Scott Sandulli is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Perry for AZPreps365.com

The 6A Premier is one of Arizona's most competitive high school football regions. That consists of national powerhouse and Open division title contenders Chandler, Basha, and Hamilton, as well as the 6A conference playoffs' top seed Casteel.

However, achievements on the field also come with the standing of your character both on and off the field. No one checks those boxes quite like Perry senior defensive end Aiden Herring.

His leadership qualities coincide with his on-field dominance as the a standard bearer for the Pumas program.

Unlike many other players in 6A, Herring hasn’t seen the level of team success of Perry’s rivals. First coming up to varsity in 2020, the senior Herring was introduced to the cutthroat nature of Arizona high school football  during the shortened COVID-19 pandemic season.

Things weren't much easier in 2021 when Perry went 3-8. But Herring looked at the positives when reflecting on his sophomore and junior years. 

“It was definitely tough with the team going a combined 3-14, but those years were great learning points for both the team and myself,” said Herring. “We became much closer as a team and battled hard together to grind out the wins when we got them.”

After Perry head coach Preston Jones retired in 2020, Joe Ortiz took the reins of the Pumas football team. Ortiz raves about his senior leadership and their assistance in his initial transition to Perry, particularly Herring’s. 

“We’re relying on these seniors to help us lead the ship,” said Ortiz. “Aiden was the first kid that introduced himself to me when I first got hired. Me and him have constant dialogue about the overall feeling of the team and having someone like that that you can bounce things off of is very helpful as a head coach.”

Ortiz and Herring have been at the forefront of Perry’s resurgence. After three combined wins as a varsity football player,  Herring and company enter the 6A playoffs at 4-6 and are the 15th seed against defending conference champion in No. 2 Highland.

As the Pumas got better, so did Herring. 

“Since my freshman year I feel I’ve improved heavily on my pass rush and strength moves on the field,” said Herring. “Off the field, I’ve put on 80 pounds by living in the weight room, especially in the off-season.

Herring’s technical and physical improvements have translated to the stat sheet. He has compiled a team-high eight sacks, Perry's second-best 13 tackles including six for loss, a forced fumble and even a receiving touchdown.

“He’s meant a lot to the program,” said Ortiz.  “When you think of Perry football the first name you think of is Aiden Herring. To have him as that type of leader and the face of the program is awesome. 

Herring’s leadership both on and off the field fit seamlessly into any college recruiter’s notebook, without even considering his game-wrecking play on the field. As a three-star recruit according to 247Sports and holding offers from a handful of Division 1 programs, Herring plans to take his dominant and determined play to the United States Air Force Academy, where he will look to grow as not just a football player, but as a leader, too.

“Being that I’m heading to a service academy I definitely feel the need to be that much more of a leader,” said Herring. 

“Aiden’s so smart and intellectual,” said Ortiz regarding his locker room leader. “Aiden can gauge the team and understand what kind of energy is needed to lift spirits up.”

As he departs Perry at the end of the school year, he hopes to leave his teammates behind with the lessons of leading that admitted him into the military. 

“I try to be the best leader I can for my fellow defensive teammates because most of them are juniors and sophomores and I want to set as good of an example as I can for them so they can be more confident when they’re seniors and they need to lead.”