Nielsen, Ricker to play in Shrine Bowl game Saturday

CEDAR FALLS — When a select group of recent graduates take the football field one last time as high school athletes here Saturday, a pair of CNA area athletes will be playing for the South squad in the 43rd annual Iowa Shrine Bowl.

Creston Alex Nielsen and Mount Ayr’s Joe Ricker will be part of the South squad in Saturday’s game, which begins at 4 p.m. at the UNI-Dome. Gates open at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door.

Nielsen will wear number 17 for the South squad and Ricker will wear number 73. Also representing southwest Iowa in the game will be Trenton Wells (7) of Central Decatur, Austin Simmons (14) of Lewis Central, Spencer Phillips (25) of Fremont-Mills, Jared DeVoe (75) of Clarinda and Jacob Protzman (99) of Dallas Center-Grimes.

The South squad, wearing red uniforms, will be coached by Wade King of Davenport Assumption, Mike MOrrissey of Cedar Rapids Prairie, Mike Sterner of Oskaloosa, Chad Klein of Kuemper Catholic, Eric Trudo of Van Meter and Chris Caskey of Earlham.

The Iowa Shrine Bowl Game is an all-star football game between selected pre-college football athletes on each side of a north-south dividing line in Iowa.

The players are selected by a process of nomination by coaches, balloting by state-wide sports media professionals, and official invitation from a representative of the Iowa Shrine Bowl.

To date, the Iowa Shrine Bowl has raised over $2,268,000 for The Shriner’s Hospitals for Children. Funds for The Shriner’s Hospitals For Children are developed by ticket sales, advertising in the Shrine Bowl program, merchandise sales, contributions and sponsorships.