Category Archives: Shrine Bowl

Five total Shrine Bowl records were either tied or broken in the 2021 Wyoming Shrine Bowl on June 12.

Cheyenne East’s Graedyn Buell, the game’s offensive MVP, set two Shrine Bowl records — total offense (381 yards, with 310 passing and 71 rushing yards combined) and completions (28). His 40 passing attempts was third all-time, and his 310 passing yards second all-time.

Cheyenne East teammate Jackson Hesford tied the Shrine Bowl record with 13 receptions. Cheyenne Central’s Brady Storebo had eight catches to tie for third all-time.

Thunder Basin’s Dyse Shepherd tied a Shrine Bowl record with three others with three touchdown catches.

The South also set a team record with 25 first downs.

The South won the game 34-32. See a full list of results and records here.

Thanks to Paul Garcia, South assistant coach, for his help in tallying statistics and figuring out records.

–patrick

A surge of three touchdowns in less than two minutes of game time gave the South team a lead it never relinquished, helping the South win its first Wyoming Shrine Bowl victory since 2012 in a 34-32 victory against the North on Saturday in Casper.

The South took control of the game in at the end of the third quarter, scoring two touchdowns in the span of four seconds. A 13-yard touchdown run by Cokeville’s Nate Barnes cut the North’s lead to 26-20.

On the North’s next offensive play, a shotgun snap went awry, and Cheyenne East’s Julian Vigil recovered the loose ball in the end zone. A successful 2-point conversion made the score 28-26 South; the North never regained the lead.

After an interception by Barnes, East’s Jake Rayl added a 17-yard touchdown catch less than two minutes later, at the 14:02 mark in the fourth, pushing the South’s lead to 34-26.

The North nearly tied the game in the final minute, though.

Thunder Basin’s Dyse Shepherd completed a 99-yard drive with a 26-yard touchdown catch, his third of the game, on a fourth-and-5 play with 49 seconds remaining. But the South defense snuffed out the North’s 2-point conversion attempt to keep the South’s lead at 34-32.

Carter Lobatos of Cheyenne Central recovered the North’s onside kick attempt to ice the game.

The North had control of the game early. Shepherd’s first two touchdowns, one a 36-yard catch and the other a 20-yard catch, on passes from Cody’s Caleb Prior gave the North a 14-0 lead. Rayl’s 26-yard touchdown catch with 16 seconds remaining in the first half made the halftime score 14-7, North.

Thunder Basin’s Jaxon Pikula scored on a 5-yard run early in the third quarter to boost the North lead to 20-7, but Buell answered with a 12-yard score to make it 20-14. Natrona’s Braxton Bundy notched an 8-yard touchdown run with 1:51 to go in the third quarter to extend the North margin to 26-14.

Then the South unleashed its three-touchdown bonanza to jump up 34-26.

Buell was named the offensive player of the game, while Cody’s Nic Talich was the defensive player of the game. Full statistics from the game were not immediately available.

The game acts as a fundraiser for the Shriner’s Hospital for Children. The game typically raises between $20,000 and $30,000 annually for the hospital.

Last year’s game was not played due to COVID-19. The North had won the previous seven games.

The North leads the all-time series 25-19-3.

Scoring plays
North: Dyse Shepherd 36 pass from Caleb Prior (Jesse Trotter kick), 8:45 1Q (7-0 North)
North: Shepherd 20 pass from Prior (Trotter kick), 9:21 2Q (14-0 North)
South: Jake Rayl 26 pass from Graedyn Buell (Brant Nelson kick), 0:16 2Q (14-7 North)
North: Jaxon Pikula 5 run (kick failed), 11:29 3Q (20-7 North)
South: Buell 12 run (Nelson kick), 9:44 3Q (20-14 North)
North: Braxton Bundy 8 run (run failed), 1:51 3Q (26-14 North)
South: Nate Barnes 13 run (kick failed), 0:50 3Q (26-20 North)
South: Julian Vigil fumble recovery in end zone (Buell run), 0:47 3Q (28-26 South)
South: Rayl 17 pass from Buell (kick failed), 14:02 4Q (34-26 South)
North: Shepherd 26 pass from Prior (run failed), 0:49 4Q (34-32 South)

See previous Shrine Bowl results and records, and see all-time Shrine Bowl rosters in an interactive database.

Wyoming’s annual Shrine Bowl all-star football game, pitting players from the North and the South against one another, will kick off at 2 p.m. Saturday at Cheney Alumni Field in Casper.

The North leads the all-time series 25-18-3. Last year’s game was not played due to COVID-19.

Players added to the roster since February’s initial release of rosters are Kelly Walsh’s Esaias Spillane (North, replacing Worland’s Rudy Sanford) and Cheyenne Central’s Brady Storebo (South, replacing Central’s Andrew Johnson).

Final rosters for Saturday’s game are:

NORTH
Big Horn: Winfield Loomis.
Buffalo: Hyrum Hatch.
Campbell County: Kaden Race.
Cody: Cody Phillips, Caleb Pryor, Keaton Stone, Nic Talich.
Jackson: Sam Lopeman.
Kelly Walsh: Dom Jahr, Reno Watson, Esaias Spillane.
Lander: Eli Mazurie, Jack Sweeney.
Lovell: C.J. Lindsay.
Meeteetse: Hadley Abarr.
Natrona: Braxton Bundy, Brady Dutcher, Jace George.
Powell: Kadden Abraham, Riley Bennett, Jesse Trotter.
Riverton: Damon DeVries.
Rocky Mountain: Tyler Banks.
Sheridan: Quinton Mangus, Kyle Meinecke, Justin Vela.
Shoshoni: Tryston Truempler.
Thermopolis: Logan Cole, Remington Ferree.
Thunder Basin: River Brisko, Michael Coleman, Scott O’Dell, Jaxon Pikula, Dyse Shepherd.
Upton-Sundance: Wyatt Gillespie, Brad Krueger.
Coaches: Matt McFadden, Cody (head coach); Trent Pikula, Thunder Basin; Jim Talich, Cody; Kirk McLaughlin, Big Horn; Larry Yeradi, Wright; Zeb Hagen, Meeteetse.
Student trainer: Sarah Manor, Sheridan.
Student manager: Oakly Bowman, Thermopolis.
Athletic trainer: Jessica Garden, Sheridan.

SOUTH
Big Piney: Kaden Raza.
Cheyenne Central: Jimmy Koenig, Joey Kostelecky, Carter Lobatos, Brady Storebo.
Cheyenne East: Graedyn Buell, Dakota Heckman, Jackson Hesford, Jake Rayl, Julian Vigil.
Cokeville: Nate Barnes.
Douglas: Gabe Borman, Kody Micke.
Evanston: Jagger Mitchell.
Farson: Parker Clawson.
Green River: Seth White.
Laramie: Matthew Maiava, Micah Maiava, Michael Maiava.
Lusk: Drake Lamp.
Lyman: Hansen Bradshaw, Preston Brewer, Joseph Turner.
Mountain View: Hunter Meeks, Ashton Schofield.
Pinedale: Colby White.
Rock Springs: A.J. Kelly, Collin Madsen.
Saratoga: Noah Rimmer.
Southeast: Harrison Hall.
Star Valley: Brant Nelson, Gabe Nield, JaAren Smith.
Torrington: Dylan Dreiling, Cody Pierce.
Wheatland: Adam Suko.
Coaches: Brent Walk, Mountain View (head coach); Paul Garcia, Cheyenne East; Wes Gamble, Douglas; Michael Collins, Mountain View; Logan Wright, Saratoga; Jack Cobb, Snake River.
Student trainer: Kristy Givens, Cheyenne East.
Student manager: Brooklyn Lowe, Cheyenne East.
Athletic trainer: Miranda Zamora, Laramie.

Looking for a roster deep dive? Here’s every Shrine Bowl player since 1974.

–patrick

The 2021 Wyoming Shrine Bowl all-star football games now have their full complement of coaches.

Shrine Bowl Executive Director Frank Selby announced the full coaching staffs in a release Tuesday, completing the staffs started with the announcement of head coaches in December.

South head coach Brent Walk of Mountain View will be joined by assistants Paul Garcia of Cheyenne East, Wes Gamble of Douglas, Michael Collins of Mountain View, Logan Wright of Saratoga and Jack Cobb of Snake River.

North head coach Matt McFadden of Cody will have Trent Pikula of Thunder Basin, Jim Talich of Cody, Kirk McLaughlin of Big Horn, Larry Yeradi of Wright and Zeb Hagen of Meeteetse on his staff.

This year’s game will be June 12 at Cheney Alumni Field in Casper.

–patrick

Brent Walk of Mountain View and Matt McFadden of Cody will be the head coaches for the 2021 Shrine Bowl all-star football game.

Walk will lead the South team while McFadden will lead the North, Shrine Bowl executive director Frank Selby said Tuesday in a release.

Walk was the head coach of the South for last year’s Shrine Bowl, which was canceled due to COVID-19.

McFadden was previously head coach for the North in the 2015 game; Walk was also the South’s head coach that year.

The North has won seven Shrine Bowls in a row and leads the series 25-18-3.

This year’s game will be played June 12, 2021, at Cheney Alumni Field in Casper.

–patrick

Ten assistant coaches, five for each team, have been named for the 2020 Wyoming Shrine Bowl all-star football game.

The North squad will have Thunder Basin’s Trent Pikula, Worland’s Ryan Utterback, Lovell’s Nicc Crosby, Wright’s Larry Yeradi and Meeteetse’s Zeb Hagen join head coach Aaron Papich from Powell on the coaching staff.

The South squad will be represented by Cheyenne East’s Paul Garcia, Douglas’ Wes Gamble, Mountain View’s Michael Collins, Pine Bluffs’ Will Gray and Farson’s Trip Applequist, as well as head coach Brent Walk of Mountain View, on its staff.

A release Monday from Frank Selby, the Shrine Bowl’s executive director, announced the choices. The release also said the respective coaching staffs are now reviewing player nominations to form the teams for the annual game, a fundraiser for the Shrine Hospitals.

The game will be June 13, 2020, in Casper.

–patrick