March 29, 2024

Five area athletes shine at Shrine Bowl

Image 1 of 4

CEDAR FALLS — The 42nd annual Iowa Shrine Bowl here Saturday at the UNI Dome featured five area athletes, all of whom made his mark on the game.

Playing on the South squad in the game were Trevor Frain of Creston/Orient-Macksburg, Jacob Sobotka of Mount Ayr, Keegan Longabaugh of Southwest Valley, Andrew Rider of Murray and Briar Vogel of Interstate 35.

For four of the five, it was their first opportunity to play at the UNI Dome. Only Rider had played in the UNI Dome, having played there twice for the Murray Mustangs.

“It was the greatest experience of my life,” Longabaugh said. “I’ve never played on this field before. First step in here, it was like a baby seeing brand new candy here. It was perfect.”

Frain realized a dream playing by competing in the dome.

“We always dreamed about coming here, and then finally being able to come here and play, one last time especially, it’s been pretty special,” Frain said. “Also, playing with some of the best kids in Iowa was pretty special, too.”

Frain, who will be attending Northwest Missouri State University but won’t be continuing his football career, made an impact in the final football game of his career.

The former Panther linebacker recorded several tackles and forced a fumble on a punt return, which led to a touchdown for the South squad in the 23-7 win over the North squad.

“I thought I played well,” Frain said. “Things started off a little slow, but once I got rolling, things started flowing together. We switched up our defense a little and we shut them down from there. It was a lot of fun.”

Defensive stalwarts

All five area players played on the defensive side of the ball in Saturday’s game, while Creston/O-M head coach Brian Morrison, an assistant on the South team, coached offense.

The South held the North team to just one touchdown in the game.

The defensive effort was led by Sobotka, who will be continuing his playing career at the University of Iowa.

Sobotka neared double digits in tackles and also recovered a fumble in the win, earning defensive MVP honors for the South squad.

“It’s awesome to differentiate yourself,” Sobotka said. “You never know playing at such a small school in a rural area, you never really know what you’ve got until you go to camps or games like this. To be able to come here and know I’m going to Iowa and know I can compete with players that are also going to Iowa, it gives me a lot of confidence.”

Sobotka credited in-game adjustments for his success in the game.

“Their offensive tackle’s pass drops were quite a bit different than ours, so I had to adjust my moves and kind of go quicker,” he said. “So third quarter it showed in my play. Another thing that really helped is they were down blocking on runs, so I was coming free on most of them.”

When Sobotka wasn’t on the field, Longabaugh was filling his position as a hybrid linebacker/defensive lineman.

Longabaugh recorded a sack and also finished with several tackles along the line.

Frain and Vogel saw time at inside linebacker, while Rider played cornerback.

Rider, who made a career out of returning punts for touchdowns, did not get an opportunity to return any punts, as the North punted away from his side of the field. Rider did, however, make a big open field tackle to prevent a big gain by the North.

Morrison said being involved in the game gave him a greater appreciation of what it’s all about.

“A full week with the South squad, getting to know those guys and what the Shriners do with the kids and have an opportunity to understand what this game means, not only to the state of Iowa as far as football is concerned, but just the kids playing and raising awareness and funds for the Shriner’s Hospitals,” he said.

“I have an appreciation for this game, a better appreciation for this game than ever before. One of those experiences you’ll never forget.”

Morrison also had the opportunity to share the experience with his son Ty, who was a ball boy, and Frain.

“Just having the opportunity to watch him (Frain) play one last time,” Morrison said. “He’s been in our program the last four years and having a chance to be with him for a week and seeing him with the elite players in the state and watching him excel, it’s truly been an outstanding experience.”

Other MVPs of the game included Marshall Clark on offense for the South after catching a 79 yard touchdown from Eli Dunne in the first quarter, and Ronald Nash on offense for the North and Kyler Case on defense for the North.