KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports activities enterprise and japanese Jackson County. <\/i>Share your story idea with Tod<\/u><\/i><\/a>.<\/i>
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Senior security Mogie Walkingstick loved a dream finish to his highschool profession Friday as Platte County gained the Missouri Class 5 state championship.
Now, he\u2019ll stay out one other gridiron dream this week in Minneapolis, the place Walkingstick is ready to participate within the annual Native All-American Game and Camp<\/u><\/a>. The Minnesota Vikings are internet hosting the occasion at US Financial institution Stadium together with the Native American Athletic Foundation<\/u><\/a>.
Walkingstick, a member of the Cherokee Nation, made 9 tackles in serving to the Pirates high Carthage in additional time to grow to be back-to-back unbeaten state champs, however he\u2019s had treasured few alternatives to share the sphere with different Native American soccer gamers.
\u201cThere\u2019s going to be some nice athletes there, one of the best that Indian nation has to supply,\u201d Walkingstick mentioned. \u201cI\u2019m going to have the ability to bond with them over our heritage, but additionally on the identical time breed competitors between us. I simply really feel prefer it\u2019s going to be a very enjoyable expertise.\u201d
Gamers from throughout North America, together with Canada and as distant as Hawaii, have been invited to take part within the sport.
Walkingstick described himself as a \u201cJV warrior\u201d as a sophomore at Platte County soccer. He progressed to a reserve and special-teams function final season earlier than locking down a beginning spot as a senior.
He mentioned the 9 tackles he had Friday at Missouri Western State\u2019s Spratt Stadium in St. Joseph may need been a career-best.
\u201cI knew that this was going to be my final sport taking part in with these guys, and I simply needed to simply give it my finest,\u201d Walkingstick mentioned. \u201c… We needed to exit with a win.\u201d
The Pirates\u2019 protection returned just one starter from the 2024 title-winning staff, however Walkingstick stepped right into a management function with the secondary.
\u201cThe seniors above us, they had been actually good,\u201d he mentioned. \u201cThey form of took us underneath their wing and confirmed us what a very good chief was imagined to be like. I needed to hold that into the subsequent 12 months, simply attempting to imitate what they did as a lot as potential.\u201d
Platte County didn\u2019t miss a beat.
\u201cAs a senior, he stepped in and performed a vital function at security \u2014 took the spot, owned the spot and by no means gave it up,\u201d Pirates coach Invoice Utz mentioned.
He couldn\u2019t say whether or not the state title sport was Walkingstick\u2019s finest efficiency in a Platte County uniform.
\u201cPrimarily as a result of he was so constant,\u201d Utz mentioned. \u201c… He was good all 12 months, so I don\u2019t wish to simply pinpoint one sport to say, \u2018Oh, this was your best sport.\u2019 He had an awesome season, and I\u2019m very proud for all of the accolades he was in a position to get.\u201d
Utz additionally understands that Walkingstick can really feel as if he\u2019s \u201con an island\u201d because the lone Native American participant for Platte County, so all these accolades actually embrace being considered one of 70 gamers chosen for the 2025 Native All-American Recreation.
\u201cIt\u2019s a type of issues that, he\u2019s Mogie,\u201d Utz mentioned. \u201cSo, it\u2019s not one thing that defines him, by any means, however it’s not one thing that he shies away from both. He\u2019s very pleased with it, very pleased with the heritage, as he ought to be.\u201d
Incomes a spot within the sport was a senior-year mission for Walkingstick.
\u201cGoing into my senior 12 months, I knew that there have been going to be faculty coaches there at this bowl,\u201d he mentioned. \u201cI used to be actually betting on this being my most important technique to join with faculty coaches and attempt to get recruited.\u201d
Native Individuals are severely underrepresented in faculty sports activities.
\u201cThere\u2019s a statistic that lower than 1% of faculty athletes are literally Native American,\u201d Walkingstick mentioned. \u201cBeing part of that minority offers us, I really feel like, a chip on our shoulder. We wish to present that Native Individuals can actually play soccer as properly.\u201d
Thus far, he has one scholarship supply \u2014 to NCAA Division III Minnesota Morris \u2014 however he hopes to earn a number of extra after Sunday\u2019s sport.
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KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports activities enterprise and japanese Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.\u2014Senior security Mogie Walkingstick loved a dream finish to his highschool profession Friday as Platte County gained the Missouri Class 5 state championship.Now, he\u2019ll stay out one other gridiron dream this week in Minneapolis, the place Walkingstick […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-435151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n