GATORADE 2025-2026: PLAYER OF THE YEAR Football – LOUISIANA – Elijah Haven The Dunham School
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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DUNHAM SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE NAMED GATORADE LOUISIANA FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
CHICAGO (December 5, 2025) — In its 41st year celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Elijah Haven of The Dunham School is the 2025-26 Gatorade Louisiana Football Player of the Year.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community. The award recognizes Haven as Louisiana’s best high school football player, and he joins an elite legacy that spans professional athletes and coaches to CEOs, such as Peyton Manning (1993-94, Isidore Newman School, LA), Nick Singleton (2021-22, Governor Mifflin High School, PA) and Keelon Russell (2024-25, Duncanville High School, TX).
At the time of his selection, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound junior quarterback had led the Tigers to an 11-1 record and a berth in the Select Division III state tournament semifinals. Haven passed for 3,281 yards and 53 touchdowns through 12 games. He also rushed for 635 yards and eight scores. He’s ranked as the nation’s No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2027 by 247Sports.com.
Haven has volunteered locally as a youth football coach. “Elijah has become more of a complete player,” said Travis Bourgeois, head coach of Episcopal High School. “He spreads the ball around to all of his skill players. He trusts his teammates and will not force the deep ball. He makes the players around him better by the confidence he displays.”
Haven has maintained a weighted 3.86 GPA in the classroom. He will begin his senior year of high school this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade, Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY and X (Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.
