During post-game interviews following the 35th annual Kansas Shrine Bowl over the weekend, a Smith Center elementary student, perhaps a future all-star for the Redmen, had just one comment for those gathering around Braden Wilson.
“It’s really cool to be this guy’s neighbor,” the youngster said, donning his youth-size Redmen jersey, and lugging a plethora of autograph-worthy memorabilia.
Wilson proved himself star-worthy in the West’s 29-28 come-from-behind victory over the East, as did the rest of both teams, creating one of the best games in Shrine Bowl history, and the closest game since a tie at Kansas State University in 2001 — coincidentally Wilson’s future home for football.
“This is just a great thing to be a part of,” Wilson said. “It was an honor to be selected.”
Wilson and the West All-Stars, despite a near-one-hour lightning delay (56 minutes to be exact), delivered one of most exciting games in the 35-year history of the event, and while the weather took a minimal toll on the crowd, those on hand were treated to a thrilling gridiron showdown.
To me, the Shrine Bowl always kicks off the football season, and what a way to get things started.
From last-minute heroics to some bone-jarring hits, the 2008 version of the charity event had it all on a wild, weather-filled night. It left nothing to be desired for an all-star game in July.
“It was a roller coaster pretty much the whole game,” said West coach Gary Guzman, the head coach at Wichita Southeast High School. “The emotions were up and down because it was pretty much back and forth.”
Of course, the real winners are the beneficiaries of the event, the patients at the Shriners’ Hospital for Children, but this year’s action on the field did nothing but up the value of the star-studded week, that started with a trip to the St. Louis branch of the hospital.
“That was a big experience,” said Oakley’s Aaron Racette, starting defensive end for Saturday’s game. “I’ve never really seen anything like that.
“Just to see what you’re playing for makes the whole trip worthwhile.”
The two teams responded by making a trip to Emporia worthwhile — plus the cost of a ticket.
Whether it was incredible athletic catches by Dodge City’s Mykael Thompson for the West, or thundering jawbreaking hits from Derek Rempe of Centralia or Rossville’s Duane Zlatnik (a future Jayhawk) for the East, the Shrine Bowl certainly delivered, probably making people forget the long delay in the second quarter.
It was the West’s aggressiveness, though, that made the night — as they went for two and the win with just 20 ticks left on the clock.
“I wanted to go out with a bang,” Thompson said of his final football game. He will play basketball next season at Dodge City Community College.
He finished with four four catches for 67 yards, two touchdowns, and caught the game-winning two-point conversion on a fade route in the end zone from West quarterback Cole Cherryholmes.
“That’s kind of how we were all week,” said Sharon Springs-Wallace County’s Taylor Elder. “We weren’t going to hold back — no surprise at all.”
It was also no surprise to see Elder, a Broncbuster next season at Garden City Community College, do well in his first 11-man contest. Elder did something that not many –¬ if any — have been able to say in the history of the Shrine Bowl — and prep football in Kansas. Elder finished his final campaign as a Wildcat, going 16-0. Sharon Springs capped an undefeated season with an Eight-Man Division II state championship, and Elder competed in two eight-man all-star games (both wins) this summer.
Elder nabbed an interception from the East as the West’s starting safety, and it was no surprise that he took to the 11-man game so well.
He was humble in talking about his pick, saying it fell right into his arms.
“One of our interior guys got in there and got a hand on it,” Elder said. “That helped a lot, and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
Modest as he was, Elder made several plays on the night, and was the third-best tackler for the West with five total.
“Practice this week helped me a lot,” Elder said. “I still made a few mistakes, but we were good enough to get out of here with a win.”
Only Andale’s Matt Fairchild (9) and Wilson were better on defense. In the third quarter, Wilson recovered a fumble that was caused by a smack by Fairchild. Racette held East runningback Edd Noonan’s legs to give Fairchild time to make the play.
“He smoked him,” Wilson said of Fairchild’s hit. “He can bring the noise.”
He wasn’t the only one, though, that brought the heat.
“Everyone made big plays for us tonight,” Guzman said.
Racette capped a standout Plainsmen career with another win. As a senior representative for Oakley, Racette finished 12-1 with just a loss to Smith Center in the Class 2-1A postseason.
Racette, a two-sport standout for three years with the Plainsmen, will hang up the wrestling singlet and play football at Garden City Community College.
“I probably just need to grow a little bit more,” Racette said. “I want to play Division I football, that’s the goal.”
Racette had four tackles and one for loss of seven yards in Saturday’s game.
Wilsons’ Smith Center teammate, Kirk Palmer, also got in on the action at linebacker. Palmer, a future Grizzly at Butler County Community College, finished with three tackles in the middle. Palmer and Wilson, members of the now nationally known Redmen, finished their high school careers with a perfect mark and have not lost a game since the seventh grade in Redmen country.
“You can’t take off in the offseason,” Wilson said. “You’ve got to keep working hard, and you got to stay dedicated to it.”
Out of the five area players who played in Saturday’s game, all will be trying their hand at the college ranks.
La Crosse’s Mike Powell, who was one of several offensive lineman to help pave the way for 349 total offensive yards for the West, will head to Hutchinson Community College next season to round out the list. Powell has spent the last two seasons blocking for possible the best running back in the area — or even the state — in Marshall Musil for the Leopards. The West finished with 87 rushing yards and 262 through the air.
“It’s great just to be back out on the field again,” Powell said.
It was great to be watching the guys on the field again, and for such a great cause. The Kansas Shrine Bowl is the highlight of the summer for prep football fans, and puts those fans in the right state of mind for the upcoming season. With that being said, what a year it will be in the prep football ranks this fall — if the 2008 Shrine Bowl is any indication.