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.
One of the main cogs on the wheel of the Crow Creek Chieftains is senior Luke Wells. He is a quarterback and defensive end for Crow Creek Tribal School.
“I’m an enrolled member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe in South Dakota,” said Luke Wells. “I grew up on the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Sioux reservations. My dad is Luke Wells, Sr. and he’s a member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. My mom is Sandy Collins and she’s a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. Since the reservations are so close, it was easy for me to grow up on ‘both sides’ of the Missouri river.”
“The strengths that I bring to my team are my leadership skills and athleticism,” said Luke.
“Although this is my first year playing high school football, I’ve stepped into my role as quarterback and leader of the team. I have a lot of great guys on my team and we respect each other, making my job easier as a quarterback.”
Luke talked about his core values: “I was raised to be humble and respectful. If you treat people with respect you’re more likely to get respect in return. As a student athlete, I carry this into the classroom and practice.”
“My goal in life is to be a positive role model for native kids,” said Luke. “I want to go to college and play sports. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 2 year or 4 year school. I just want to play. We face a lot of barriers coming from the ‘rez’ and I don’t think people realize the effort it takes to succeed here. Athletics is going to help me and a lot of other native athletes on our journey toward success.”
“My parents are the ones who influenced me the most in my athletic career,” said Luke. “I can remember my mom at almost every single game in my entire life. She has no idea how special I feel seeing her at my games. All those early morning and late night road trips where she hauled me and my teammates around to practice, workouts, and tournaments didn’t seem like much at the time but I realize now the love she has for me.”
“I remember going to tournaments with my dad when I was young and watching him play basketball. He was so competitive and would out-work even the most talented players on the court. When I started playing in 3rd grade, my dad would be at every single game cheering me on. When I got to HS he was assistant coach so practice was brutal at times but he always pushed me to work harder. I loved having him on the bench with our team. I truly wouldn’t be the person or athlete I am today without my parents,” Luke added.
Luke is an aspiring basketball player who is looking forward to his senior season. His past few years have garnered Big Dakota Conference Honorable Mention as an eighth and ninth grader, to Big Dakota Conference First Team, Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI) Runner-up, and All State A Tournament as a sophomore, to the Jones Co. Invitational MVP, LNI All Tournament and Champions and Third Team All State as a junior. He was also awarded Midco Sports Network Game Ball for January 17-22, 2019 with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 9-14 fg, and 3-3 3fg in a win over the #1 team in the state.
“I played 3 years of middle school football as QB but this is my first year playing high school,” said Luke. “I’ve always been focused on basketball. My parents drove me to a nearby town when I was in 5th grade to join a football league. It was pretty fun so when I got to middle school I joined the team. In 7th grade, I made the varsity basketball team so when I got to HS, I was focused on basketball and I was still traveling to tournaments and I didn’t have time for football. I kept saying ‘next year I’ll have time to play’ and it never seemed to work out. Since this is my senior year, I joined the team. It’s been a fun and exciting year for the Crow Creek Chieftains!”
Photo Credit: Sandy Collins
