Herbert will leave lasting impression
Talented Calvert Hall senior excels in football, lacrosse
Like any seventh grader, Cole Herbert thought it was pretty cool to get out of a school day.
And although he wasn’t headed to a doctor’s appointment or visiting the dentist’s chair back in December 2014, he was nonetheless jumpy about the road trip he was taking with his parents.
He was off to Penn State for an unofficial lacrosse visit, the first of many.
LOYOLA VS. CALVERT HALL
“It was something I had never experienced and I didn’t know what to expect, so I was really nervous going to talk to a college coach. But it all worked out,” said Herbert, now a senior two-sport star at Calvert Hall in the midst of his fourth varsity football season.
Throughout his childhood, Herbert would go from one sport to the next — back then basketball was sandwiched between football and lacrosse — and easily play the part as one of and often the best player on the team. College lacrosse coaches reaching out the first minute they could when he started the seventh grade — permitted back then — is further testament of what a special athlete he is.
Herbert, who has committed to North Carolina, doesn’t look at himself as more than a contributor to a team despite his impressive resume and all the extra attention opponents are constantly paying him.
“It’s not my mindset and I don’t think about stuff like that,” he said. “I just play and have fun. That’s the main reason I play — it’s my passion.”
Close to 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Herbert plays wide receiver on the gridiron and midfielder in lacrosse. On Thanksgiving day, his attention will be focused on football when he participates in the 100th Turkey Bowl as the Cardinals (8-3) take on Loyola Blakefield at Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium. Herbert comes into the game with 24 catches for 493 yards and six touchdowns this season. He now has1,343 receiving yards and18 touchdowns in his career.
“There’s always a lot of excitement from both sides of the ball and the magnitude of this game will be so much bigger than any other Turkey Bowl,” he said. “It’s definitely special and I’m thankful to have the opportunity to play in it and we’re going to do right by the alumni with winning the game.”
Whatever the sport, Herbert has always been content to let his play do the talking. He earned All-Metro Player of the Year honors in lacrosse last spring as the No. 1 Cardinals won an unprecedented third straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title.
Those that know him best have developed a great appreciation of what he brings to his teams.
From a pure athletic point of view, lacrosse coach Bryan Kelly said: “Cole is big, he’s strong, he’s fast and he’s just got incredible motor skills and balance. He looks effortless when he goes out there and plays. He just has that gift. But also, he works hard at it.”
Added football coach Donald Davis: “When you’re just talking about Cole the athlete, he’s versatile. He could probably play 10 different positions for us if I needed him to. He can do everything: He can run, he can catch, he can tackle, he can cover, he can block, throw. And obviously, he’s a very natural pass catcher.”
And then there’s the intangibles Herbert brings as he’s matured and gained a fine sense of what needs to be done for either team to find success.
On Sept. 7, the football team was down early against St. Mary’s Ryken when Herbert recognized some of the coverages the defense was showing and shared his thoughts with Davis on the sideline.
“It wasn’t about ‘Hey give me the ball.’ It was ‘Hey, if I’m here and they do this, it might open up another guy.’ Or ‘If they do this, then I’ll probably do this because they are trying to overplay it on the top and we might be able to get something,’ ” Davis said.
“Those conversations are refreshing to have with a player that really gets it. He understands me and he can bring me intel that I don’t have or my staff has because we’re not on the field. When you have a kid running around out there that can provide you coaching level intel, it’s a blessing.”
On the lacrosse field last spring, Herbert’s maturity and understanding of the game caught up with his physical attributes and gifted skills. He understood the considerable talent that surrounded him and was aware that opponents were primarily focused on controlling him, so he wisely took what the defenses were giving, often keeping the ball swiftly moving for open teammates to make their mark.
He impacted both ends of the field, finishing with 16 goals, 39 assists and 42 ground balls as the No. 1 Cardinals went 17-1 and a perfect 12-0 in the MIAA A. People took notice as he also was the recipient of the C. Markland Kelly Award earlier this month as the top high school lacrosse player in Maryland. Inside Lacrosse released its player rankings for the 2020 class last week and Herbert is ranked No. 2 in the country.
“He really got the mental aspect of the game in line with his physical abilities and I think that sent him to the next level,” Kelly said.
“I think he also realized how much we as a team need him and so he’s been able to keep that focus in the game and always make the decisions that are best for the team. He showed great leadership and maturity and just has a level of confidence — it’s not cockiness or arrogance — that shows he’s always ready to go. It’s really impressive.”
That swagger that never wavers under any circumstance is something his teammates have come to rely on. When it’s third-and-long on the football field or a game-changing play is needed in lacrosse, Herbert welcomes the challenges.
“He’s just a kid you can count on,” said Kai Sasaki, who is Herbert’s teammate in both sports.
“Him being able to go into a game not being scared or anything and knowing what he has to do, it’s more a feeling of relief knowing one of our main players is able to calm himself and handle all the pressure.”
Herbert says many of the life lessons he’s experienced have come from playing sports and he’s quick to credit Kelly and Davis for his development as a player and young man. He knows to get the most of his senior year, he needs to be even more focused with the added responsibility of being the most experienced player on both his teams.
He’s banking on all the varsity time he’s already put in to help carry him and his teams.
“I learned from the guys that were older than me in both sports and that’s helped. And with the younger guys, I know what they’re thinking and I know what to do to help them through any situation because I’ve been through it all,” he said.
The third stop on Herbert’s seventhgrade tour was North Carolina and it hit the mark. He made a verbal commitment to play lacrosse the summer before entering high school and officially signed earlier this month after previously leaving the door open to play football at the next level.
Describing Herbert “as one of the most natural pass catchers I’ve ever coached,” Davis thinks the football schools not showing interest missed out.
Behind the scenes, he has taken calls from Herbert in the middle of the summer to get the JUGS machine out for him to catch some balls. He’s seen his standout doing a lineman’s worth of work in the weight room.
And then front and center, Herbert’s natural ability, competitiveness and game sense are all on tape.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and I know what I’m looking at in terms of a player,” Davis said. “Ultimately, I want my guys to be successful and know what they are capable of doing. He’s a guy that’s capable of playing either football or lacrosse or both at an extremely high level.”