For the second year in a row, Mother Nature decided the annual North-South Shrine Bowl should be an all-day event, providing players, coaches and fans with a two-hour lightning delay with just over eight minutes to play in the contest.

For the North squad — seemingly in control of the game earlier in the second half ahead 27-7, but now clinging to a one-score lead at 27-21 — the break in the action couldn’t have come at a better time. The South was moving the ball seemingly at will, and was in the midst of another nice drive into North territory when the weather alarms began to sound.

“The delay really killed our momentum,” said Evanston Red Devil Braunson Sims, who caught two passes for 17 yards in the game. “We were driving the field, and we were going to tie the game.”

When play finally resumed two hours later, the now well-rested North defense was able to force the South into a turnover on downs, changing the complexion of the game. North quarterback Ty Gilbertson of Sheridan scored on the first play from scrimmage after getting the ball back, a 73-yard scamper that extended North’s lead to 34-21 with the extra point; they would go on to win 34-28.

“We aren’t going to blame the loss on the delay,” said South head coach Will Gray. “Yes, we were driving and got in a groove, but we had a lot of opportunities prior to that to do the same. Two hour delays are rare, and I thought the kids handled it well.”

One for the ages

The yearly All-Star contest — pitting the state’s top seniors from the North against their counterparts in the South — was one for the books, with both teams turning in memorable performances.

The North got things off and running midway through the first quarter, capping off a nine-play, 53-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Sheridan’s Kelten Crow. Ty Gilbertson nailed the extra point, and the North led 7-0.

Cody’s Grady McCarten added to the lead less than a minute into the second quarter, breaking off a 47-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0.

Star Valley’s Smith McClure led the South to their first score of the contest midway through the second quarter, hitting Laramie’s Max Alexander for a 25-yard touchdown. Rock Springs’ Michael Rubich converted the PAT, and North’s lead was cut to 14-7.

With a minute to play in the half, Gilbertson hit on a pair of field goals — one from 20 yards and one from a Shrine Bowl record-breaking 51 yards — to take a 20-7 lead into the break. The second field goal came courtesy of a forced fumble by Powell’s Trevan Abraham and recovered by Gilbertson, whose name was all over the final stat sheet.

Down two scores with a half to play, Coach Gray said his message to the team at halftime was there was still work to be done.

“We challenged them at halftime to be more physical, and reminded them that toughness isn’t about hooting and hollering; it’s about getting the job done no matter the circumstances,” Gray said. “I was proud of how they responded.”

The North picked up where it left off, scoring on their first drive of the second half. On a 1st-and-10 on the South 31-yard-line, Lovell’s Davin Crosby rolled right and found Thunder Basin’s Cort Catlin open in the back of the end zone for the score. Another extra point by Gilbertson, and the North appeared to have the game in hand at 27-7.

Just when it seemed the North had things under control, the McClure-to-Alexander connection hooked up for the second time, a leaping catch by Alexander for a 51-yard South touchdown down the right sideline with 10:14 to play in the third quarter. The North bench wanted an offensive pass interference call, but the play stood, with the score 27-14.

North was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty while making their argument for a push off on the touchdown, and the penalty was assessed on the ensuing kickoff. Gambling on his team’s sudden good fortune with field position, Coach Gray went with an onside kick, which the South recovered.

Setting up shop on the North 35-yard-line, South cut the lead to six a few plays later on a 3-yard keeper by McClure and an extra point by Rubich to close the gap to 27-21.

That was as close as Coach Gray’s squad would get. South appeared to have North’s defense on their heels midway through the final frame — a drive that began on their own 9-yard-line saw them move the ball methodically down the field, with Laramie’s Fisher Frude now under center. Completions to Frude’s teammate Alexander, Big Piney’s Caden Clifford, Star Valley’s Bryson Nield and Pine Bluffs’ Shawn Shmidl, coupled with nice runs by Clifford and Frude had the South on the North 30-yard-line with 8:27 to play, when Mother Nature intervened.

“Going down 14-0 in the first quarter, I wasn’t too worried, because I knew once we started rolling, they couldn’t stop us,” said South linebacker Max Gregory, of Lyman. “I feel like the weather delay totally killed our momentum on that drive in the fourth quarter and stopped us from scoring.”

With fresh legs after the delay, North’s defense forced a turnover on downs, and Gilbertson’s 73-yard dagger in the heart on the first play from scrimmage sealed South’s fate. McClure hooked up with Alexander one more time for a 14-yard score with three minutes to play to pull South within a score at 34-28. The onside kick attempt was unsuccessful this time around and North was able to run out the clock and secure the win.

It was a tough way for the players on the South roster — most of whom had just played their final game of organized football — to end their high school careers. That said, Coach Gray said he, his staff and his players wouldn’t trade the experience and the memories of the week for anything.

“It was a great week,” he said. “It’s interesting to see how the kids responded to seeing and hearing the stories from the Shriners patients, but also how quickly each individual responds and picks up all of the football installations. The kids picked things up fast and we had a great week. I’ll remember this group for their toughness and willingness to be coachable. Many of these kids would make great coaches in the future. I hope they realize that and give back to the game.”

Uinta County contingent represents well

While the 52nd Annual Shrine Bowl may not have ended in the South’s favor, the players representing southwest Wyoming definitely made their presence felt.

Uinta County was well-represented on the South roster, with four players: Braunson Sims and Tarrin Haws — a late addition to the roster, who saw significant playing time — from Evanston; Landon Solaas from Mountain View; and Max Gregory from Lyman.

“The week was super fun — I got to meet a whole bunch of new guys from all over the state,” said Sims. who caught two passes for 17 yards. “We all bonded pretty fast and had a great time together. Also, the practices were great. We plugged in a whole offense and defense in a week and it seemed to work pretty well.”

Gregory agreed.

“At the beginning of the week, we were just trying to learn formations and plays, while trying to build friendships with each other,” he said. “By the end of the week, we had full trust in ourselves and our teammates. Overall, it was a super amazing experience to play and see how I matched up against the best players in the state. The one thing I will remember the most is the relationships we created.”