Tucker Herzog may not start at quarterback for
Holy Cross (New Orleans) any more, but the unflappable senior is still winning games for the Tigers.
His latest rescuing act came last week against East Jefferson (Metairie) when he replaced injured James Tabary early in the fourth quarter with Holy Cross trailing 14-7. Undaunted, Herzog drove Holy Cross 49 yards with time running out and capped the 14-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown sneak.
Todd Spriggins followed with the 2-point conversion run.
Tucker Herzog, Holy Cross
Photo by Pat Garin Photographer, LLC
Not only did that give Holy Cross a 15-14 victory and the Class 10-4A district title, but it earned Herzog recognition as the New Orleans Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.
"He came in and did a heck of a job," said Holy Cross coach Barry Wilson. "That's two games he's done that now."
Herzog replaced Tabary against Warren Easton (New Orleans) last month and rushed for three touchdowns, including two in overtime, to give Holy Cross a 35-34 double-overtime victory. The sixth-seeded Tigers, 7-2 overall and 4-0 in district, will face 27th-seeded Archbishop Shaw (Marrero) in the first round of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association playoffs Friday.
Tabary will start again after having wrestled the job from Herzog last spring after he had to sit out with an injury sustained while playing basketball. If need be, Herzog will be prepared to replace Tabary and display the skills that allowed Herzog to rally Holy Cross twice this season and earned him the starter's role as a junior.
"Tucker's a very good quarterback," said Wilson, in his 11th year as head coach at his alma mater after 32 years as a college coach. "Thank God we have two good quarterbacks."
After Holy Cross failed to score on the previous drive that reached East Jefferson's 3-yard line, Herzog immediately went to work in putting the Tigers in position to end the regular season with a five-game winning streak.
Faced with fourth-and-10 from the East Jefferson 23-yard line with 53 seconds left, Herzog found wide receiver
Kevin Spears with a 13-yard completion. Two plays before the Tigers scored, East Jefferson interfered with Spears to move the ball even closer.
With the football on the 1, Wilson said Holy Cross intended to run a "clock play" with Herzog instructed to spike the ball to stop the clock. Instead, Wilson said when Herzog noticed the East Jefferson defenders "standing up and standing around," Herzog took it upon himself to find his way into the end zone.
"He did a good job," said an appreciative Wilson.
In a limited role, Herzog has done well all season. He's rushed 17 times for 108 yards and five touchdowns and completed 22 of 37 passes (59.5 percent) for 327 yards and two scores. Against East Jefferson, he was 5 of 9 for 92 yards, with his longest completion covering 53 yards.
Wilson said Herzog has adapted extremely well to being a backup.
"He's helped the younger players learn what to do," Wilson said. "He's an unbelievable leader."
