That’s the word to us for Duke McGill’s unique opportunity to make his mark on college athletics.

It’s only a surmise, but McGill might be the first — or at least one of the few — Bartlesville High student-athlete products to sign a letter of intent to play lacrosse.

McGill — a two-time wrestling state qualifier for the Bruins — is looking to bring the lumber for St. Leo (Fla.) University.

Even though Bartlesville High doesn’t compete in lacrosse, McGill has been competing with the Owasso club team, as well as two different traveling teams out of Tulsa.

Did you know? Lacrosse is an 800-year-old American original

“I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to play college athletics until this past summer,” McGill said.

But, a door opened for him to play lacrosse on the next level with the skills set he possesses.

“Since this last summer I’ve been pretty determined,” he said, although it still required some time for him to decide to commit.

McGill gives St. Leo a thumbs-up, both for its lacrosse environment and for its geographical location.

“The campus is just outside of Tampa,” he said. “It’s close to the beach. … The coach was great, he was really cool. This is where I wanted to go. I wanted to be in a new environment. … You can’t go wrong with Florida.”

And, McGill feels he can’t go wrong with lacrosse, where he has played more of a defensive role position.

“I’ve got to protect and make sure the offense doesn’t get past me and make sure I get the ball back on the offensive side,” he said.

He hopes to experience plenty of celly — a lacrosse term for celebration — during the next four years for St. Leo.

Providing the lumber — a slang term for hard hitting — also should be an asset for McGill, who chiseled himself physically during a wrestling pursuit that has consumed most his young life.

At 6 years old, McGill first discovered a gritty enjoyment of mat wars and continued on a natural progression to the high school level.

“I just wanted to get better,” McGill said. “I din’t like losing and I enjoyed it (wrestling). It was a ton of fun. I liked winning. The process to get there was fun.”

But, it wasn’t painless.

“Wrestling is not an easy sport,” he said. “Whatever you put in is what you’re going to get out of it. I enjoyed the friendships that come along with it.”

He expressed gratitude to fellow Bruin grapplers Carter Manley and Tarun Vinodkumar for their help and friendship.

Manley — who also qualified for state — warmed up McGill prior to his match in the 6A tourney.

“It was great have a teammate there at such a high level of wrestling,” McGill said.

“Wrestling is a good community, too,” McGill added.

And, McGill was good to the sport for Bartlesville.

He proved to be a dominant force in the middleweight area while achieving one of the most difficult feats in all of Oklahoma prep sports — qualifying for the state wrestling tournament.

Not only once, but twice.

“It’s a lot of hard work,” McGill said. “I pushed myself through every practice wanting to get better and having teammates that would push me,” he said. “I had a lot of determination. … I think wrestling instilled in me the need for hard work and determination. It made me work for how I wanted to be. … It really helped my mindset to grow and in being more driven for what I wanted to do.”

At the same time, McGill said wrestling is “hard on the body.”

Although he tried other sports, only other athletic activity that snared McGill’s interest was lacrosse.

He’s played the latter sport for eight years.

“I’m a face-off midfielder, getting the ball after every goal to start a possession and try to maintain possession.”

“He has had wonderful coaches and played in several leagues, from spring, indoor box and summer traveling,” his mom Kristin McGill said in an email.

McGill also helped propel Owasso to the 2022 state championship while steamrolling to a 16-1 record. McGill topped the league by winning 80-percent of his faceoff wins.

Lacrosse is new to Oklahoma “but is slowly getting there,” McGill said. “It’s getting more exposure.”

McGill’s exposure to success has gone beyond the mat and the turf.

His other school activities included belonging to the National Honor Society and playing on drum line in the band. He was part of the bass drum section as a freshman and sophomore and went to the tenor position as a junior and senior.

McGill has earned a Presidential Scholarship for college and has been accepted into the school’s honors program, plus his lacrosse athletic scholarship.

Beyond the glow of competition for McGill is gratitude for strong family support.

“It plays a big role in everything I do, whether academic or athletic,” he said. “They really helped be through everything I’ve done. They’ve been there for me.”