by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
In a battle of two East Division teams that are 14 miles apart from each other, the #2 seeded East Division Lower Brule Kul Wicasa will be playing the #1 East Division Crow Creek Chieftains in the championship game of the inaugural All Nations Football Conference this Friday, November 8, 2019. The game will be played across the state at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, SD.
The center and defensive tackle for the Lower Brule High School Kul Wicasa is 5-7, 290 lb. senior Mason Jandreau. Mason is from the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe (Kul Wicasa) and his parents are Jerome (Kul Wicasa) and Keri Jandreau.
Mason is a three-sport athlete and is a heavyweight wrestler in the winter and golfer in the spring. “I feel like I just bring that energy and that positivity,” said Mason. “When I see guys down and beating themselves up I make that my task to make sure my guys are straight and focused on the game. I try to stress that next play mentality.”
“The two tribal core values that describe me would be passion and respect,” said Mason. “Reason being is I play every sport with my heart and I always try to listen up when being taught new things to show the upmost respect for my coaches and my teammates behind me.”
“I want to play at the next level but I do understand that education is most important and I would like to further that at South Dakota State University and take a major in Sports Medicine,” added Mason.
Mason suffered an injury that could have ended his career as a high school athlete. “I broke my right tibia in half during an independent basketball tournament before my junior season of basketball,” said Mason. “One thing I was told was that I may never be able to play football or wrestle again and that broke me down not only physically but mentally. I had to work really hard and prove my doubters wrong. Now that I am playing and I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life it’s an awesome experience to be back on the field.”
“My injury showed me perseverance and how to push through the rough times in life. One day I woke up and realized that there was a chance if I just pushed myself and worked hard everyday and now I am getting ready to participate in a championship match this Friday at the DakotaDome with my brothers,” added Mason.
“Coach Zeke Prado has made an impact in my life because when I feel down and out he’s right there to keep me going and put me back in the track,” said Mason.
“Mason is the heart of our offensive line,” said Coach Zeke. “Mason missed last year due to injury. So I asked him to coach our middle school team and he gladly accepted. But this season is his senior season and he wasn’t going to miss out. He began to work on losing weight and shed 50+ plus to be ready for this year’s football season. And here we are playing for the ANFC championship behind a solid leader.”
“Wild Mike Pata and Carlos Castenada have also made humongous impacts in my life by sticking by my side through my injury,” said Mason. “It was a long process and I never heard either of them complain. They only let me feel acceptance and praise when coming back from my injury. They both made sure to let me know when I was making good and bad progress so that we could critique the little things coming into this year.”
The words of wisdom are encouraging when they are told and done by our young people. “Never give up and continue to push even when things start to get heard and it feels like an uphill battle,” said Mason. “There’s always a storm before a rainbow and all you have to do is weather that storm. Pay attention in class and to your coaches. All teachers and coaches want to see you succeed so listen to them and trust them.”
Community leaders give back by providing service to encourage positive results. “I have been apart of a suicide prevention group in our school, I was the captain of a championship hand games team, I coached middle school football and I also received a sportsmanship award at Lakota Nation Invitational for wrestling as a sophomore. I have also been named the student body president for our school for the last two years and that has been awesome!”
Photo Credits: Trisha Mae and Molly Jandreau
