EMPORIA — A dominant defensive performance lifted the East squad to a gritty 14-7 victory over the West in the 53rd annual Kansas Shrine Bowl on Saturday night, thrilling a crowd of 6,035 fans at Welch Stadium.
Despite being outgained 277-218 in total yardage and defending against 18 more offensive plays, the East team relied on a textbook “bend-but-don’t-break” approach. The defense sparked the victory by forcing three crucial first-half turnovers and locking down three massive fourth-down stops in the game’s final periods.
The victory keeps the East’s perfect streak alive in Emporia—marking their third consecutive Shrine Bowl win in the city—and cuts their deficit in the historic all-time series to 30-19-2.
First-Half Takeaways Set the Tone
The East defense made its presence felt early in the opening quarter. After the West drove deep into East territory, Osage City’s Quenten Stark intercepted a pass from Great Bend quarterback Daxon Minton, returning it near midfield to completely flip the field.
The East offense quickly capitalized on the momentum. Shawnee Heights quarterback Aiden Scott found Alec Jett (St. James Academy) on a 24-yard touchdown strike with 7:03 left in the first quarter. A missed extra point left the East with an early 6-0 lead.
The West was quick to respond. Capitalizing on an East miscue late in the period, Derby’s Houston Bowlin recovered an offensive fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Augusta’s Brody Haskell tacked on the extra point, giving the West a brief 7-6 edge with 2:54 left in the first.
Shortly after, the West threatened to break the game open, recovering another fumble and marching down to the East 4-yard line. However, Mill Valley’s Hayden Heller halted the threat on the third play of the second quarter, picking off a pass to preserve the narrow margin.
Shifting Momentum and MVPs
The game-winning sequence arrived with just 1:13 left in the first half. Jackson Heights’ Austin Zeller recovered a West fumble near midfield, handing the ball back to an explosive East backfield.
Kansas City-Washington’s Savion Stone took advantage of the opportunity, launching a 27-yard touchdown pass to Mill Valley’s Blake Jay. Stone then called his own number, punching in the two-point conversion to secure a 14-7 lead that would hold for the rest of the night. Stone’s dynamic playmaking earned him the East’s Most Valuable Player honors.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
EAST KS 6 8 0 0 14
WEST KS 7 0 0 0 7In the second half, the West mounted multiple drives into enemy territory but simply couldn’t find the end zone against a stubborn East front line. Three separate fourth-quarter drives died inside the East 35-yard line on failed fourth-down conversions.
Standout Performers
- East Offense: Carter Hajek (Nemaha Central) paced the ground game with 59 rushing yards on 13 carries. Blake Jay finished the night with four receptions for 33 yards and the decisive touchdown.
- West Offense: Salina Central’s Cooper Reves put on a spectacular show in a losing effort, rushing for 91 yards on 14 carries to take home the West MVP award. Hays High’s Holden Lind added 22 yards on seven touches.
- Defense: Holton’s Cael Frazier spearheaded the ferocious East defense with a game-high seven tackles. Landon Steven (Bishop Carroll) anchored the West defense with six tackles on the night.
