No doubt all of the participants in the 53rd annual Kansas Shrine Bowl have played in their fair share of high-stakes games, but the final game of their high school careers carried an extra sense of meaning this past weekend.
In addition to playing the game they love one more time inside of Emporia State’s Welch Stadium, the players were also playing a major role in supporting the Shriners’ hospital and the many lives that they help to change each day. Lives of individuals such as honorary team captain and Shriners International Patient Ambassador Brandon Noblitt of Greenville, South Carolina, who shared his story of how Shriners changed his life after a rare strain of the common cold virus left him partially paralyzed at the age of six.
Noblitt says his condition altered his life “in some major ways” as you might imagine, including allowing him to meet and inspire others.
Noblitt’s and other ambassadors’ messages clearly struck a chord with the players as each of them understood the importance of the moment, including Osage City’s Quenten Stark, who suited up for the East squad. Stark called his time in the Shrine Bowl “The funnest week of my football career.”
Junction City’s Jackson Hollie, who took to the field representing the West, says the entire week “pulled at his heartstrings.”
While the players were all receiving this experience for the first time, both head coaches for the game were taking part in their second Shrine Bowl after serving as assistant coaches the previous year. West Head Coach Daniel Myears of Mulvane says the first experience in 2025 was one he will never forget and made his answer to serve as one of this year’s head coaches a very easy decision when the call came from Shrine Bowl Executive Director Bryce Kesler.
East Head Coach Mike Berg of Wellsville says it was the same for him, calling the opportunity a “no-brainer.”
While the East may have taken the victory 14-7, Saturday night, both coaches agreed that there was truly no loser when you look at the big picture of what they came to do with Berg saying it is first and foremost about the kids.
Myears proudly echoed that statement.
Saturday’s game was the culmination of a week’s worth of activities that also included an all-state cheer and band camp, a golf tournament at the Emporia Golf Course, the new Fan Fest held on the campus of Emporia State University, the Shrine Bowl Parade in downtown Emporia Saturday morning, and a free community pediatric health screening at the Emporia Masonic Lodge. This past weekend was also just the first of three that will be taking place in Emporia over the next three years as Emporia has been named the host of the Shrine Bowl through 2028 which will make Emporia the first city in the event’s history to host it in back-to-back years and will also set Emporia apart as the community with the most bowl games hosted when all is said and done according to Kesler.
When asked what it was about Emporia that made it the ideal host for such a long period of time, Kesler told KVOE News all you really have to do is look around.
In total, Emporia has now hosted the Shrine Bowl on seven occassions with this past weekend being the second time in the last three years. We have photos and video from Shrine Bowl activities available below and on our YouTube Channel.
