McCook alums help South rule the Shrine Bowl

McCook alum Zach Schlager (41) was ready to make five tackleswith four being unassisted at Saturday’s 60th Shrine Bowl classic in Kearney. Schlager also carried the football twice as a shotgun quarterback and gained two yards.

Steve Towery/McCook Gazette

KEARNEY, Neb. — If you’re a fan of the Nebraska football team, especially the future of the Blackshirts, then the 60th annual Shrine Bowl was the game for you.

Several Husker walk-on prospects suited up for Saturday’s game, but none was more impressive than Gretna’s Joey Johnson.

Playing for the South team, the soon-to-be Nebraska defensive end/outside linebacker walk-on racked up a team-high nine total tackles, with four coming for a loss, with two sacks, and forced a fumble on his way to earning defensive MVP honors at Nebraska-Kearney’s Cope Stadium.

“This means a lot, being one of the better kids in a state with a lot of great kids and being named defensive player of the game is really cool and exhilarating,” Johnson said.

Johnson was all over the field in the first half of action. It seemed like he was in the North backfield every other play, forcing fumbles and pushing the North’s quarterbacks into bad decisions.

Aiding Johnson on the South’s defense was fellow future defensive walk-on Simon Otte of York, who finished the game with five total tackles, including two for a loss, and a pass breakup.

“All of our guys bought into being one team and one family,” Otte said about the South’s 24-21 win on a 50-yard tie-breaking field goal from Lincoln Pius X grad Noah McCashland.

McCook alum Zach Schlager is going his own way to Colorado State University. He made five tackles including a touchdown-saving stop against Omaha North Super-State running back Milton Sargbah.

Sargbah popped free for about 17 yards but Schlager dropped him at the South five-yard line.

Bison classmate Hunter Hays played almost all the key snaps on the South offensive line throiughout this close victory.