G.O.A.T. of the Week: Luke Braden

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Luke Braden is the star athlete for Stratford. Whether it’s in the high jump, on the football field or the basketball court, Braden excels as an athlete for the Elks, but his contributions to the school go far beyond sports.

“He’s highly involved in many different organizations here on campus.” Stratford boys basketball coach Tyler Wright said of his star player. “As far as what you see on the court, it’s the same thing you would see in the classroom. He works extremely hard. The word that comes to mind is just his energy. The way that he talks and communicates is something that I’m really glad these younger guys are getting to experience in practice with him.”

“I try to be involved in everything i can.” Braden said. “Be involved in the community and everything else. just, it’s fun, always staying busy.”

Braden has dominated when he competing for the elks. He was named all-state at both linebacker and tight end, was a state qualifier in the high jump last year and helped lead the elks to a 2021 state championship in football.

“Luke is kind of the staple to the middle of our team.” Wright said of his importance to the basketball team. “A lot of what we do offensively and defensively goes through him.”

“Well, my teammates take a lot of it off of me.” Braden said of the pressure behind being such a big part of his teams. “We work together. We work as a team and we have fun doing it. A lot of that stress is taken care of whenever you’re out there just playing with your buddies.”

Braden knows how much it means to the community to cheer on the school and values the impact he can leave on his younger teammates.

“I hope I was just the best example that I could’ve been to these younger guys.” Braden said of what he wants his legacy to be at Stratford. “Especially, we have some new kids, some that just moved in, just showing them what really being an Elk means so that they can carry on all the traditions that we have.”

As he closes out his senior year, Braden has certainly set a standard for the next generation of Stratford Elks.

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