by By Dan Ninham
There is a trailblazer in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. The first athlete from Durant HS is going to college to play lacrosse.
Levi Underwood, 18, is a member of the Chickasaw Nation and is from Tishomingo, OK. He is a former Durant HS lacrosse player and will be playing lacrosse for Marian University next fall.
“I was named the Player of the Tournament at the Border Battle Tournament,” said Levi.
“There are 11 core values of my people: cultural identity, servant leadership, selflessness, can do attitude, perseverance, stewardship, trust and respect, loyalty, honesty and integrity, teamwork,” said Levi. “All of these core values speak to me and who I want to be known for. As an athlete I want to show sportsmanship, fair play, teamwork, enjoyment, and just the idea of team. It’s not all about me it’s about the team and what I can do for the team.”
“I am going to Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin,” said Levi. “It is 15 hours from where I live, and when I get there I’m hoping to bring a competitive edge to the team. I will try my hardest to make my teammates better while making myself better.”
“Durant HS Coach Mike Delloro always pushed me to be better and gave me the answers to any questions I had,” said Levi.
“Levi is one of our team leaders and strongest attackmen,” said Mike Delloro, Durant HS lacrosse head coach. “His strengths are definitely his size. Levi is fast and very tough. His stickball background with the Chickasaw Nation is very evident on the field. Levi has a very instinctual intuition on the field, and I feel his stickball background attributes to that. It’s really difficult to coach those skills.”
“Levi is one of the most committed players I’ve ever coached. He drives from nearly an hour away for practices and is always early and leaving late. He continues to improve and I think his best lacrosse is in front of him,” added Mike.
“Levi is a part of our North Texas Outlaws select team which I also coach, and features many players from OK and Dallas, TX,” said Mike. “Levi has consistently shown improvements handling this faster game play and playing up against opponents from IL, MO, NE, KS, AR, and TX. Our program has produced numerous players who have gone on to be successful at the collegiate levels.”
“When we won the Texas Lax Festival, Levi led the team with 14 goals in five games, including four huge goals in the championship game against Texas Legacy,” added Mike.
“Levi is one of the first players from Tishomingo, OK to sign and play lacrosse on college scholarship,” said Mike. “I’ve been fortunate and lucky to coach Levi who is extremely driven, strong physically and mentally, and just a fantastic competitor.”
“I wish him the best of luck and know he will represent Southern OK, the Chickasaw Nation, and Tishomingo extremely well in Wisconsin,” said Mike.
Bob Leary has been building a college lacrosse program at Marian University in Fond du Lac, WI. He has extensive experience building programs at the junior college level. He also a former assistant coach with the Iroquois Nationals.
“Levi is an incoming freshman with unlimited potential,” said Bob Leary. “He is a big, strong scorer from the Chickasaw Nation.”
“He has a very bright future, it will be an honor watching him develop,” added Bob.
Photo Credit: Misty Thompson
