By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
When the teams take the field Saturday for the 50th-Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Football game the city of Hays will be well represented.
Hays High head coach Tony Crough is leading the West squad as head coach this year, and he is joined on the West team by former Hays High Indians Bryce Salmans and Evan Lind, as well as TMP-Marian graduate Kade Harris.
Crough said it is an honor to be selected by other coaches to serve as head coach after previously serving as an assistant coach.
“It's not something you really dream of. It's not something I really think of. It's just an honor when it happens,” Crough said. “We're just very fortunate to be in position and really excited about it.”
He said its also special because the game is being played in Hays at Lewis Field where he coaches the Indians on Friday nights during the high school season and played for the Tigers in the 1990’s.
“There's not anywhere that I have more memories, more just places that I've been a part of, than Lewis Field,” Crough said. “Back in high school playing here against the Indians and then playing here in college and then, you know, obviously, coaching here now and so for all to kind of come full circle and be here coaching this game is a really cool deal.”
Crough is among five former Fort Hays State Tigers on the West coaching staff, four of the five played together.
“Just knowing all these guys and getting to know him better, and just a group of fun guys, and then it's really easy to get out here, and it's just a bunch of guys that understand football,” he said.
Hays High’s Bryce Salmans said it’s been a fun experience.
“It's been really fun getting out here. I've made a lot of new friends, and every single one of these guys is like my brother now. We're just a team,” Salmans said. “We've been grinding every day to three practices a day. And it's been really fun.”
Salmans said there is a lot of talent on the West team.
“Every single one of these kids is one of the best athletes
on their team, and they're chosen here for a reason. I just put my grind in, and I do my work. We're all just very good football players.”
TMP’s Kade Harris was the first selection for the Monarchs since 2003 but suffered a knee injury in the semifinals of the state basketball tournament and will not be able to play in the game. He still chose to participate in the week’s activities as a manager.
“It was a great opportunity that they let me still come and be a part of it and represent TMP at the Shrine Bowl in any way shape or form," he said. "[I'm] just trying to get my knee back to something and get ready for Fort Hays, but I'm just taking it day by day.”
Harris said it’s a good experience to take part in the week’s events.
“That's what we're here for. We get to go out and participate in football, but it's mostly about the kids helping out,” Harris said.
Hays’ Evan Lind was a late addition to the West squad but said he was getting ready for the upcoming season at Fort Hays State. He said he had a lot of fun getting involved in the game.
“When I got the call to come up, I was pretty excited. I thought it'd be a lot of fun, and I thought it'd be a pretty cool thing to do” Lind said.
He said they were getting ready to win the game, but he has also enjoyed being a part of the week’s events.
“It's been really cool to kind of learn and see everything that goes on that you don't really necessarily know about, and it's pretty cool,” Lind said.
All three Hays players have signed with Fort Hays State and will play for the Tigers in the fall.
Hays High's Cameron Kohlrus is also serving as a manager for the West squad.
Events surrounding the 50th annual Kansas Shrine Bowl start on Friday with the golf tournament and Nex-Tech Wireless Community Kickoff.
Saturday’s football game kicks off at 7 p.m. at Lewis Field on the Fort Hays State University campus.
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