Week 0 kept college football fans captivated all Saturday long, but a late-night high school matchup featuring one of the Oregon Ducks' top commits in the 2027 recruiting class inspired optimism for the future of the program.
Five-star quarterback Will Mencl, who committed to the Ducks back in April, launched his senior season at Chandler High School on Saturday night in a rematch of the Open Division state championship in Arizona against Basha High School live on ESPN.
Although Mencl and Chandler fell short, losing 37-26, the Oregon commit had a big day throwing the football. He threw for 334 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions mixed in as well. Mencl was quick to process and get rid of the ball for most of the night, showcasing
his confident decision-making dual-threat ability that attracted the Ducks in the first place.
Mencl did throw an interception late in the game that helped Basha put the game out of reach, but it shouldn't detract from how sharp he was to keep Chandler in the game. Mencl tossed three of his touchdown passes in the red zone, while another went for a 52-yard catch-and-run. Mencl added 35 rushing yards as well and evaded pressure all night long.
David Douglas gets free on the edge and Chandler strikes first in Arizona 👀 Chandler 7 Basha 0 pic.twitter.com/E0V4BLgTgZ
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) August 30, 2026
Basha was able to hit Mencl hard in the backfield a few times. On a deep throw attempt, Mencl took a hard hit and had to come out of the game for a play, but immediately bounced back and reentered the game. Unfortunately, Chandler's five turnovers, three of which were fumbles, came back to haunt them in the loss. Without them, Chandler could have won the game, given the close final score.
Something Oregon's coaching staff will be happy to hear about is the 6-foot-3 passer's confidence going into the big game. He asked for the ball first, and immediately led Chandler on a 17-play drive that ended in a touchdown pass. Mencl connected with six different receivers in the game, spreading the ball around and keeping the defense guessing.
There are still plenty of things for Mencl to work on before he arrives in Eugene, but it was a promising outing against the defending state champions in a nationally televised matchup. Mencl showed he wasn't afraid of the big moment, and nearly knocked off a nationally ranked program.
Mencl has been a big recruiter for the Ducks since committing in April and appears to be locked in with his "dream school" while his senior season plays out. He wore an Oregon headband during the game as well. Mencl and Chandler will look to bounce back next week against Cathedral Catholic High School (San Diego, Calif.) and earn the team's first win of the season.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon QB commit Will Mencl tosses 4 TDs in season opener
