Po-Hi Wildcat of the Week #15 Announced

The Heather Cannon Wildcat of the Week #15 for the 2021-2022 school year was presented to Po-Hi senior Grant Dye.

Superintendent Shelley Arrott said, “Grant Dye, without doubt, is the epitome of the Wildcat Way because he exhibits EACH and EVERY characteristic that is true for Wildcats of the Week. Grant is a member of the Po-Hi varsity men’s basketball team and you certainly cannot miss him if you have ever seen the Wildcats play. Grant is 6’8” and he was destined to play basketball! He is one of the leading scorers on the team and that is not because he is so tall. It is because of his disciplined work ethic. Grant arrives early and stays late for practice and spends hours in the gym honing his craft. This discipline led him to be named the most improved player at the basketball banquet last year. He is also a fierce competitor. It doesn’t matter if he is playing Tiddlywinks or the biggest basketball game of his life, he is going to play to win. Not only is he disciplined on the court, but he carries a rigorous course schedule and is enrolled concurrently through NOC and his grades are exemplary. His teachers and coaches all had the same thing to say about Grant. All said he is a positive role model both on and off the court, demonstrates great leadership, and is a class act.”

“Impressively, Grant knows the importance of playing as a TEAM and it shows by his unselfish play on the court. He realizes that any individual success could not be accomplished without his teammates and coaches. There was actually a recent Instagram post about basketball and one of his fellow teammates complimented Grant on the post. Grant’s response was, “Couldn’t do it without you!

“Grant unquestionably represents the characteristics of the Wildcat Way on the court and in the classroom, but here is what everyone really needs to know about Grant Dye: He is a man of integrity. He consciously makes choices and decisions that are right, rather than following the crowd. He believes that you choose your own happiness and he seeks to find that in any situation. This belief shines through in his positive attitude. He is a man of few words, so he never mentions his intentions and purpose, he demonstrates his integrity by his actions.”

“Grant, it was not one bit of a surprise to me that you are honored for being the Wildcat of the Week. As your elementary principal at Union Elementary, I KNOW you have always exhibited the characteristics of the Wildcat Way before we even had the Wildcat Way. Before ALL PCPS students became Wildcats, each elementary school had its own mascot. As you know we were the Union Bulldogs, and I have presented a comparable award to you before. When you were just a little guy, you were named as a Best Bulldog at Union Elementary. You got to put that little denim Best Bulldog chairback cover on your desk chair for a week. I was as proud of you then as I am now!”

“It was great fun presenting this award to you in front of your teammates. I love the chemistry of the team because each time I mentioned why you were the Wildcat of the Week, your teammates cheered, chanted, and even shook their heads in unison. They ALL know you exhibit these characteristics and I could tell they are so proud of you.

“Grant, your family, your school family, and your community are all so proud of you! I know you will represent us all with great pride wherever you go to play basketball in college. I know you may want to be an athletic trainer, and I will have a job waiting on you when you graduate. I want you to be a forever role model from many generations of Wildcats to come!”

The “Wildcat of the Week” Award is sponsored by Heather Cannon Honda. The award is for a deserving high school student who follows the characteristics of the Wildcat Way which are Work Ethic, Improve, Leadership, Discipline, Compete, Attitude, and Teamwork. These characteristics may be exhibited in any setting and is open to all Ponca City High School students.

Several Ponca City patrons are involved in making the “Wildcat of the Week” a reality. These partners include Tina Christian, Senator Bill Coleman – TEAM Radio, Heather Cannon – Heather Cannon Honda, Danny’s BBQ Head Quarters, and Tyndall Dentistry.

Each week a new “Wildcat of the Week” will be selected from the nominations of TEAM Radio listeners and viewers. Winners receive a free BBQ sandwich meal from Danny’s BBQ Head Quarters and a T-shirt from Boss Custom Tees. PCPS will make the presentation weekly at Po-Hi. If you know an outstanding student at Po-Hi who is living the Wildcat Way, please use the form in one of these links https://www.poncacitynow.com//32875-2/, or visit www.PoncaCityNow.com, www.PoHiSports.com, or www.pcps.us.