As a high school quarterback, you are usually exempt from playing defense, but such is not the case for Corey Culver, a senior who plays both sides of the ball for the Elk City Elks.
“So far the season has been going great,” Culver said. “We are finally the older team with 18 seniors, and all of us start on at least one side of the ball. We started the season against Pampa, and they beat us last year but we ended up beating them this year. We are 4-0 now and hoping to keep the winning streak going. The past few years we haven’t been exactly pumped up to go out and play, but this year we are. Our locker room has not been like this for as long as I’ve been in high school. There are a lot of changes going on with the team this year, and I’m happy to say they are all good changes.”

Looking down the barrel of his final season in an Elks uniform, Culver said he realized that making a mark on his school means more than just completed passes or sacked quarterbacks.
“I want to always lead by example,” he said. “Whether that’s on the field or off. I try to be a role model for the kids below me. All you have to do to help them out is tell them they’re doing a good job, and teach them how to work harder for the team’s goals.
“I had a coach tell me before this season started that you never know how much it means for a freshman or sophomore to hear the words ‘Good job,’ from an older player,” he added. “I really like being in that role.”
Culver said he fell in love with sports when he was super young, and he loves to play both football and baseball because of the lifelong bonds you form with your teammates.