BATON ROUGE, La. -- In a year with an unconventional offseason and limited opportunities, Jack Bech
has found a way to impress at every turn.
The four-star tight end -- and more specifically, passing game mismatch -- came up with nine receptions for 196 yards and two touchdowns in Lafayette (La.) St. Thomas More's 39-38 victory on the road at Baton Rouge Catholic last Friday night. Bech had a 63-yard catch-and-run in the opening quarter and capped the game with the go-ahead 8-yard touchdown from Walker Howard.
It was a signature performance by a highly ranked player in a crucial showdown against state championship contenders at the Louisiana Division I and Division II levels.
"It was really nice," Bech told Rivals after the game. "The past five years, we've lost. We tried to work and we never had the edge, so all the hard work we've put in, the whole team and not one person left behind, that gave us the opportunity to win the game."
"It's another game, so whoever lined up against me -- I don't care who it is -- I can beat them," he continued. "Whether it's the No. 1 player in the nation down the worst, our chemistry is too good for anybody. We know where the ball is gonna be when it's thrown. Walker and I grew up playing together; my uncle and his dad played at LSU together and we feel like against anybody, we could compete and do whatever we want really."
Bech was used in a multitude of ways on the field for St. Thomas More. He turned short catches into first-downs; he stretched the field vertically and showed out by the goal line with his ability to get vertical and corral 50-50 balls amid good coverage.
That led to the nearly 200 yards receiving and the go-ahead score for Bech, who a week earlier became St. Thomas More's all-time leading receiver with 118 receptions, 2,206 yards and 26 touchdowns. He's averaging better than 18 yards per catch and continues to re-write school record books each and every Friday.
"That's something we work on a lot," Bech said referencing the the 8-yard go-ahead fade with six minutes to play in the game on Friday. "If he says go up and get it, that's my specialty. I had to get a foot in. Walker and I work on that a lot. He puts it right over me and he knows how high I'm gonna get and where to put it. I knew I was coming down with the ball."
Before committing to Vanderbilt early on this spring, Bech was receiving interest from LSU -- where his uncle played -- as well as TCU and Mississippi State, among others. He made it to Nashville right before the NCAA Dead Period and has remained loyal to that pledge.
Both sides are in daily communication and sources close to the four-star receiver indicate Bech is confident in his commitment less than two months away from the Early Signing Period.
"I still talk to them every day and I'm really happy with where I'm at," Bech said. "Like us, there is room for them to improve. I'm ready to come in and be a difference-maker. It'll be really fun."
has found a way to impress at every turn.
The four-star tight end -- and more specifically, passing game mismatch -- came up with nine receptions for 196 yards and two touchdowns in Lafayette (La.) St. Thomas More's 39-38 victory on the road at Baton Rouge Catholic last Friday night. Bech had a 63-yard catch-and-run in the opening quarter and capped the game with the go-ahead 8-yard touchdown from Walker Howard.
It was a signature performance by a highly ranked player in a crucial showdown against state championship contenders at the Louisiana Division I and Division II levels.
"It was really nice," Bech told Rivals after the game. "The past five years, we've lost. We tried to work and we never had the edge, so all the hard work we've put in, the whole team and not one person left behind, that gave us the opportunity to win the game."
"It's another game, so whoever lined up against me -- I don't care who it is -- I can beat them," he continued. "Whether it's the No. 1 player in the nation down the worst, our chemistry is too good for anybody. We know where the ball is gonna be when it's thrown. Walker and I grew up playing together; my uncle and his dad played at LSU together and we feel like against anybody, we could compete and do whatever we want really."
Bech was used in a multitude of ways on the field for St. Thomas More. He turned short catches into first-downs; he stretched the field vertically and showed out by the goal line with his ability to get vertical and corral 50-50 balls amid good coverage.
That led to the nearly 200 yards receiving and the go-ahead score for Bech, who a week earlier became St. Thomas More's all-time leading receiver with 118 receptions, 2,206 yards and 26 touchdowns. He's averaging better than 18 yards per catch and continues to re-write school record books each and every Friday.
"That's something we work on a lot," Bech said referencing the the 8-yard go-ahead fade with six minutes to play in the game on Friday. "If he says go up and get it, that's my specialty. I had to get a foot in. Walker and I work on that a lot. He puts it right over me and he knows how high I'm gonna get and where to put it. I knew I was coming down with the ball."
Before committing to Vanderbilt early on this spring, Bech was receiving interest from LSU -- where his uncle played -- as well as TCU and Mississippi State, among others. He made it to Nashville right before the NCAA Dead Period and has remained loyal to that pledge.
Both sides are in daily communication and sources close to the four-star receiver indicate Bech is confident in his commitment less than two months away from the Early Signing Period.
"I still talk to them every day and I'm really happy with where I'm at," Bech said. "Like us, there is room for them to improve. I'm ready to come in and be a difference-maker. It'll be really fun."