On Saturday the 46th annual Shrine Bowl football game will be held in Casper at Natrona High School. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
Six local players from Sweetwater County and Rock Springs’ new head football coach Mark Lenhardt will have a role in the game on Saturday. All representation from Sweetwater County will be a part of the South team which has not won the Shrine Bowl in the last six years.
But bigger than winning the Shrine Bowl is the purpose behind the game which is to support the Shriners Children’s Hospitals. Since the beginning of the Shrine Bowl tradition, according to the website, over $450,000 has been raised and donated to the organization.
While I have never played in a Shrine Bowl myself, I have rubbed shoulders with those who have. The most interesting aspect of the Shrine Bowl is that these players go in as All-Stars for their achievements out on the field and who they have become as a player. After visiting patients and learning more about the Shriners Children’s Hospital, they come out as more informed and responsible young men.
The general public doesn’t have much to do with the Shrine Bowl itself, but we can take the principal of setting aside our own achievements and accomplishments to make a difference and educate ourselves on how we can better those around us. That’s the beauty of the Shrine Bowl.
Congratulations to the following individuals on making the roster and setting the standard for the rest of us. We’ll be watching from home!
South Assistant Coach: Mark Lenhardt – Torrington (Now HC of Rock Springs)
Levi Huffman – Rock Springs
Anthony Mitchell – Green River
Anthony Johnson – Green River
Colby Rees – Mountain View
Clancy Gines – Farson-Eden
Last Thought
I’ve followed the NBA Finals very closely. Wednesday night’s game in Oracle Arena was not necessarily a big surprise. If you ask me, there’s a stat on Toronto’s sheet that jumps off the page. I’m not sure exactly what it means, but it is significant.
Toronto tied the record for the most made three-pointers (17) by any road team in the NBA Finals. This either means that Toronto is at their best and the Warriors should be shaking in their boots. This could also mean that Toronto simply had one of those games and oddly enough they have an uphill battle. I’m not entirely sure.
But what I do know is that you live and die by the three-pointer in this day and age. The three ball is going to determine the winner of this year’s title. May the best shooter win.
Brayden is a sports and community reporter for SweetwaterNOW. His column, Flack Friday, will be posted every Friday. You can submit comments, questions or ideas regarding the column to brayden@sweetwaternow.com.
