BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
EMPORIA — An apparent horse-collar penalty was waved off that allowed the East to escape with a hard-fought 14-7 victory over the West in Saturday's 53rd Kansas Shrine Bowl.
Augusta's Brecken Albert caught a pass from Mulvane's Manny Myers at the 16-yard line for a first down with 20 seconds left. Albert lost possession when Leavenworth's DyVair McCray hauled Albert down on an apparent horse-collar tackle.
While the officials convened, television commentator Stan Weber predicted the proper call should be a legal catch and half-the-distance penalty to the 8-yard line.
One official signaled for a horse-collar penalty, but was over-ruled. McCray earlier was flagged for a late hit on Salina Central's Cooper Reves.
Three West turnovers and two scoreless Red Zone possessions contributed to a 14-7 East victory.
Great Bend quarterback Daxton Minton was intercepted twice and Reves lost a fumble.
The West missed scoring chances at the East 4-yard line and East 12-yard line as the half ended.
"Both defenses dominated," Minton said to Sports in Kansas. "We'd have a bad play or an interception. It wasn't our day. Our offense couldn't get anything going."
An interception by Osage City's Quenten Stark on an ill-advised Minton pass set up an East touchdown. Lenexa St. James' Alec Jett caught a 24-yard touchdown reception from Shawnee Heights' Aiden Scott.
Great Bend linebacker Trenton Kern celebrated his birthday with tackler Andale's Sam Harp by forcing a fumble that Derby's Houston Bowlin recovered in the end zone for a 7-6 West lead. Kern had three tackles.
The East scored right before halftime after Jackson Heights' Austin Zeller grabbed a fumble in the air by Reves at the West 33-yard line.
The East's Mill Valley's Blake Jay caught a 27-yard pass from KC Washington's Savion Stone for a 14-7 lead after Stone's 2-point conversion.
Mill Valley's Hayden Heller intercepted a Minton pass at the East 7-yard line.
Reves was tackled twice inside the East 15-yard line. From the 12-yard line, Sterling's Zane Farney was tackled on a projected throwback pass to Minton.
Hoisington's Taylen Morales played outside linebacker for the West. He's committed to serving in the Marines if he can't secure a collegiate pole vault scholarship.
"It was electric against players from bigger schools," Morales said. "I've always been undersized. It was a fun game."
The West leads the East 32-19-2.
East 6 8 0 0 — 14
Wes 7 0 0 0 — 7
E—Alec Jett (Lenexa St. James) 24 pass from Aiden Scott (Shawnee Heights) run fails
W—Houston Bowlin (Derby) recovered fumble (Brody Haskell (Augusta) kick)
E—Blake Jay (Mill Valley) 27 pass from Savion Stone (KC Washington) (Stone run)
RUSHING—W—36-136; Cooper Reves (Salina Central) 14-91; Manny Myers (Mulvane) 6-26; Holden Lind (Hays) 7-22; Daxton Minton (Great Bend) 5-22; Zane Farney (Sterling) 1-6; Jack Herd (So. Central) 1-(-6); team 2-(-25); E—37-102; Carter Hajek (Nemaha Central) 13-59; Stone 7-21; Trai Woodruff (SMNW) 4-15; Bryce Randall (Olathe NW) 3-8; Conner Bush (Rossville) 2-3; Aiden Scott (Shawnee Heights) 3-2; Blake Jay (Mill Valley) 2-(-8); team 3-2.
PASSING—W—Minton 8-12-2, 76; Myers 10-21-0, 65; E—Scott 5-7-0, 62; Stone 6-7-0, 54.
RECEIVING—W—Jaxon Myers (Salina South) 5-58; James Fieser (Liberal) 1-22; Farney 5-20; Cooper McGowan (Ellsworth) 1-14; Brecken Albert (Augusta) 2-17; Rashawn Johnson (Wichita South) 1-9; Reves 3-4; E—Jay 4-49; Jett 2-37; Woodruff 3-23; Dayne Johnson (Silver Lake) 1-9; Aiden McCullough (Ottawa) 1-5
