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Contact: Angélica Mecham
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Phone: (307) 721-4400 ext. 56024
E-mail: amecham@acsd1.org
LHS Send Devine and Luckie to Shrine Bowl 2022
LARAMIE, Wyo. (6/9/2022) – This year's 49th annual Shrine Bowl 2022 includes two Laramie High School (LHS) football players, Talon Luckie and Jackson Devine. These graduated seniors will play with other schools from the southern portion of Wyoming, forming the South Team with Mark Lenhardt of Rock Springs, WY as their coach.
Woody Hayes, Former OSU Head Coach, once said,
A good football player finds out that he gets knocked down dozens of times. But he gets up, and the first thing he knows, he's knocking other people down. The great thing about football is that when you get knocked down, you get up and go again. You don't lie there and moan and groan and rail against the fates.
Certainly, Talon Luckie and Jackson Devine can relate to being knocked down and getting up again. For these two LHS alums, the challenges of life and the game of football have taught them both the attributes of perseverance, valor, and the compassion learned from the comradery of teammates. What follows is their Shrine Bowl success story:
Jackson Devine
There comes a time when most Americans will consider this sport and pass judgment. But Jackson Devine has no qualms about his passion for the game,
When I think of football, I think of the feeling of running out onto the field on Friday nights alongside my teammates. I think about practicing during the hot days of Fall camp when we have two practices a day. I think about the feeling of popping pads with an opponent when I make contact with a defender or when I am on defense, and I make a tackle. I think about the feeling of hitting the ground after a diving catch.
Football has been Devine's go-to since 4th grade, and there isn't a part of playing football he doesn't like,
I love football, every part of it. I love the physical and mental parts of being a football player; I love being a part of a team and all of the teammates that I have played with over the years. I am very grateful to all the coaches I have played for since the 4th grade. I am very honored and humbled to be chosen to play in the Shrine Bowl this year.
But Devine's youth football career didn't go quite as planned, which is why he can relate to those children whom he and his fellow teammates visited at Shriner's hospital. Most athletes experience injuries and battle through different physical things from playing sports. But there was a greater challenge for Devine’s journey to the Shrine Bowl.
During his 8th grade year, he had to have bilateral knee surgery due to a condition called Osteochondral Defect (OCD), where the blood had stopped flowing to the bones in his knees. When this condition was first discovered, he did not know if he would ever be able to run again. There was no guarantee he would completely heal. However, with the support from family, friends, and coaches, he beat the odds.
Devine will be attending the University of Wyoming's Pharmacy program in the Fall of 2022. With the positive mindset and drive he has developed through football and a major life trial, success is the only reasonable diagnosis for Jackson Devine.
Talon Luckie
There are three things football player Luckie attributes to his success thus far, God, family and a little trust,
I always try to trust God in creating my path and give me the strength to succeed and prosper in what He has in store for me. If it also wasn't for the support of my family when it comes to sports, I'd never be able to succeed in my athletics.
Mental preparation for the game includes prayer with his teammates, especially those he is closest to. Physically preparing involves stretching and mind-muscle connection exercises. His reasons for success mirror soldiers fighting on a battlefield when comrades on either side supersede memories of family and country,
My why is fueled by my team. When it comes to being exhausted, I always try to do my best, and if I am struggling within a game, I'm always harder on myself to succeed for them.
However, football has not always been a thing for Luckie. Of the four years he attended Laramie High School, his senior year was the first time he laced up football cleats.
When I think of football, the first thing I think about is trying something new. Coming into Shrine Bowl, I have only played one season of high school football, purely based on trying something new.
But he is not new to competition. For Luckie, there are several gains to the game. Positive mental and physical strength, the ability to release stress, anger, or anxiety, and pushing his body's limits motivate his perseverance in being his best self. But what is a sports hero without a vice? For this modern-day athlete, it's all about the shoes. "I think one thing that I will need to sacrifice for my future self is my shopping addiction, especially with shoes," he confessed.
Luckie plans on attending Casper College to play two years of college soccer and get an associate's degree in physical education. Then, he will work towards a BA in Physical Education and Adaptive Certifications to work with special needs kids.
These two football veterans have been getting to know their new teammates, coaches, and plays this past week. They have worked hard and played hard to win this Saturday's game against the North Team. But no matter the outcome, Devine and Luckie are counted among the best of the best in the best state of the Union -they are already winners.
Finally, as Devine and Luckie toe the line of life, this writer's advice to them is as follows,
Your next block won't be your last. In life, expect to be tackled over and over again. There will be times when just breathing will be hard. Life is a ratio of 50/50. Half the time, you are happy, but the other half is the final 10 seconds of the game when you struggle to remember your why. You can't beat the ratio, but you can play to win. After the muscles give and the mental game lags, play with your heart. That is how you overcome, not just in football but also in the game of life.
With that said, the odds of the South Team winning this year's Shrine Bowl are pretty good because they have Devine Luck(ie) on their side.
Saturday’s Schedule for Shrine Bowl
Saturday 6/11TimeLocation8 am Free Pancake BreakfastCity Park, Outside NCHS Stadium10 am Shrine Bowl ParadeCity Park- 711 South Center Street in CasperNoon Tailgate Party BeginsOutside NCHS Stadium1 pm Parent IntroductionsUnder the scoreboard/NCHS Dick Cheney Alumni Field2 pm Kick OffNCHS Dick Cheney Alumni Field
Links to Follow:
Wyoming Shrine Bowl: http://wyoshrinebowl.com/
Wyoming Shrine Bowl Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wyoshrinebowl/
WyoPrep Shrine Bowl Coverage: https://wyopreps.com/tags/wyoming-shrine-bowl/
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