MANY, La. (Jan. 24, 2022) – The Kay County Student Anglers team of Jace Anderson of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and Ty Downs of Newkirk, Oklahoma, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open at Toledo Bend and advance to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship.

A field of 64 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Cypress Bend Park in Many, Louisiana. In MLF and The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing competition, the top 10% of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top six teams that advanced to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Kay County Student Anglers, Kay County, Okla. – Jace Anderson, Broken Bow, Okla., and Ty Downs, Newkirk, Okla., five bass, 15-5
2nd: Northeast Louisiana High School Anglers, Sterlington, La. – Ian Carter, Bastrop, La., and Colby Dark, West Monroe, La., five bass, 14-12
3rd: North Desoto High School, Stonewall, La. – Evan Howe, Keatchie, La., and Drake Wadsworth, Frierson, La., five bass, 14-0
4th: Ruston High School, Ruston, La. – Peyton Bennett and Zachary McMillan, both of Choudrant, La., five bass, 13-15
5th: East Texas Thunder – Collin Foley and Zane Parker, both of Kingwood, Texas, five bass, 12-14
6th: Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School, Orange, Texas – Justin James and Jacob Longlois, both of Orange, Texas, four bass, 12-4

Rounding out the top 10 teams were:

7th: Highland Park, Dallas, Texas – Cullum Brown and Dylan Sorrells, both of Dallas, Texas, three bass, 8-13
8th: Captain Shreve High School, Shreveport, La. – Devyn Pennington, Shreveport, La., and Jonathan Sebren, Bethany, La., three bass, 7-12
9th: Huntington High School, Lufkin, Texas – Brise Hazelton, Kennard, Texas, and Braden Tucker, Lufkin, Texas, three bass, 7-9
10th: Live Oak High School, Watson, La. – Anthony Distefano and Rowdie Thacker, both of Denham Springs, La., one bass, 7-8

Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open at Toledo Bend was hosted by the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission and Toledo Bend Lake Country. The next event for High School Fishing anglers will be the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Lake Guntersville, March 5, in Guntersville, Alabama.

MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10% of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, will advance to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship. The 2022 MLF High School Fishing National Championship will be held on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in Florence, Alabama, June 22-25, and is hosted by the Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The High School Fishing National Champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.