Dolecheck relishes Shrine Bowl experience

CEDAR FALLS —  Mount Ayr graduate Kyle Dolecheck stood on the sideline before the start of Saturday’s annual Shrine Bowl football game with a smile on his face.

After the game, it was still there.

The soon-to-be Northwest Missouri State Bearcat football player soaked up all the experiences he encountered over the past week as part of the 44th annual game that raises money for Shriners Hospitals of Iowa.

“I had a great time,” Dolecheck said.

Dolecheck went up against players from much larger schools from places like West Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Bettendorf. The game was filled with a number of players heading to Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa. Included among the players on the South roster playing at the next level include Pella’s Noah Clayberg, who will walk on at Iowa, and Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Jalen Rima, who will play at Northern Iowa.

Dolecheck still made an impact, even while coming from a smaller program like Mount Ayr.

“Usually it’s hard to get noticed in a small school,” Dolecheck said. “It was fun to come out and play with a bunch of 4A schools, 3A people, people from big schools and successful programs.”

Playing with standouts such as Clayberg, who was named the South’s offensive most valuable player after throwing two touchdown passes and running for two more, and Rima, who caught a touchdown pass in the first quarter, meant plenty for Dolechek.

“It was fun to play with people you’re usually playing against,” he said. “You hear all these names throughout the year from bigger schools that are so good. It was fun to finally get to play with them, see how they do, play against them, see how they are compared to you.”

Dolecheck made his mark in the two quarters he played. He had two passes defensed and was in on three tackles.

Most players on both sides played two quarters each.

The game was just part of a fun-filled week for Dolecheck and players on both sides.

Friday morning, the players spent a couple hours interacting with children who use services provided by the Shriners Hospitals on the floor of the UNI-Dome. They played catch, joked with them, along with other games. Later in the day, they learned about the services provided by Shriners Hospitals.

The game raised approximately $80,000 for Shriners Hospitals last year.

“We played with them, did anything they wanted to do,” Dolecheck said. “It was fun to help out with the kids.”

Dolecheck and his teammates, which included Payton Pedersen of Central Decatur, swapped stickers to put on their helmets. Dolecheck’s helmet was covered with decals from those of his teammates.

He relished the opportunity to be a part of the game.

“I met a ton of people. I had a great time and I made a lot of friends,” he said.

The week was filled with plenty of practices in the searing heat and humidity on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa. Players practiced twice a day all week.

At first, Dolecheck and his teammates weren’t used to the hard work they had to put in.

“At the beginning of the week we all came out of practice dead tired,” Dolecheck said. “At the end of the week we got in better shape.”

The South coaching staff had Dolecheck lined up at left defensive back.

While the position wasn’t entirely new for Dolecheck, the technique used was. The South team’s corners played press coverage, compared to the off-the-ball technique used at Mount Ayr.

“It was completely different,” Dolecheck said. “We were supposed to play up and get a bump and go with the receiver. It was different technique from the coaches.”

Having input from the South coaching staff, led by A-D-M’s Mike Whisner, helped prepare Dolechek for his future in college.

“It was nice to get different coaches teaching you things,” Dolecheck said. “It helped to learn from a different person.”

Besides learning the ins and outs of press coverage, Dolecheck worked on plenty of technique.

“We worked on getting quicker, worked on a lot of footwork with the receivers and defense.”

As for the game itself, it was a memorable night for both offenses.

The 84 combined points was the most ever scored in a Shrine Bowl. The North’s 49 points was the most scored by an individual side in 44 years of the game.

Cedar Rapids Washington’s Isaiah Nimmers caught two touchdown passes and ran for one more to earn North offensive MVP honors. Waukon’s Parker Hesse threw for three touchdowns.

The South jumped out to a 21-7 lead after the first quarter. The North scored 21 unanswered to take a 28-21 lead at halftime. The South tied it early in the third, but the North tallied two touchdowns for a 14 point lead. Each team scored once in the fourth quarter.