Baltimore Ravens starting QB Lamar Jackson and backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, known as two of the league’s finest quarterbacks, were once major rivals in High School. Their history traces back to a significant showdown where, like any other opponents, they faced off on a big stage.
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Tyler Huntley, now backing up Lamar Jackson, had a remarkable stint as the star quarterback at Hallandale High School. Meanwhile, Smiley Face played high school football at Boynton Beach. Surprisingly, they crossed paths, and Huntley went on to beat the dual-threat QB in a nail-biting title matchup.
It was Halloween back in 2014 when Boynton Beach, captained by QB Lamar Jackson, traveled 42 miles to Tyler Huntley’s high school for a 6-A district title game. Another interesting fact about the game was Huntley, who was a junior at the time, emerged victorious against senior Lamar Jackson.
Huntley’s Heroics Secured 6-A District Title Over Jackson’s Boynton Beach
The district title game was a thrilling contest that went down to the wire, with Boynton Beach seizing the lead. With just half a minute left, Lamar Jackson made an important play by throwing his third touchdown of the game. This put his team ahead by one point with a score of 36-35.
But then, in an amazing turn of events, Tyler Huntley led his team down the field to attempt a 31-yard field goal. Now, the kicker for Hallandale, named Celso Lopez, had never attempted a field goal in an actual matchup before that very moment.
However, to anyone’s surprise, he nailed the kick and sent the ball through the goalpost, securing a 38-36 win while claiming a 6-A district title for Hallandale High. The intense game is forever etched in the memory of Lamar Jackson, who made his NFL debut two years earlier than Huntley. It was also his last high school game.
Upon signing Huntley as an undrafted free agent in 2020, the Baltimore Ravens, led by starting QB Jackson, warmly welcomed him. Jackson took to X (formerly Twitter) and humorously wrote to Huntley, “You owe me from that game we played together.”
Huntley is serving as the backup for the Ravens’ star QB for the fourth season this year and has started 9 out of 20 games. During Week 18, he got his first start of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens, with a 13-3 record entering the season finale, chose to rest Lamar Jackson and other key players to prepare for the playoffs.
Huntley completed 15 of 28 passes and threw for 146 yards and 1 touchdown. However, the Ravens ended their 6-game winning streak after losing to the Steelers on Saturday by 10-17.
