Hazipta, Qutaishat ready for district bouts

Lawton High seniors Nathan Hazipta and David Qutaishat are revving up for district play and prepared to show their abilities and the work they’ve put in as a team.

Quarterback Nathan Hazipta has been a part of Wolverine football for four years and also plays baseball at Lawton High. He credits coach Lorenzo Williams for helping him fall back in love with the sport and play to the best of his abilities.

“I’m dedicated to baseball, but coach Zo made me fall in love with (football) again after I was away from it for a bit.”

After high school, Hazipta is considering college but might decide to go to a trade school and follow in his family’s footsteps.

“I want to go to OU maybe, but if not, I might go to a trade school to work on welding or to be an electrician. My uncles work in that so I’m kind of familiar with that already.”

When it comes to getting ready for games, Hazipta studies film all week to know what to look for in the upcoming matchup. He knows he’s a leader for the Wolverines and makes sure he stays at his best so that others on the team can replicate the same intensity.

“Communicating is so important. Making sure everybody is on that same page and making sure that us as upperclassmen are doing things the right way. If I want people to look up to me, I have to make sure I’m doing my best before I can help anybody else.”

Hazipta said that football has taught him how to be a better person and work well with others. He also mentioned how each game so far this season was an opportunity for trial and error. As important district games come around, he has high hopes for his squad.

“These three games we’ve played…they showed us what we can be when we can do stuff right. They also showed us what we aren’t going to be when we do stuff wrong. Going into districts, those games are behind us. We have to go out there with a fresh mindset and win district games.”

At the end of the day, Hazipta want’s to make sure he leaves it all on the field. As his senior season is underway, he is taking in all the memories with his brothers on the Wolverine football team and making the most of it.

“You’re never going to have another senior year in high school. I go out there and make sure that when I look back on this, I can say I gave it my best,” said Hazipta. “I’m going to miss my guys. The coaching staff and players, we’re all one big family and it’s going to be sad when we go. “

Middle linebacker David Qutaishat is a four-year senior and also wrestles for Lawton High. After high school he plans on finishing the welding program he is currently enrolled in or possibly using his football talents to help him go to college.

“If I don’t play football after highschool, I’m doing a trade for welding right now so that’s a possibility. I might even go to the Air Force.”

Qutaishat says that to see success, it’s all about how you come prepared. To him, preparation starts at the beginning of the week and staying focused on the game ahead with film and communication with teammates and coaches is a big part of that.

“You’ve got to prepare throughout the week. Need to watch film and talk with your teammates. As it gets closer to game day, stay locked in and then give it your all.

Discipline is a big lesson that Quaitashat has learned from football. Putting countless hours into the grind will produce results if you truly work for it. In his senior season, he wants to leave his final game and say he has no regrets.

“Staying disciplined is a big lesson. You have to do drills right, perfect your craft, watch film, and prepare. It takes time to be great,” said Qutaishat. “This season means a lot as a senior. We’ve been working all summer and throughout the year…I don’t want to look back on this season and think I missed chances to do better.”

For the rest of his season, his keys to success come down to what the team is willing to do off the field to be ready for gameday.

“I feel like we’ll be at our best if we continue working outside of practice and getting ready for gameday as a team. There’s still a lot to look forward to.”