By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine
One of the top young quarterbacks in Louisiana goes to Menard High School and his name is Jake Vaughan. This young man is a class of 2026 QB prospect with a cannon arm.
Vaughan (6-1, 185) also is a really good golfer for the Eagles and is one of the better young javelin throwers in Louisiana, a state meet qualifier last spring.
As a sophomore quarterback last season, he made all-district. He doesn’t have to look off campus to find a standard that Menard’s quarterbacks are measured by – there’s some history in the Eagles’ camp.
Head coach David Perkins started at QB for the only undefeated team in Menard football history, going 10-0 in the regular season in 1978. That leaves Vaughan a tall hill to climb to be compared to his coach.
But make no mistake — Vaughan will have a chance to leave his mark on the history of the program over the next two years.
“It’s been a dream of mine to play QB for Menard since I was in the fifth grade,” said Vaughan. “The community we have at Menard is just very family-like and it is a great honor to be a leader for our team. Every parent who shows up to the games has me and my team’s back.
“Every person on the team is like a brother to me. My offensive linemen are the guys I would go up against anybody with. They are the people who protect me and make my life easier in this game. It has been a blessing to play with this group and I wouldn’t want to play football for anyone else,” he said.
Perkins, also Menard’s athletic director, is excited about the young man playing the position he once manned.
“Jake is a dual threat QB, left-handed with a great arm, and also a great runner,” said Perkins. “As he goes, the Eagles go. He has a great sense of our offense, and is a great leader and mentor to younger players.”
The Eagles’ offensive coordinator, Julio Ortiz, said Vaughan is unselfish and sets a great tone for the team.
“In the ultimate team sport of football, Jake would be what you would consider to be the ultimate teammate. He is selfless,” said Ortiz. “He is the type of player that leads by example and is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team.
“I have really been impressed with Jake’s mental approach to the game this year. He strives to improve week to week and doesn’t mind staying after practice to get extra reps with his teammates,” the Menard OC said.
That’s the kind of player that a team rallies around. Add in his talent, and I think there could be a lot of success in the Menard program and a good number of colleges keeping watch over the next two seasons.
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com
Lee Brecheen has been covering high school football and recruiting in Louisiana since the early ‘90s. He is owner of Louisiana Football Magazine and can be followed on X @LeeBrecheen. He hosts a YouTube show, The Sports Scouting Report with Lee Brecheen. Previews of all state high schools are available on lafootballmagazine.com.