The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
QB ‘leaps and bounds’ ahead of last year
Vermilion quarterback Seth Hurd adding leadership skills to an already impressive resume as he begins his senior year
Seth Hurd didn’t waste any time showing why he was named to the Division IV All-Lorain County team last year.
The Sailors’ senior quarterback threw for 134 yards and four touchdowns on just 6 of 11 passing in Vermilion’s 56-13 seasonopening win at Oberlin on Aug. 24.
“My offensive line and wide receivers definitely made it very easy for me,” said Hurd, who also rushed for 18 yards and a touchdown. “I mean all I had to do was throw it up to them because they were running the right routes and the line was giving me as much time as I needed. So they definitely helped me out.”
First-year head coach Brett Colahan, who served as the team’s offensive coordinator last season, said Hurd has made “leaps and bounds” from a year ago.
“He’s just really coming along in terms of making reads,” Colahan said.
It showed against the Phoenix, as Hurd averaged 22.3 yards per completion. He connected with senior wide receiver Kameron Caskey twice for a pair of touchdowns as the Sailors led, 56-0, at the half.
“It always feels good to get that first win under your belt,” Hurd said. “But we can’t be content with one win. We have to just keep pushing, keep practicing, and keep getting better.”
Hurd, who plays both sides of the ball, is coming off a year in which he threw for 1,570 yards and 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while rushing for another 420 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, he compiled 41 tackles and picked off five passes, returning two for scores.
So what did the dynamic two-way player improve on for this season?
“If anything I just tried to improve my leadership skills,” Hurd said. “That’s a big part of my game I would say because I love leading the team and I just want to lead them as far as we can go.”
How far Vermilion goes remains to be seen, but it couldn’t have asked for a better start. And as good as the Sailors were on offense, they were just as impressive defensively.
Vermilion recovered eight fumbles, three of which were secured by senior linebacker Levi Jamison, who tied senior Addison Painter for the team lead in tackles with 11.
“Most of our defense is seniors, so we grew up playing football together,” Jamison said. “We work well as a unit and it’s great being out there with them. You know they got your back and they’ll be there when you need them.”
For Jamison, a big part of his drive is the memory of former coach Sailors’ coach Matt Kobal, who died in November. “We all know he’s there watching down on us, and he’s got a big smile on his face,” Jamison said. “He started to turn our program around and we’re trying to keep it that way.”
Colahan is pleased with the way his team is moving forward all things considering.
“We’re still recalling different things and it’s going to hit everybody at different points during the season, but I think having game one under our belts now is another step in the healing process for us,” Colahan said.
The Sailors will look to bring the same intensity as they had Week 1 into Week 2 when they host Brookside on Aug. 31.
The Cardinals didn’t fare as good in their opener, losing to Elyria Catholic, 56-0.
Despite its dominating performance to start the season, Vermilion wants to see how much it can improve from Week 1 to Week 2.
“It always feels good to get that first win under your belt. But we can’t be content with one win. We have to just keep pushing, keep practicing, and keep getting better.”
— Seth Hurd, Vermilion quarterback
“If we just do what we do and focus on our effort and attitude then we should be perfect,” Hurd said. “We can’t focus on what the other team does. If we make sure that we’re doing everything right then we should be fine.”