NEW ORLEANS (Nov. 10, 2026) – Jack Grace of Metairie Park Country Day School has been named the October Allstate Sugar Bowl Athlete of the Month, presented by LCMC Health. The award has been presented by the New Orleans Sports Awards Committee since 1957 to athletes who are either natives of the greater New Orleans area or compete for a team based in the metropolitan region.
Grace has established himself as one of Louisiana's most prolific passers, leading the state across all classifications with 3,410 passing yards and 45 touchdowns while completing 67 percent of his passing attempts this season. His passing yardage ranks sixth nationally, while his total number of passes stands fifth in the country.
A 5-foot-10, 170-pound signal caller, Grace set a Louisiana single-game record in September against Willow School, throwing for 542 yards and nine touchdowns.
Grace had a remarkable October, accounting for 1,809 passing yards and 24 touchdowns during the month. He turned in a 340-yard, four touchdown performance without an interception against Houma Christian, solidifying his place among the state's top quarterbacks.
Grace was chosen for the award over two other outstanding local athletes:
Dorrien Dunham (John F. Kennedy Football)
Senior quarterback Dorrien Dunham led John F. Kennedy to an undefeated 4-0 record in October while putting together an outstanding month statistically. Dunham completed 59-of-97 passes for 1,147 yards and 16 TDs. Dunham opened the month with a spectacular performance against Salmen, throwing for 423 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-40 victory. He followed with 218 passing yards and two touchdowns against McDonogh 35 and then passed for 233 yards and three touchdowns in a 61-0 win over McMain. He closed October in impressive fashion, throwing for 273 yards and seven touchdown passes in a 60-0 shutout of Carver. Dunham's 16 touchdown passes and leadership helped the Cougars complete a perfect October.
Silas Kiptanui (Tulane Cross Country)
Silas Kiptanui ran twice during the month of October, winning both 8K races. He first won the Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute, Indiana, with a time of 23:17.4, besting 338 other competitors. From the 3K mark to the end Kiptanui kicked into high gear and moved from 22
nd to first with his time ranking as the 11
th best in program history. He followed suit with the individual championship at the American Cross Country Championships, running a time of 23:28.7 to win by three seconds over Wichita State's Elkana Kipruto, the defending conference champ and 2025 All-American. In October, Kiptanui collected two race wins, including one being the conference championship, his first cross country conference title. He was named American Athlete of the Week on October 20 and is an American All-Conference honoree.
All-Time Allstate Sugar Bowl Athletes of the Month
2026
2025
