By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
For some, the 50th Nebraska Shrine Bowl was just another stepping stone to playing football in college. For others, it would be the last time they put on a football uniform.
On Saturday night at Nebraska’s famed Memorial Stadium, the South squad defeated the North, 7-3.
All the points were scored in the first quarter. The South relied on the arm of a running back to produce the lone touchdown of the contest. Kearney running back Rustin Dring took a pitch from John Dostal of Omaha Gross on the first play of the game and heaved it down field to wide-open Brett Maher, also from Kearney. Maher took it 68 yards for six points and tacked on the extra point to make it 7-0 in favor of the South.
The North also put some points on the scoreboard in the first quarter. North Platte St. Patrick kicker Bobby Shults booted a 32-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-3.
From there, it was all defense. Both offensive units struggled to move the ball for the rest of the night as the all-star game became a defensive struggle.
Shults had another chance to put three more points for the North, but missed a 22-yard field goal in the second half that would have cut the deficit to just one.
Maher was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player. He caught two passes for 75 yards, averaged 41 yards per punt, and scored all the points for the North.
The North defense got the upper-hand of the South offense. The North held the South to just 52 rushing yards and 142 total yards, allowing just four first downs.
Wakefield’s Joel Nixon and Elkhorn’s Jared Brill combined for 12 completions for 106 yards for the North, but it wasn’t enough to propel their team to victory.
Blair’s Skyler Luxa was instrumental in the North’s backfield, rushing for 102 yards on just 12 carries. Omaha Bryan’s Jeremy Wallace led the South with just 22 yards rushing.
For the South, Ashland-Greenwood’s Andy Mink and Palmyra’s Adam Field tied for the team lead with seven tackles. Omaha Creighton Prep’s Colin McDermott recorded eight tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery to lead the North defense.
Shrine Bowl Box Score
South..... 7….. 0…… 0…… 0—7
North..... 3….. 0…… 0…… 0—3
South: Brett Maher 68 pass from Rustin Dring (Maher kick)
North: FG Bobby Shults 32
OFFENSIVE STATISTICS
RUSHING:
South: Rustin Dring (Kearney) 6-4, Cody Linder (Plattsmouth) 2-11, Marcus Smith (Crete) 2-4, Jeremy Wallace (Omaha Bryan) 6-22, Sam Frazier (McCook) 3-12, John Dostal (Omaha Gross) 11-4, Brett Maher (Kearney) 1-2.
North: Joel Nixon (Wakefield) 6-22, Kaleb Christensen (Columbus LV) 8-29, Skyler Luxa (Blair) 12-102, Justin Blatchford (Ponca) 3-9, Ryan Klein (Wakefield) 2-2, Jared Brill (Elkhorn) 5-20.
PASSING:
South: Dring 1-1-0 68, Maher 0-1-0 0, Dostal 3-4-0 22.
North: Nixon 6-11-0 63, Brill 6-12-1 43.
RECEIVING:
South: Maher 2-75, Sam Meginnis (Lincoln East) 1-12, Frazier 1-3.
North: Zach Kahre (Omaha Burke) 3 -20, Klein 2-39, Payton Iverson (Lincoln North Star) 3-24, Christensen 1-3, Blatchford 2-8, Luxa 1-12.