[1] He attended and played football at Columbia High School, completing 72 of 124 passes for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior.

[2] As a senior, Ward averaged only 12 pass attempts per game due to playing in Columbia High's Wing T offense.

[7] Ward passed for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns with 10 interceptions as a sophomore and was named the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

[10] He enrolled at the school for the second semester of his sophomore year and was named the starting quarterback for the 2022 season during the Cougars' spring practices.

[14] This decision was influenced by the opportunity to improve his draft stock and take advantage of the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rules in college football.

Playing in just the first half, Ward threw for three touchdowns, setting the career combined FCS (71) and FBS (87) record with 158.