Resilient Mt. Spokane teammate graduates
To prep football fans Dakota Hipes is a familiar name. The Mt. Spokane running back accrued rushing yards, scored touchdowns and was regularly featured in the newspaper’s sports pages.
What fans may not know is the resiliency, heart and determination Hipes demonstrated on the football field was forged in the fires of a tumultuous home life.
“I was 13 when my dad died,” said Hipes. “I was really close to him.”
Watching his dad lose a painful battle with liver cancer profoundly affected the young teen. He found a refuge of sorts in football. “My older brother played, so that’s the reason I played.” Chuckling, he added, “I wanted to try to be better than him.”
But at home, his family floundered. At 16, he was legally emancipated from his mother, left California and moved here. An older cousin in the area became his guardian.
Hipes said it was a good move. “My cousin is in his 50s and was former military.”
He wasn’t sure what to expect when he came to Mt. Spokane High School, but what he found was a family. “I was immediately supported by the community. It’s a great school.”
Mt. Spokane guidance counselor Jamie Goodman said he’s an easy student to embrace. “He’s the nicest kid – just phenomenal. Nothing negative comes out of his mouth. He just rolls with whatever comes his way.”
That positive attitude shines both on and off the field. Mt. Spokane had an incredible season, making it all the way to the state semifinals.
“He isn’t the star player,” Goodman said. “But he plays with all his heart and soul. He pushes himself harder than anyone.”
Ever humble, Hipes credits his teammates. “I’m proud of the team,” he said. “We went farther than any other team in Mt. Spokane history. I enjoy the players. We’re just a big family and that makes it easy to fight for each other.”
He downplays his role on the team, but newspaper articles tell the story:
“Dakota Hipes took a sweep and dashed 52 yards for a TD.”
“The Wildcats scored late in the third quarter on a Dakota Hipes 23-yard run, his second TD.”
“The Wildcats needed just two plays to draw even at 21-21 when Pulliam hit a wide-open Dakota Hipes for a 67-yard touchdown with 6:18 to go in the quarter.”
In addition to football, the speedy Hipes runs track. When asked if he’s really fast, he just laughs. “It sounds like it. People tell me that, anyway.”
He may act like it all comes easily to him, but Goodman said, “Everything he’s done, he’s had to work hard for.”
His favorite subject is math and he plans to major in accounting at George Fox University. He’s eager to start at the school and hopes to be part of their new football team. “I’m super excited about it.”
Hipes knows the solid network of friendship and support he’s built at Mt. Spokane will always be there for him and he offered these words of advice to other students: “Surround yourself with good people. It makes all the difference.”