Standout offensive linemen seniors Kaden Leonard and Spencer Doan were selected to play in the prestigious Kansas Shrine Bowl. The goal of the game is to raise money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children and to showcase the top high school football talent in Kansas as the best players in the east take on the best in the west.

The Shrine Bowl has a rich history dating back to 1974, when the game first started. As of right now the west leads the series with 30 wins while the east only has 17. 

Not only is this game a great opportunity to raise money for a good cause, but it’s also a time of recognition for the players who worked hard for years to get to the level they’re at.

Athletes are selected for the Shrine Bowl not just for their talent on the field, but also for their performance in the classroom and their character. Before a player is selected they need to be nominated by their head coach, then the decision goes either to the Shrine Bowl head coaches or the media. 

“It’s pretty exciting. This just really puts in perspective, all the work I’ve put in over these last four years of high school and just ended off with being selected. That really means a lot,” Fort Hays State commit Leonard said. 

Leonard and Doan have been teammates since middle school and have developed a strong bond having spent so much time together.

“We’ve played together on the line pretty much all throughout high school,” Harvard commit Doan said. “So I have a pretty special bond with that guy. He’s a little goofy, but he’s a great guy, and he really is in love with the game of football and I admire that, you know, he knows everything about high school football.”

Both Leonard and Doan have bright futures, and are going off this fall to pursue their dreams of playing football at the collegiate level. 

“They’re there almost every single day and they’re very reliable,” head coach Kevin Stewart said. “Both of them work hard. And both of them make good grades in the classroom. You can definitely rely on them to hold themselves accountable, to make good grades and work hard.”