By Moses Leos III.
Prior to the 2013 Hays vs. Lehman rivalry game, few Lobo fans knew wide receiver John Herrera.
Granted, last year as a 15-year-old sophomore, that may have been a given. He snagged eight receptions for 46 yards his first year on varsity.
| Photo by Lincoln Ramirez |
But on Sept. 27 this year, that all changed. Now everyone knows who Herrera is, and how viable a threat he is on the field.
That night, he gained 250 receiving yards on eight catches – four of those receptions were touchdowns. He broke the Lehman school record for most receiving yards and touchdowns caught by one receiver in a single game.
It came as a surprise to everyone, including Herrera.
“I never imagined having a game like that,” he said. “I was playing out of my mind. I was surprised at my performance.”
But Herrera is used to surprising people. It’s something he’s done since he was four.
Herrera, whose teammates call him “John-Boy,” a moniker given to him by a late uncle, began his career with his step-dad, who was often his coach.
Herrera said he was generally the youngest – and smallest – player on the team. But he believes that helped him grow as a football player.
“It made me a tougher athlete,” he said.
Herrera did not originally play wide receiver. When he began playing at Chapa Middle School, Herrera began to work under center, helping lead his teams to undefeated seasons.
However, he was put in a different position at Lehman.
He began playing as a wide receiver, catching passes from quarterback Jeremy Schilhab – a rival of his during middle school.
It was a new experience for Herrera. It was different from anything he had done before.
“I really had to use my speed, as I’m not super tall,” Herrera said. “I had to run faster to make sure I caught the ball.”
Eventually, Herrera and Schilhab became friends. They also became a viable one-two combo on the field.
Both players were promoted to varsity last year, but it was Herrera who saw the field first.
Ironically, the sophomore’s introduction to varsity was the 2012 Hays/Lehman game. The moment was surreal.
Beginning his varsity career during that game was a high achievement.
“I’m happy that was the first (varsity) game I played in,” Herrera said. “I wanted to do more, but I’m glad I got to be there.”
He continued to work hard that season, taking advantage of every opportunity, making every catch, play and block.
Now a junior, Herrera is a key cog in a high efficiency Lobos offense with big-play capability.
Despite some success, there is much work to be done. The Lobos motto of “Make History” resonates within Herrera. He understands the team must work hard to realize their goal of the school’s first ever playoff berth.
“We have to execute. We have to fix our errors,” he said. “We have to go out and practice our hearts out.”
Herrera aims to continue playing football at the collegiate level.
“I want to play (football) in college,” he said. “I know I have to work hard to play at the next level.”
