BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
The West Shrine Bowl squad will feature Great Bend coach Erin Beck, quarterback Daxton Minton and linebacker Trenton Kern.
Beck directed the Panthers to an 11-1 record and a 30-28 semifinal setback to 5A state champion Salina Central.
The West will operate Great Bend's 1-back spread offense which relies on a hard-running back and will utilize Minton as a run/pass threat. Minton is the school record-holder with 62 career passing touchdowns, 86 career touchdowns and 6,889 all-purpose yards.
Salina Central's 5A state champion Cooper Reves and Hays High's Holden Lind will be the running backs.
"Running an offense I'm familiar with is nice because I don't have to learn a playbook," Minton said. "It won't matter what we run because our backs and receivers are so good."
Minton is committed to play baseball with the Barton Cougars.
"It's been a lot of fun to put the pads back on one last time for a great purpose," he said. "Our team bonded right away. The Hays and Salina Central players aren't 'as bad' as I thought."
Garden City-bound Kern ranks second all-time with 400 career tackles. He'll join Salina Central's Jesus Delgado, Wichita East's Ferrell Adams and Hutchinson's Jackson Anderson at inside linebacker.
"Every team's best player is here. You're getting better when you're competing with other great players," Kern said. "When you're playing Hays and Salina Central, you hate them when you're playing, It's been nice to getting to know players we've played against. We have a lot in common as football players.
"We've bonded so we can beat the East team."
Linebacker Taylen Morales played for semifinalist Hoisington, which lost 22-12 to 2A state runner-up Southeast of Saline.
Morales will handle kickoff duties and play outside linebacker/safety.
"I play football to hit people," he said. "I'll play outside linebacker and drop back to safety in certain coverages. You've got a second or two to read run/pass."
Morales has enjoyed being considered one of the West's top football players.
"Being recognized like this is something I never expected," he said. "It's been fun competing with guys from larger schools I've never seen before. There's a bunch of athletes who are really good players."
The West leads the East 32-18-2.
Television coverage at 6:30 p.m. will be provided by Smoky Hill PBS, Cox cable YurView and KMCI in Kansas City, and online at Kansasshrinebowl.com.
Radio coverage includes Great Bend's 104.3-FM.
WEST, EAST —
The West leads the East 32-18-2.
West —
East —
RUSHING—W—Holden Lind (Hays); Cooper Reves (Salina Central); Daxton Minton (Great Bend); Zane Farney (Sterling); Cody Wright (Colby); E—Carter Hajek (Nemaha Central); Bryce Randall (Olathe NW); Conner Bush (Rossville); Trai Woodruff (SMNW); Aiden Scott (Shawnee Heights)
PASSING—W—Minton; E—Woodruff; Scott.
RECEIVING—W—Jack Herd (South Central); Rashawn Johnson (Wichita South); James Fieser (Liberal); Jaxon Myers (Salina South); E—Colin Shaughnessy (Axtell); Quenten Stark (Osage City); Alec Jett (Lenexa St. James); Dayne Johnson (Silver Lake); Nash Morrison (Basehor); Austin Zeller (Jackson Heights); Aiden McCullough (Ottawa)
