by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Just as this site felt was possible, although accomplished even a few weeks sooner than expected, 2022 LSU commit & #1 nationally ranked QB Walker Howard returned to the field for St Thomas More vs East St John.... and the results were explosive.
Leading St Thomas More to a 62-60 shootout win, Walker Howard went off in unbelievable fashion, all while close friend / fellow 2022 Tiger commit Will Campbell watched on.
While we were kept close to the action throughout the game & season thanks to our lead STM source Christopher Gossen, we thought it may be a week too soon for Walker to come back. Though I contacted Walker earlier on Friday to see if he was "fit to play" that night, he must've been unclear himself, as he only found out just a few hours before he'd be taking snaps.
We were a little stunned when we were tagged in a post by Gossen where you could see an STM QB, wearing #15, standing in the backfield.
IS THAT WALKER???
It was....perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised.
He was back....
....and his team would need every point he could conjure.
With St Thomas More's porous defense allowing their third 50+ point total, Howard had to repeatedly pull out the magic throughout a game with 8 lead changes, including STM losing a 21-7 first half lead.
Throughout a blistering display, Walker racked up a career high 509 yards from 28 completions (43 attempts) and 6 TDs (2nd all time); all in all, last night was a career high display from the nation's #1 QB prospect.
Howard was brilliant from the start to the last second in STM's come from behind win, throwing 2 TDs to Jack Hines, another pair to Tanner Soileau, plus 1 TD each to Hayes Moncla and Christian McNees.
McNees himself went for 217 yards from 10 catches, recording STM's first 200 yard receiving game since Jack Bech's final game as a Cougar.
"When the doctor said I was good to go, there was no question," he said to the Advocate after Friday's wild 62-60 win over East St. John. "I'm getting on the field. I wasn't expecting to play the whole game though."
This was Walker's first ever 500 yard passing performance and his 2nd all time single-game TD haul (7 vs Westgate 2020 still leads that number...but don't count him out breaking that one this year, too).
Now, LSUODYSSEY.COM have been told that "Walker will no longer be heading out to Oxford for an official visit.....it seems Walker was never going anywhere but Baton Rouge.
This past Friday, his return from a fractured fibula was as unexpected as it was unbelievable....all while Walker set his own personal career high marks after 5 weeks out injured.....
What can't Walker Howard do?
Nothing....
He is without a doubt, easily in the Top 2 or 3 greatest high school quarterbacks I've ever seen....and he's challenging for that top spot each and every time he takes the field.
He's one of the only quarterbacks, outside of Joe Burrow, who's put me in tears.....and no Walker didn't take a sledgehammer to my knee, he just does something I can't put my hand on...something that takes a long time for me to find words for....he erupts my mind, wrapping ribbons of greatness around my every vision....
His greatness takes in every year of football before him, assimilating every great QB who's come before him....including his father.......then, he transcends it all....
You have to be thankful & grateful to be able to see Walker take STM through yet another playoff gauntlet....this time hoping to win 3 consecutive state titles.
CAREER
3,602 Yards
62 TDs
7 Rushing TDs
2021 SENIOR STATS
1,870
20 TDs
2 INT
4 Rushing TDs
(Let us Know @LonnPhillips if we have any statistical errors, sometimes Maxpreps.com is incorrect, sometimes we don't have complete footage and we need your help!)
ALL OF OUR MAIN WALKER PROFILES:
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2021 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
SHOUTOUTS: Jamie, Luke & Walker Howard, great doods!