Spears brings strong message to FCA

Willie Spears brought a positive and powerful message to the Comanche FCA last Tuesday at the organization’s end-of-the-year celebration.

A former football coach at the high school and college level, Spears, an ordained minister, challenged attendees to do a spiritual self-assessment.

He asked attendees to pick a number one to 10 on where they see themselves spiritually.

“We live in a culture and a country where we all pretend like you do everything right,” Spears said. “We all pretend like we never make mistakes. God always knows. God always sees. What if a screen came down and we had an overhead projector and we played the last week of your life. Would we be able to tell you are a believer?”

He also mentioned how teens seem to lose interest in spiritual things the older they become.

“The middle school FCA is growing faster than the high school FCA,” Spears said. “What happens in a lot of areas is when they’re (middle school) age, it’s okay to love Jesus publicly. It’s okay to talk about Jesus publicly. Once you get in about 10th or 11th grade, something happens when we get too cool, something happens where it’s not the cool thing to worship. There is going to be a time when your looks, your athleticism, your talent and your intelligence is not going to be enough. You’re going to need Jesus.”

Spears’ speech was the final portion of the night. The evening started off with a meal followed by the handing out of awards.

Colby Shannon and Jentry Whaley will have an opportunity to represent Oklahoma in FCA all-star games this summer against a Texas team with Shannon playing football and Whaley playing softball.

Students receiving individual awards were:

n 6th Grade Girl of the Year - Taylor Thompson

n 6th Grade Boy of the Year - Ayden Doyle

n 7th Grade Girl of the Year - Kennedy Guajardo

n 7th Grade Boy of the Year - Mason Hinsley

n 8th Grade Girl of the Year - Adelyn Evans

n 8th Grade Boy of the Year - Bailor Blair

n Junior High Girl Athlete of the Year - Shylah Nichols

n Junior High Boy Athlete of the Year - Blayn Hinsley

n 9th Grade Girl of the Year - Raelee Ellis

n 9th Grade Boy of the Year - Easton Bowen

n 10th Grade Girl of the Year - Drai Sparks

n 10th Grade Boy of the Year - Kylan Nichols

n 11th Grade Girl of the Year - Bre Gill

n 11th Grade Boy of the Year - Bryson Goedhart

n 12th Grade Girl of the Year - Jillian Evans

n 12th Grade Boy of the Year - Brycen Lassley

n High School Girl Athlete of the Year - Jillian Evans

n High School Boy Co-Athletes of the Year - Hollister Pollock, Cooper Epperson

n All-Star Football Player - Colby Shannon

n All-Star Softball Player - Gentry Whaley

n All-Star Weightlifting and Motocross - Rylan Shelby