KSHSAA Covered
DODGE CITY – Maize South’s Christian McDonald found himself in the perfect spot at the perfect time to deliver the signature moment of Saturday’s Kansas Shrine Bowl.
Moments after the West offense found a spark with a touchdown drive to take the lead, McDonald added an early dagger in the third quarter, scoring on a 28-yard interception return to put the West on its way to a 26-8 victory in a windy 52nd edition of the Shrine Bowl at Memorial Stadium.
The defensive back jumped a route in the right flat and followed his blockers up the sideline to highlight a 19-0 third quarter for the West.
“I had to make sure I was assignment correct and reading the quarterback,” McDonald said. “Anything that came to the flats, that was me. I just made sure I was underneath the route and once the play came to me I jumped on it.
“I took advantage of the opportunity I had.”
The West followed up McDonald’s pick-six with another defensive stop and tacked on a 1-yard TD from Cheney quarterback Josh Burdick late in the third frame for the final points of the game.
“That (pick-six) was really electrifying for the whole team,” McDonald said. “It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for my lead blocker (Derby’s James Middlebrook). If he didn’t set the block, I probably wouldn’t have scored, so it’s a team effort.”
“That was a (defensive call) we’d been working on. We’d been saving it,” said West head coach Dominic Dingle of Wichita Heights. “It was a Cover 2 look, and (McDonald) did a great job of executing the game plan. It was a big-time, game-changing play.”
Maize South's Christian McDonald celebrates his pick six.
The wind caused havoc at times, starting on the game’s first possession.
After a three-and-out at the East 5, the punt from Gardner-Edgerton quarterback Bravin Powell-Brown got caught in the wind and sailed backward into the end zone where Wellington’s Brody Weir pounced on the ball for a touchdown.
Neither team had much success moving the ball into the wind, with all five of the touchdowns coming with the wind at the scoring team’s backs.
“We knew (the wind) was going to be a part of the game tonight,” Dingle said. “Everything just kind of worked out the way that we want. We only kicked the ball twice, and that was exactly what we wanted to do. It was part of our game plan and it worked out perfectly tonight.”
The East bounced back from the early punt mishap to take an 8-7 halftime lead. Powell-Brown, who led Gardner-Edgerton to back-to-back 6A championships, scored the East’s lone touchdown on a 51-yard run with 9:58 left in the second quarter. Powell-Brown found Aquinas’ Elzie Slaughter for the two-point conversion.
Olathe North’s Wyatt Flood helped the East keep the lead heading into the locker room after breaking up a pass that was nearly caught in the end zone by Abilene’s Weston Rock with 1.2 seconds left.
The West, which rotated Burdick, Norton’s Eli Jones and Manhattan’s Carter Aslin at quarterback, found its offensive rhythm in the third quarter.
Burdick and Jones each made big plays on the go-ahead drive, capped by a 2-yard TD run from Jones.
“It started up front and the quarterbacks were just making dynamite decisions,” Dingle said.
Burdick, an Emporia State signee who quarterbacked Cheney to a 3A state championship as a junior, was named MVP for the West
“Our defense played amazing,” Burdick said. “Really, I think there could have been a lot more MVPs in this game. A lot of guys played really well. We were one big family on the West and I think that’s what helped us pull away.”
Lansing defensive lineman Ayden Ellington was MVP for the East.
The West quickly got back into the win column after last year saw the East pick up its first win in six years.
“We really couldn’t have started any worse, but we just kept going, kept going, and got up one at half,” said East head coach Garrett Michael of Sabetha. “All you can ask for as a coach is a chance, and that’s what we had.
“I’m proud of everyone. I’m not really worried about winning or losing the game. The kids win.”
The East's Bravin Powell-Brown is wrapped up by a host of West players. Wellington's Brody Weir celebrates after recovering a punt in the end zone. Gardner-Edgerton's Bravin Powell-Brown weaves through tacklers on his way to the end zone.
WEST 26, EAST 8
East … 0 … 8 … 0 … 0 … – … 8
West ... 7 … 0 … 19 … 0 … – … 26
West – Weir punt recovery in end zone (Jones kick)
East – Powell-Brown 49 run (Slaughter pass from Brown)
West – Jones 2 run (run failed)
West – McDonald 28 interception return (run failed)
West – Burdick 1 run (Jones kick)