March 29, 2024

Trio represents Jasper County at annual Iowa Shrine Bowl

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CEDAR FALLS — Two area athletes and an area football coach participated in the 44th annual Iowa Shrine Bowl All-Star Football Classic at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls on Saturday.

But after the game, all the two players — Colfax-Mingo’s Jacob Lietz and Lynnville-Sully’s Sage Ehresman — and the coach — L-S football coach Mike Parkinson — wanted to talk about was how the experience was once in a lifetime.

“This is a phenomenal experience,” Parkinson said. “You hate to lose the game. The game is important, but it’s not about just one game. It’s about the week, the bond, the Shriner kids. We got to see those kids yesterday, and it’s an eye- opening experience.”

Parkinson was an assistant coach on the South squad, while Lietz played tight end and Ehresman was a running back for the team. The South did lose the game for the first time since 2010, but none of them were talking about the loss afterwards.

“It always sucks to lose, but it’s not that big of a deal,” said Lietz, who was Colfax-Mingo’s first participant in the history of the annual event. “It was a pretty awesome experience. They brought up the kids (Friday), and to see the smile on their faces was awesome. They enjoyed catching touchdowns and stuff like that.”

Every summer the Iowa Shriners put on the Iowa Shrine Bowl. It’s an all-star football game featuring some of the best graduated senior football players in the state. The event lasts all week though.

Parkinson and the rest of the coaches involved in the week arrived in Cedar Falls on July 16. The players got to town on July 17 and that’s when practices begin.

There was a pizza party on July 18 and a movie night on July 19, the same night that the cheerleaders for the game arrived. Prairie City-Monroe cheerleader Kayla Schakel was one of those cheerleaders.

On July 20, the participants had fun at Lost Island Water Park in Waterloo. They enjoyed a hog roast on July 21 and then hosted a mini-camp with all the kids from the Shriner’s Hospital in Minnesota.

There also was a banquet on July 22, and the week culminated with a parade and 60-minute football game on Saturday.

“It was amazing. This whole week has been packed with fun,” Ehresman said. “We have only been together a week, but it feels like we have been together for years. That’s how much we bonded as a group.

“The whole experience has been amazing. Despite the score, this is a week I’ll never forget.”

The score was 49-35 in favor of the North squad. The win by the North ended a five-game winning streak by the South. The 49 points by the North was the most points scored by one team in Iowa Shrine Bowl history and the total points of 84 were the most combined points score in the history of the event, which began with a 17-all tie back in 1973.

“I hope that everyone involved got a rewarding experience and remembers as we move forward that football isn’t about X’s and O’s, it’s not about a score on the board, it’s about each other,” Parkinson said. “It’s about people. That’s what makes it so much fun.”

Parkinson was Ehresman’s coach the past four years. He got to spend one last week with his now former player and the two got to be a part of one last football game together.

That experience included an Ehresman 9-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that brought the South within 42-35.

“I didn’t get to see him a lot. I got to bond with 10 guys that I have never met before, but having Sage a part of this game, watching him play and perform at the next level, I am really excited for him,” said Parkinson, who worked with the offensive linemen all week. “He’s a great kid who has put a lot of time and effort in, and he deserves to be here. I am awfully proud of the young man.”

Ehresman likely would have enjoyed the experience by himself, but having his high school coach there with him during a memorable week was extra special.

“It was nice to spend the week with him around,” Ehresman said. “Coach P is an amazing coach and an amazing person. It’s been great having him to share this experience with. That made it better.”

Lietz played tight end/split end in the first and third quarters and Pella’s Noah Clayberg as his quarterback. Ehresman was the South team’s primary tailback in the second and fourth quarters. Each player is supposed to play either offense or defense for two quarters in the game.

With Clayberg taking snaps, the South scored 21 straight points to end the first quarter and led 21-7 after 15 minutes. Clayberg, a future Iowa Hawkeye and former Pella Dutch all-starter, connected with future Northern Iowa Panther and former Cedar Rapids Prairie standout Jalen Rima for a 72-yard touchdown to get the South on the board.

Clayberg made it 14-7 when he scored on a 27-yard run, and then pushed the lead to 21-7 when found future Iowa State Cyclone Theo Harris on an 8-yard touchdown pass. Harris prepped at Clinton.

Clayberg added a 9-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that tied the game at 28-all, but the North scored 21 of the next 28 points to win by 14.

Clayberg won Offensive MVP honors for the South, while former Ankeny standout Brandt Butler was the Defensive MVP.

Future Northern Iowa Panther and former Cedar Rapids Washington standout Isaiah Nimmers scored three times and earned offensive MVP honors for the North, while future Iowa State Cyclone Carson Lensing of South Winneshiek was the defensive MVP after picking off Waukee’s Ben Ferkin in the second quarter when the North led 28-21.

Both Lietz and Ehresman were most impressed with Clayberg, who will be a grayshirt for the Hawkeyes next season. He is expected to play safety at Iowa.

“I have never seen anyone who can run the ball like him,” Lietz said of Clayberg. “He has incredible vision and the things he can do in the open field are amazing.”

Since 2012, eight area athletes and two coaches have been selected to play in the Shrine Bowl. Parkinson’s first representative was Kyle Terlouw in 2012. PCM’s Hutch Burns and Collins-Maxwell/Baxter’s Andrew Broderick also played in that game.

PCM’s Ethan Kain participated in 2013, while his coach Greg Bonnett also was on the sidelines. CMB’s Zach Samson played in the game in 2014. CMB’s Bryce Kemp was selected in 2015 but turned down the offer at the request of his future collegiate team, Eastern Michigan.

“I know some of the players at Colfax-Mingo who were really good that were passed up, and to know that I was the first one is humbling,” Lietz said. “All the hard work I put in was for something.”

Lietz had one catch in the game for three yards. He didn’t get many targets at tight end but was involved in setting the edge on several outside runs.

Ehresman carried the ball seven times in the game for 28 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes.

The South leads the all-time series 23-21-1.

Over the past 43 years, the Iowa Shrine Bowl has helped raise nearly $2.3 million for the Shriner’s Hospital for Children.