Popular Categories

LACROSSE

The Creator’s Game, Growing at all Levels



The Sicangu Thunderhawks, a high school lacrosse team from Rosebud, coached by Kevin “Hoch” Decora include this year, the two team captains, Cassidy Bull Shows and David Espinoza, Cory Blackfeather, AJ Clairmont, Gavyn Spotted Tail, Zane Hesse, Mahpiya Whirlwind Soldier, Laven Starr, Philip Hererra, Bobby Lee Hill, Akicita Lamb, Caden Whipple, Ty Arcoren, Josh Iron Shell, Chris Mercado, William Crazy Bull, Angelo Ruiz and Chance Eagleman. Photo by Kernit Grimshaw.

The Sicangu Thunderhawks, a high school lacrosse team from Rosebud, coached by Kevin “Hoch” Decora include this year, the two team captains, Cassidy Bull Shows and David Espinoza, Cory Blackfeather, AJ Clairmont, Gavyn Spotted Tail, Zane Hesse, Mahpiya Whirlwind Soldier, Laven Starr, Philip Hererra, Bobby Lee Hill, Akicita Lamb, Caden Whipple, Ty Arcoren, Josh Iron Shell, Chris Mercado, William Crazy Bull, Angelo Ruiz and Chance Eagleman. Photo by Kernit Grimshaw.

MISSION/THREE MILE CREEK—In Oglala, there’s the Oglala Wild, a U11 team that plays in the Black Hills Lacrosse Association in Rapid City and on the Rosebud there is the Sicangu Thunder Hawks, a high school team with players from several high schools that play in the Dakota Premier Lacrosse League throughout the Dakotas and Minnesota.

“We’ve had the Thunder Hawks as a team for the past three years, we started at U13 then U15 and now high school which is U19; we’re young with two 17 year olds, one 16 year old and several players at 13, 14 and 15 so it’s been a tough season,” said Kevin “Hoch” Decora head coach and with a Master’s in Clinical Psychology teaches at Sinte Gleska University in Mission, “we have 17 players out for the varsity team from surrounding high schools, we’re sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club in Mission, we play our final two games of the regular season May 21 and 22 in Rapid City playing Rapid City Shock on Saturday and the Sioux Falls Sparks on Sunday then i’s the league championship in Sioux Falls June 6, 7.”

The Thunder Hawks practice every night 3:45- 5:30 or 6pm, they have the use of the Todd County middle school soccer field in Mission. At the high school level, it’s a 10 on 10 game, that leaves the team with seven subs if everyone is there. The Dakota Premier League has six high school teams the Shock in Rapid City, the Sparks in Sioux Falls, Canshayapi in Morton. Minn., the Thunder Hawks in Rosebud and teams in Brookings, Aberdeen and Grant City in Norh Dakota.

“A few years ago, I had a chance to see a Lightning Sticks Society game, they call it the Creator’s Game, when I picked up a stick, it just felt natural, it was déjà vu, like I played the game before” said Decora, “for our players, when they pick up a stick, it seems so natural for them.”

The two team captains, Cassidy Bull Shows and David Espinoza were just welcomed into the National Honor Sociey, the rest of the team includes Cory Blackfeather, AJ Clairmont, Gavyn Spotted Tail, Zane Hesse, Mahpiya Whirlwind Soldier, Laven Starr, Philip Hererra, Bobby Lee Hill, Akicita Lamb, Caden Whipple, Ty Arcoren, Josh Iron Shell, Chris Mercado, William Crazy Bull, Angelo Ruiz and Chance Eagleman. Mike Prate and Pat Carlin are assistant coaches.

“We have struggled this year, moving up to the high school varsity level is tough, the game is much faster and more physical,” said Decora, “we are 1-11 this year but we’re working hard and we’ll improve, all of us love the game, there is a healing power with the game, there is a spirituality that helps pull these young men out of hard times.”

“We have 11-12 players out, all from the rez except one from Rapid City, we play in the 11 and under division of the Black Hills Lacrosse Association, there are four teams from Rapid City, one from Spearfish and one from Oglala,” said Ivan Starr, head coach of the Oglala Wild, “we practice three days week on the Loneman School football field and play on the weekend in Rapid City, we’ve played all of the Rapid City teams, we’re 6-0 on the season.”

Starr’s wife Carla is an Iroquois, I’ve been to New York and played with the Iroquois, it was a learning experience, added Starr, the kids I have develop very quickly, they’re not scared, they just get out there and do it, they pick up a stick, they are naturals; we only had three players who had Lacrosse experience

The Oglala Wild will play his weekend in Rapid City, two games on Saturday on the field just north of the train underpass on the way into North Rapid. Under 11 teams usually are 4th and 5th graders but to have enough players, Oglala has half a team that is younger. Next year, Starr hopes to field a U13 team as well and is looking right now for players for next year.

“For U11 it’s 7 on 7, for U13 and above, it is 10 on 10, we struggled sometimes to get equipment, helmets are expensive, we had help from a group called Spread the Lax and from Rosebud,” said Starr, “we have interest in possible teams on the reservation, Frank Ghost in Manderson and Muggs Cross in Porcupine, it would be nice to see the Big Foot Conference sponsor lacrosse as one of their sports.”

The Wild includes Ezra, Titus and Jeremiah Beaver, Teegan and Kevin Walking Eagle, Riley Casey, Wiyaka Big Crow, Cory and Caleb Blackfeather, Xavier Little and Chayton Running Eagle. Ivan is the head coach, Cory Blackfeather has helped as an assistant coach. The season will end with an end of the season jamboree that will also include teams from Pierre, Bismarck/Mandan and Sioux Falls.

On the next level, the University of Denver has both a men’s and women’s lacrosse team, last year’s men’s team won the NCAA lacrosse championship, they beat Brown 15-9, beat Ohio State 15-13, beat Notre Dame 11-10 in overtime and beat Maryland 10-5 for the championship. This year the team is 13-2 and has the #2 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament, the Pioneers will play the Towson/Duke winner on Sunday, May 15 in the first round of the tournament at home in Denver.

Two Natives are on the Pioneers, Zach Miller, a 5’11” junior from Steamburg, NY and Brendon Bomberry, a 6’1” sophomore from Ohsweken, Ont. Canada. Miller was a third team all American last year and was selected for NCAA all tournament team, he played and started in all 19 games. He also played on the Iroquois National team that took the bronze medal in the 2012 World Games in Finland.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.