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MANDEVILLE, La. – Mandeville Offensive Lineman Ben Latiolais carries a 3.9 GPA and scored a 29 on the ACT.

Ben says that prioritizing success in the classroom is something that his family and coaches place value on.

“Coach Hutch all the time preaches about how you can’t do this if you can’t get it right in the classroom so I always try to set a good example of doing it right in the classroom,” says Ben Latiolais.

Ben plays Left Tackle for a Skippers offense that relies heavily on the stability of the offensive line.

At 6’2″, 210 pounds Ben is an undersized lineman in the class 5A ranks.

Head Coach Hutch Gonzales says that his ability to grind it out in the trenches and classroom makes him a valuable asset to the team.

“He’s a great example and he’s always willing to help. He had an older brother that came through the program who was very much like him, undersized but very responsible, and now he and Ben both help tutor some of the guys outside of the locker room and even in the locker room. I walk in there all of the time and I find him helping somebody with their school work or teaching somebody how to do something in the classroom that they may not be able to handle themselves,” says Mandeville Head Football Coach Hutch Gonzales

Ben Latiolais of Mandeville, this week’s Friday Night Football Scholar Athlete.