the season, but obviously, there’s a little more stakes.”
Hurst’s return has galvanized the group.
“It’s probably as emotional as it gets on a football field,” Laguna Beach coach John Shanahan said of Hurst returning from injury. “When he was down, and that kneecap was out over there at Troy, the idea of him ever getting back on a high school football field again seemed so impossible.
“But when they snapped that thing back into place, I told these guys it sounded like a firecracker went off, which gave me a little hope, right, because if those things were all torn up in there, it wouldn’t snap back in and make that kind of noise. … When I watched him get on the football again last week … and then come out here and win a playoff game tonight on his birthday, it’s an awesome night here.”
Laguna Beach had not scored more than two touchdowns during its month-long losing streak, but the Breakers broke out with four scoring drives in the first half.
Hurst connected with leading receiver Brady Stringham on a 45-yard catch and run, highlighting a seven-play, 68-yard opening drive that concluded with the first of the quarterback’s two passing touchdowns to Dean Smith.
“It’s amazing,” Stringham said of seeing Hurst return this season. “I love having my best friend back throwing me the ball.”
Laguna Beach built a 31-6 halftime lead, and apart from its selection into the CIF postseason, its luck hadn’t run out. As the trigger man on a double-reverse pass play, Stringham put the ball up for grabs on a deep pass and got a fortuitous bounce.
A likely interception ricocheted off the defensive back and into the hands of Smith, who evaded the defender and took it down the Breakers’ sideline for a 71-yard score.
“I saw two guys running at me, coming to tackle me, and I knew I was probably going to lose 10 yards on the rush,” Stringham said. “I trust my guy down there one-on-one … so I threw it up for him, and it worked out for us.”
Will Kimball, who made two interceptions, returned the first for a 20-yard touchdown. The Breakers took one play to convert the second into their final score. Hurst found Bob Gardner out of the backfield to make it 45-22 on the last play of the third quarter.
“I’m mad I didn’t get a few more [interceptions],” Kimball said. “I had like three other [passes] touch my hands, but I’m glad I came down with two. I’m still thinking about the one I should have taken [for another] pick-six down there … We read the quarterback. Our coach put me in a great spot.”
Stringham and Kimball have been the primary options in the passing game. Smith, initially slated to make his impact on defense this year, wound up making a difference as a receiver in the postseason.
“Teams can do a good job of taking [your favorite targets] away,” Shanahan said. “You put four guys over two, and then you leave two [in single coverage]. We got to be able to take advantage of those situations.”
Lancaster (7-4) was the second-place team from the Golden Mountain League. The Eagles ran their up-tempo offense mostly through receiver Terrance Harper (126 receiving yards and two touchdowns) and running back Gavonte Coleman (160 rushing yards and a touchdown).
Six turnovers provided the stops the Breakers needed. William Golden and Stringham each had an interception, and Wyatt Bogdan and Luca Guzman recovered fumbles. Grayson Kazmouz, James Nugent and Gardner recorded a sack apiece.
Laguna Beach travels to take on Foothill (6-5), the third-place qualifier from the Epsilon League, on Friday, Nov. 13 at Tustin High.
CIF Southern Section Division 6 playoffs
Laguna Beach 45, Lancaster 30
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Lancaster 6 - 0 - 16 - 8 — 30
Laguna Beach 14 - 17 - 14 - 0 — 45
FIRST QUARTER
L — Coleman 2 run (Davis run failed), 7:22.
LB — Smith 7 pass from Hurst (Stringham kick), 4:21.
LB — Kimball 20 interception return (Stringham kick), 0:15.
SECOND QUARTER
LB — Smith 10 pass from Hurst (Stringham kick), 8:34.
LB — Stringham 5 pass from Hurst (Stringham kick), 7:11.
LB — Stringham 25 FG, 0:00.
THIRD QUARTER
L — Harper 17 pass from Howell (Harper run), 5:44.
LB — Smith 71 pass from Stringham (Stringham kick), 4:42.
L — Harper 12 pass from Howell (Harper run), 2:13.
LB — Gardner 10 pass from Hurst (Stringham kick), 0:00.
FOURTH QUARTER
L — Wilson 15 pass from Howell (Davis pass from Harper), 8:37.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
L — Coleman, 27-160, 1 TD; Howell, 4-35; Davis, 3-29; Harper, 1-25.
LB — Stringham, 3-26; Gardner, 9-21; Golden 3-5; Team, 1-(-5); Hurst, 6-(-32).
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
L — Howell, 17-34-4, 194, 3 TDs.
LB — Hurst, 17-35-2, 182, 4 TDs; Stringham, 1-1-0, 71, 1 TD.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
L — Harper, 9-126, 2 TDs; Wilson, 3-39, 1 TD; Chambers, 1-13; Davis, 1-10, Hutcherson, 2-6; Dinkins, 1-0.
LB — Smith, 5-90, 3 TDs; Stringham, 4-65, 1 TD; Gardner, 4-47, 1 TD; Bright, 1-20; Kimball, 2-16; Guzman, 1-11; Golden, 1-4.
