There have been a lot of great athletes in Durant history and one of the most acclaimed in the 1970s was Joey DaVault.
The 1980 DHS grad was a three-year stalwart in football, basketball and baseball for the Lions as well as completing two years in track, but may be best known as the player that scored the game-winning touchdown for the Lions’ first-ever gridiron championship.
DaVault will join Mike Martin as the 2024 inductees into the Durant Athletic Hall of Fame prior to the Lions’ October 25 home game with Coweta.
The former Lion stalwart was a captain of the 2A football state championship team while garnering All-District as well as Honorable Mention All-State honors.
Head coach Cotton Wade called DaVault the quickest back he had ever coached at the time while also starting on defense at cornerback as well as even punting. In the 1979 state championship game as a senior, he rushed for 106 yards on 16 carries which included the overtime score that gave Durant a dramatic 38-32 win over Wewoka.
DaVault earned a bachelor’s degree at Southeastern, serving as graduate assistant for the football team and then his master’s degree at the University of Oklahoma.
From 1990 until 2003, DaVault worked as a teacher and coach for Norman Public Schools, including head coach of the fast pitch softball team and golf team as well as assistant football coach. He was the school district Teacher of the Year in 1998, Mid-State Coach of the Year three times and All-State golf coach in 2000.
DaVault later served as Director of Adult and Continuing Education at Rose State College for four years as well as coordinating the Southeastern aviation program. In 2013 he was named the school’s first-ever athletic director where they added other sports and built a brandnew sports complex for the soccer teams during his tenure. During that time he also served as the NJCAA Region 2 women’s director.
DaVault retired in 2019 after spending 10 years at the small junior college in Midwest City.