Comanche Athlete Begins Career as Quarterback for Lawton High School

Freshman Qynn Poata is a Quarterback on the varsity Lawton High School football team.

“It took a lot of hard work and hard work at practice, at the gym. There's just a lot of dedication,” he said.

Poata said it’s uncommon for freshmen to be a quarterback in varsity.

“It's very exciting for me, you know, just being a freshman. It's a new experience going into high school, so I think it's very, very interesting to see what it's like at another level,” he said.

Poata said he took this year to work hard and to prepare to be the starting Quarterback as a sophomore.

He said his mentor on the team is the current starting quarterback, Davarius Hardy.

“He teaches me a lot and teaches me the plays, just how to do stuff,” Poata said. “And yeah, he's just been my mentor all year.”

He discovered his love of the sport at a young age.

“Just as a little kid, just all the fun memories and my parents, you know, they brought me into the game, and I just never left it, you know, just fell in love with it,” Poata said. “So, I just kept going with it.”

He plans on sticking with the sport all the way until high school ends and wants to play for Texas Tech or the University of Oklahoma.

“Just close by, just close by family, you know,” Poata said. “I plan on keeping in touch with them for a long time.”

As for his Comanche Heritage…

“So, on my dad's side, I know that I'm a descendant of Chief Tabananika, and I'm very proud of my heritage and where I come from. And on my mom's side, I'm a descendant of Quanah Parker,” Poata said. “I think that's very interesting.”

He stays in touch with current events through his grandma and grandpa, who are active in the tribe.

Poata can be found at the gym. He also plays basketball and baseball to keep him busy.

When spending time with his family, tries to cherish the moments.