After a stellar senior season for the Idabel Warriors, senior offensive lineman Caden Coursey was named to the Oklahoma Coaches Association 2A All-Star list, which recognizes the best players in the state at each position.

“I would say it was a great accomplishment,” Coursey said. “I was ecstatic. I have only played football for four years, and to see my name up there made me excited to see my hard work paid off.”

Coursey went to Denison middle school in Idabel, which only offered basketball.

“I was super small in middle school and the jump from middle school to high school was a big role in switching sports,” Coursey said.

His experience playing football rewarded him with more than just postseason awards. Coursey appreciated the “camaraderie of friends and teammates.”

“My favorite part of high school football would definitely be the memories made throughout my years, and the people I’m friends with,” Coursey said. “They have all pushed me in many ways: my academics, my sports, everything.”

To younger athletes aspiring to picking up football, Coursey said “stick with it and never quit.”

“It gets hard mentally and physically, but in the end, if you leave it all out on the field, it’s definitely worth it,” Coursey said.

Due to injuries sustained as a student-athlete, Coursey is retiring for now, but he has big plans.

“I will attend [Oklahoma State University] in Stillwater to major in business accounting and minor in finance,” Coursey said.