Senior running back Nick Herman was a human highlight reel Friday night for St. Rita.
And that’s a good thing too because Herman — who displayed the type of athleticism, burst and toughness that EA Sports developers would love — had a pretty specific audience in mind.
“I am really into gaming,” Herman said. “I play a lot with my friends from my public school back in Peotone. They watch the games online and then we talk about it when I get home.
“I really wanted to play well.”
Herman produced one of the plays of the game, breaking free for a 51-yard touchdown run on the host Mustangs’ first possession of the second half to spark a 27-17 win over Sandburg in Chicago.
The comeback for St. Rita (1-0) was built on the foundation of Herman rushing for 134 yards and two TDs on 20 carries. Junior quarterback Steven Armbruster threw a 32-yard TD pass to junior receiver Lucas Davis. Sophomore running back Brandon Johnson Jr. added a 1-yard TD run.
For Sandburg (0-1), junior kicker Drew Drzonek converted a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter to create a 3-0 halftime lead. Senior quarterback Anthony Shelton also threw late TD passes to junior Jeffery Bellik and senior Charlie Snoreck.
Herman finished with 94 yards on six carries in the second half, including a 12-yard TD run. He was his harshest critic about his performance at the start of the game.
“Honestly, in the first half, I thought I played pretty badly,” Herman said. “They were stacking the box, which makes it harder to run up the middle.
“I never allow myself to get tackled by one defender. I got tackled by one defender a couple of times, so I was really upset with myself.”
The key was letting his talent take hold.
“I like to turn my head off when I play because the more you think, the worse you play,” Herman said. “I play a lot better when I just play the game. Never overthink.
“If I have a bad play, I just come back on the next play.”
Armbruster said Herman’s veteran savvy is a key component of St. Rita’s offensive identity.
“Nick is one of the only seniors in our backfield, so getting him the ball in space is great,” he said. “You can always rely on him. Last year when I got called up, he was the first one who took me under his wing. I know I can always rely on him.”
St. Rita coach Martin Hopkins said Herman never talks about his talent.
“Nick just straps it up and goes,” he said. “He just knows how to kick it into second gear.
“He has a lot more confidence and understanding of how he fits in our offense now. With his athletic ability he’s a fun guy to work with. Just get him the ball and see what he does with it.”
At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Herman has enough size to run inside and the speed to get outside.
This is his second full season as a starter. After sharing duties as the primary ball carrier as a junior last year, Herman realized he had to adapt to a larger offensive role.
“I put on 14 pounds,” he said. “I had to be able to take the pounding and bounce off from the bigger guys up front.”
Herman has seven college offers, featuring Minnesota State, Butler and Valparaiso. He showed what he was capable of Friday night by radiating confidence.
“On the 50-yard run, you could just see the whole team light up,” he said. “It was a real boost to the whole team. That’s what I love about the game. I’m not just vocal. I just go out and play.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
