Devon Buckshot (Onondaga): Box And Field Lacrosse Experience Paying Off At High Point University And Iroquois Nationals

By Dan Ninham (Oneida)

Devon Buckshot (Sahweñnagadih) is Beaver Clan from the Onondaga Nation. He is a 6-0, 215 lb. redshirt freshman attack player for High Point University studying sports management

Devon was recently recognized as the Big South Conference Offensive player of the week for March 3-10.

Due to the ongoing concerns of the COVID-19 virus pandemic, the Big South Conference recently suspended all athletics practice and competition this spring. 

While at IMG Academy (2016-2018), Devon led his team to second place in Nationals. He played for the Iroquois Nationals U-19 in 2016 in B.C. and won the bronze medal. Devon played in the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in 2014 in box lacrosse and also played box lacrosse with the Seneca Warchiefs and Akwesasne Indians. He played for the Onondaga Redhawks from three years old to Jr.’s with many box lacrosse championships. His experience includes numerous club teams and field teams. He also played hockey for Onondaga Thunder and Valley

“On my reservation everybody plays lacrosse or watches lacrosse,” said Devon. “I have listened to stories of grandfathers, uncles, great uncles and cousins who played and excelled at lacrosse. This makes me want to be the best player I can be for my nation.  It’s rooted in me to be a great player.  Grandpas were on original Redmen lax team. Great Uncle Leroy and Kevin are well known across all reservations for lacrosse and snowsnake.”

Reflections Of A Former Coach: Shannon Booth

“Chief Shannon Booth never gave up on me,” said Devon. “No matter how much I was crying and did not want to practice, he would tell my mom to bring me back again tomorrow. He had his son, our cousins and me running drills at his house, in the yard or in the basement all the time. He took me to tournaments when my mom could not.”

“I’ve coached Dev since he was 3 yrs old,” said Shannon Booth. “Like many of the kids on our nation, Dev comes from a family with a long line of lacrosse players. His bloodline is the Powless family of the Onondaga Nation. He was born with a stick in his hands like most boys on our nation. He never put his stick down and that’s why he’s where he’s at today.”

“One of the first things I remember about Dev when he was a little boy was his shot! He had a rocket, a real heavy shot. That’s not normal for young kids, and it’s usually developed over time. For him it came natural, learning how to aim is what he had to work on. He can put that ball anywhere he wants to now, I’ll tell you that,” added Shannon.

Shannon Booth shared a story about Devon’s first goal: “I have a lot of stories about Dev, but because I told you about his shot I’ll tell you about one of his first goals he ever scored in a game. We were in Ohiyo (Alleghany, Seneca Nation Territory) and he was in a Peanut 3/4/5 year old division. The game of box is very physical, there’s a lot of big hits and checking in every direction. At this age it can get crazy and a little scary sometimes. In this game there was a lot kids getting hit and they were dropping like flies on both teams. The kids would pick up the ball then try to run and get nailed, or they would pick it up and pass it right away to try not and get hit. Dev was out there on a shift, and he cleaned some kid out with a big hit and went running for the loose ball. As he’s running for the ball, a couple kids from the other team start chasing him. I don’t think they were going after the ball though, because they were after him. Dev picked up the ball and sees the kids coming at him. He soaked a big hit, gets knocked back then steps to the side and let’s a shot go from 30-35 feet. That’s a long ways for a little kid. It was a hard shot, top corner. It was a beautiful goal, but he scored on our goalie! Hahahah! At that age goals don’t come too often, so it was very entertaining. The crowd all had a good laugh about it. Dev just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He’s always smiling when play’s lacrosse. The boys still tease him about that goal.”

“It’s one of those stories that all the boys have, it’s the beauty of the game. They will tease and have fun with each other about it for the rest of their days you know. It’s kind of amazing the way those guys can remember every game and different plays from when they were kids,” added Shannon.

“Dev grew up with a group of players that were very competitive and committed,” said Shannon. “I have to add that the parents were very dedicated to their children and our team. Devs’ mother Jen spent a lot of hours at the box and put a lot of miles in on the road for him. We’re very fortunate here at Onondaga to have that kind of support from our community for the kids and our sports.”

“Devon and his teammates worked hard and pushed each other at every practice,” said Shannon. “They competed with each other to get better. But when it was game time, look out because they went to battle for each other every game. One of the things I’m most proud of as a coach with Dev and the rest of his teammates was that they truly are family and shared a special bond. To this day they’re all still very close friends. They’re always together when they’re all home. Dev will stop in and visit every time he comes home from school. I’m very proud to have that kind of relationship with him. We’re family. That’s what’s most important to me. It’s not about the wins and championships, they were fun and we have a lot of good memories. I’m most proud to have a close relationship with my former players. I’ve watched them grow into the men they’ve become and what they’ve all gone on to do with their lives. They’re good men and they help and give back to our community.”

“That’s what it’s all about,” added Shannon. 

“What Dev’s done at Highpoint University this year is awesome!” said Shannon. “We were watching his game on national TV and the commentators were talking him up pretty good. He had a great game that night, we were really happy for him. We all knew what he could do if he had the chance, we’ve watched him do it for years. It was nice that the rest of the lacrosse world was finally able to see it too.”

“Dev plays lacrosse today the same way he did as a kid, all players develop their own style,” said Shannon. “They just pick up more tricks and disciplines along the way. You’ll notice with a lot of our boys like Dev, they can be very crafty with their skill when coaches allow them to play like that. In my opinion, I feel a lot of coaches in college lacrosse take the beauty and individual creativity out of the game with their systems. It makes for boring lacrosse and that’s not how the game was intended to be played. It’s awesome he’s at school playing ball. He struggled in school like a lot of our boys do. But he worked hard to get there and makes no excuses. That’s a huge accomplishment within itself.”

“We have a handful of native boys across the country playing ball these days. They come from different native nations and reservations. They faced the same struggles and obstacles just like Devon has. These young men are now the role models to our youth who look up to them and want to play ball at school just like them. The same way Devon and his peers looked up to the men before them. Every reservation and community has their role models, and we’re proud to say we have another one with Devon,” added Shannon.

“I’m excited to see what the future holds for Dev, I know he’ll work hard and give it all he’s got every time,” said Shannon. “He has three more years of school, so I know there’s gonna be plenty of Devon Buckshot goals to come!”

Reflections Of Another Former Coach: Mark Burnam

“Coach Mark Burnam brought me to his team, the Road Warriors. I met people and played all over the East Coast then he brought me to IMG Academy with a scholarship.”

“Devon Buckshot is probably what you would describe as a success story at least for me as a coach,” said Coach Mark Burnam. “I met Devon when he was in ninth grade and I think he started playing for my club Team Road Warriors around then. He was a little younger then the other guys but just as big. He was kind of shy and didn’t say much but he did most of his talking on the field.  I think that’s where he was most comfortable anyways and still is. He went to high school at Lafayette High and I just had taken a job at IMG Academy in Florida and kept telling Devon like all the other kids back home on the Onondaga Nation to come play for me we need Native kids here. Now he still didn’t wanna leave and I felt he wasn’t doing well in school and was going through a tough time back home and was not on a good path but I never gave up on him.”

“So I talked to his mom and his friends his teammates and his old coaches. Now at the same time I was getting many of his teammates to come play here like Percy Booth, Mitch Laffin and my nephew Colyn Lyons. I though that if Devon got away and saw that his friends did it and what it was like for them to get a chance to succeed he could also. So at the same time we already had great players here like Tehoka Naticoke and Chase Scanlan and my other nephew Dan Burnam and his brother Luke coming the next year playing at IMG at the same time. Think we had a total of nine Native kids at the school that year,” added Mark.  

“Devon still struggled with trying to leave home and wasn’t mature enough yet so I let him have some time to think right up to the time that he came actually agreed to come,” said Mark. “I told Devon it was gonna be a big effort for him to leave home, be away from his family and his friends and I tried everyday to make him feel comfortable. I kept telling him ‘you need to stay here and give it a chance’. I knew it was going to be one of the biggest challenges he would have. I did believe in him it took some time he struggled at first and so many times he wanted to leave but little by little it got better. Then he got in shape started playing lacrosse and as he worked out everyday he got better grades and began to learn to be more regimented.  I give him lots and lots of credit. Man, it’s not easy to leave the ‘Rez’ with no family and friends and it’s not comfortable at all for these kids. I knew it was really important to make him feel at home.”

“I think he probably struggled with his confidence more than anything,” said Mark.

“I don’t think he was told very many times if he did this or did that he would be congratulated on it,” said Mark. “I have seen it many times with our youth that’s the thing I saw in the Devon. I kept telling him no matter what you do you have to keep working and the harder you work on everything the better you will do if you wanna be the best its all gonna pay off.”

“It’s not easy to get our boys to trust in you unless they really know you or you have done before or they have to seen it for themselves,” said Mark. “I told him I know there are people out there that don’t believe in you but I am telling you they are wrong watch and I see it. I know you have got what it takes.”

“Fast forward Devon a kid who no one said would even graduate from high school has already done that. He played at the highest level of high school lacrosse in the country. He played on the U19 Iroquois national team and now is a star at High Point University, a Div 1 team and was off to a great season until the virus’s hit,” added Mark. 

“I have to give a shout out to his current coach Jon Torpey at High Point for taking a chance on Devon,” said Mark. “I can’t even tell you how many coaches in the country that I told this kids going to be a star and no one took a chance but him. We talked many days about Devon and what to do and he listened. By the way he went a whole year at college to get his grades up to get that chance to live out that dream!” 

“I tell him all the time I could not be prouder! Devon is a success story and we have some very talented Native kids out there. We just need more help developing them so take a chance and you never know,” added Mark.

“Proud of all our Native boys out there doing it everyday, you are making us proud! The future the looks bright boys!” added Mark. 

Reflection of Uncle Kevin Powless

“Uncle Kevin Powless would show me his ‘moves’ and taught me how to face off,” said Devon. “He would practice with me until I got it, then practice some more.”

Uncle Kevin Powless said: “When he was younger it was hard to get him to try different things. He would only do what he wanted. I showed and told him things that will help him when he got older. When he was around 7 or 8, I tried getting him to practice his opposite hand but that didn’t go too far cause he didn’t like it. I told him he would need it when he played field lax. So when he was around 15, I seen him practicing his opposite hand. I just laughed and said only if you had listened back then, you wouldn’t be trying to do it now but I can only give advice to him. It is up to him to grasp it and let him understand what I told him to do. I see when he does something that I told him ‘cause he will look at me with a smile on his face because he remembered and understood what I had said. He had to give up his teen years to go to school away from his family. That was a hard commitment to do for a teen but he stuck it out and did what he had to do. He grasped the things I told him when he was young and used them in his own way to help him get where he is today. His family here at Onondaga are very proud of him for the commitment and sacrifices he has made for himself to be where he is today.”

Planning For The Future 

“My plan is to play three more years at HPU then go pro and work wherever my career path takes me after school,” said Devon.

Devon has learned the lessons of perseverance in his young life in and out of the box and field. “I grew up with a single mom playing lacrosse and hockey and dealing with two severe concussions,” said Devon.

Student-athletes think studies first and athletics second. Both need to be executed at a high level in order to succeed. “The advice I give to others is to learn how to effectively study and learn how to properly write a paper,” said Devon. “Learn everything you can in high school. Stay in shape.”

Photo Credit: Tim Cowie