A few passers were perhaps more consistently accurate.

There have been some better at running the ball.

But has any quarterback in the history of Hawaii high school football been as good at both as Tua Tagovailoa?

We’ll never really know. The game has changed too much over the decades, making it difficult to compare players from different eras using statistics.

And if you want to go with the eyeball test, there are few, if any, objective analysts around who have seen all the great ones play and are capable of making a defining statement.

But that’s exactly what Tagovailoa did Saturday night; he made a statement. His multi-faceted performance in Saint Louis’ 30-14 upset victory over Kahuku secured his legacy, capping what is definitely one of the greatest high school football careers in this small state that oozes football culture and talent.

Tagovailoa did it at the school where the last title came six years ago, when the Crusaders’ starting quarterback was the player with whom he is compared most often.

Marcus Mariota started just his senior season, when Saint Louis beat Waianae for the championship. Mariota was great in that 2010 game, and you could see he had tools for success at the next level. But no one could have predicted Mariota would win the Heisman Trophy four years later, which he did.

Now, many are already assuming greatness for Tagovailoa at Alabama, where he has committed … and also where a freshman quarterback, Jalen Hurts, is the current starter for the nation’s consensus No. 1-ranked team.

Someone asked me late Saturday what the University of Hawaii would have to do to get Tagovailoa to de-commit from the Tide and sign with UH. My (joking) answer is to hire Lane Kiffin.

Kiffin, the Alabama offensive coordinator, is more of a proponent of the dual-threat quarterback style than is head coach Nick Saban — although Saban might be coming around, with Hurts enjoying a fantastic season that includes 11 rushing touchdowns.

Kiffin is a former head coach who could end up somewhere other than Tuscaloosa fairly soon.

Tagovailoa hasn’t wavered on his ‘Bama commitment, though has said he’d take visits to other schools.

If I were UH coach Nick Rolovich, I wouldn’t give up. You never know. If Tagovailoa goes to Alabama and gets stuck behind Hurts, Manoa could start to look pretty good to him.

Sometimes when I watch Tagovailoa play he looks like a running back. He runs different than most quarterbacks, seeming to initiate contact as much as avoiding it. He’s built like a running back, with a low center of gravity.

But then, usually within a play or two, he throws a difficult pass that even most college quarterbacks haven’t mastered, and I’m reminded that he is much, much more than a runner.

With injuries depleting the Saint Louis defense on Saturday, I was hoping that Tagovailoa might be put into the game at linebacker. If he played well on defense in a state title win, that could be the extra spice to put him at or near the very top of the all-time Hawaii prep list.

Everyone used to play offense and defense. Here are a few examples of two-way all-time greats after that changed: Kurt Gouveia (quarterback-safety at Waianae), Adrian Murrell (running back-safety at Leilehua) and, more recently, Manti Te’o (linebacker-running back at Punahou). Remember Te’o’s unreal run in the 2008 championship game?

But then I remembered Tagovailoa essentially already plays two positions — and at the same time. He’s a quarterback and a running back, and he’s outstanding at both.

Best high school football player in state history is up for debate, always will be. You can add at least a half-dozen names to the ones above from whom a solid case can be made.

With his sustained excellence over three years and versatility as a passer and runner, Tua Tagovailoa is definitely in the discussion. That sublime championship performance Saturday night certainly helps his resume.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.