2011 Shrine Bowl: Offense galore

Never in the 38 years of the Shrine Bowl have we seen a combined offensive performance like this.

The North and South squads combined for 62 points, 786 yards, eight touchdowns and a whole lot of excitement on Saturday — and the fact that the North won 34-28 is almost overwhelmed by the performance of both teams’ offenses.

Almost.

The North built a 24-7 lead, and then held on as the South chipped away at the lead, twice cutting it to six points in the second half (27-21 and 34-28).

Although the North always seemed in control, especially after building the big lead early, the South’s quick pace on offense created some problems for North defenders. Evanston’s Jeff Lee squeezed out holes in the North pass defense and caught three touchdown passes from Wheatland’s Ward Anderson; Anderson also tossed a score to Justin Melton.

However, the North defense limited South’s running backs to just 71 yards on 26 carries. In the end, that was the most glaring difference between the two teams. Both squads threw for about the same amount of yards, 234 for the South and 214 for the North, but the South’s 71 rushing yards stands in stark contrast to the 267 rushing yards the North tallied up on 60 carries.

In a game where offense was in the forefront, a defensive play helped the North stave off the South’s comeback.

Early in the second quarter, Sheridan linebacker Dawson Osborn intercepted a Thad Lane pass and ran it back 25 yards for a touchdown, a score that gave the North a 17-7 lead. A demoralized South punted after one first down on its next drive, and the North then proceeded on its game-breaking drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6 minutes, 21 seconds. The drive, capped by Cole Montgomery’s 10-yard touchdown run on a third-and-goal from the 10, gave the North a 24-7 lead.

The South answered right back with a 36-yard Anderson-to-Lee strike right before halftime, and although Lee and Melton scored for the South in the second half, it was too little too late.

The game was spoiled somewhat late in the fourth quarter when Snake River’s Sean Rietveld had to be carted off the field after suffering what appeared to be a severe leg injury. Chatter on the sidelines during the delay indicated that Rietveld may have broken his leg, but no official word is available at this time. Rietveld, the only six-man player on the South squad, finished with four catches for 46 yards from his tight end position.

What did you think of this year’s Shrine Bowl? What moments stick out in your mind as the most memorable or noteworthy? Comment below with your thoughts.

–patrick