Kaden Hurst had many standout performances over the course of his high school playing career – first at North Side and, for his senior season, at Leo.
There were astounding catch and runs. Eye-popping special teams plays. Exceptional interceptions.
Throughout it all, Hurst heard the accolades and no doubt appreciated them.
And then there was his dad. Sure, he heard the praise too, but also a constant message.
“He always tells me to strive to be better, never to be satisfied,” Hurst said. “No matter what I go out and do, there is always room for growth.”
That advice has pushed Hurst to strive for more. It helped him through a superb 2023 season with the Lions, for which he has earned the honor of Outside the Huddle 2023 Football Player of the Year.
The stats speak for themselves – close to 1,400 all-purpose yards, 20 total touchdowns, 40 tackles and five interceptions. He accounted for touchdowns via reception, rush and pass (against East Noble in sectional play), as well as by interception, punt return and kick return.
The only way in which Hurst didn’t find the end zone was on a fumble.
“He was an impactful player in all facets of the game,” Leo coach Jason Doerffler said. “He has big play capabilities every time the ball is in his hand.”
Doerffler and the coaching staff knew the playmaker they had in Hurst, which is why when Leo needed someone to step up in a key moment, whether it was offense, defense or special teams, they looked to the senior.
“He is a great route runner as a receiver and very explosive after the catch,” Doerffler said. “We often direct snapped it to him in the Wildcat format and he always seemed to pick up tough yardage and big first downs.”
On defense, Kaden always got the assignment of defending the opponent’s top receiver. His athleticism that enabled him to seemingly get away from wanna-be tacklers allowed him to stay right on who he was defending. It allowed him to always be at the right place at the right time.
And on special teams, it was straight-up about talent, finding seams and capitalizing on opportunities.
Switching schools prior to his senior year felt almost like a reset of sorts for Hurst, who looked upon a new home as a chance to take his game to the next level.
“I felt like I wasn’t maximizing my potential,” said Hurst. “I did not want to have a regular final year, so I went to work.”
Leo was definitely the beneficiary, as Hurst helped propel the Lions to their first sectional and regional titles since 2011.
“Kaden is one of the more competitive people I have been able to work with,” Doerffler said. “He takes on challenges every day and really holds himself to a high standard.
“Not only does he have great speed and quickness, but he really worked on his body physically to allow him to take on hits and deal with the physical part of football.”
That hard work has translated into early graduation and a full winter course load at Ohio University as a January enrollee. He will start out as a wide receiver for the Bobcats, but the defensive coaches are well aware of his skill set. The special teams coaches as well, for that matter.
Departing high school early meant that almost has soon as he arrived at Leo, he was gone.
But he left quite the lasting impression.
“It was the season we wanted to have and I was happy to be a part of it,” Hurst said. “Seeing the whole team happy and the crowd and the fans was great.”
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