Dunham quarterback Elijah Haven (5) drops back before the pass against Episcopal, Friday, October 13, 2023, at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, La. Dunham quarterback Elijah Haven (5) runs the ball up the middle against Episcopal, Friday, October 13, 2023, at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, La. He’s No.
1. A year after making his debut as The Dunham School’s starting quarterback as a freshman, is rated the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2027 by 247sports.
“I knew I worked hard all summer, but I was pretty surprised by it,” the 15-year-old Haven said of the ranking. “Even when you feel good about what you did, I don’t know if you can ever really see something like that coming. “I am just thankful.
It was speechless when I saw it and did not really know how to react. I am proud of the work I put in, not just this summer, but my whole life.” The new ranking was released after a summer of 7-on-7 work for Haven, who also attended the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux as well as camps at LSU, Florida State and Texas.
As a freshman, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Haven earned All-Metro small schools honors and was an LSWA honorable mention all-state choice. He completed 122 of 180 passes for 2,205 yards and 35 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Haven also ran for 641 yards on 107 carries with 12 TDs to help the Tigers advance to the Division III select regional round.
After football, Haven earned All-Metro and second-team all-state honors in basketball with averages of 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4.1 assists a game for a Dunham squad that advanced to the Division III select semifinals. “The thing he really worked on this summer is speeding up his feet on his drops,” Dunham coach said.
“That will allow him to get the ball out faster on those underneath patterns. “He’s the best QB I’ve coached when it comes to throwing a deep ball with accuracy and arm strength. That’s just natural for him.
Physically, he has always looked impressive. He has filled out, which adds an element in terms of his run game.” Haven is the second Dunham player to earn a No.
1 national ranking, joining former LSU standout of the Houston Texans. Stingley was rated the nation’s No. 1 player in the class of 2019 by and was Louisiana’s Gatorade Player of the Year for 2018.
Students at Baker High returned to the school's traditional campus this week for the first time since the historic flooding devastated many communities in the Baton Rouge area in 2016. Baker students were housed in a middle school facility for the classes over the last eight years. Football coach said community/school leaders are considering a football stadium upgrade with artificial turf as another major project.
Fiberglass bleacher seats at BREC’s Memorial Stadium have been removed in advance of the 2024 football season because of deterioration after decades of use, according to reporting by WBRZ. The change will make the seating at Memorial more like the seating at BREC’s Olympia stadium which does not have bleacher seats on its concrete structure..
