It was more than just another game. When Hayden Frank was selected to participate in the June 3 Nebraska Shrine Bowl game, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. The recent Malcolm graduate quickly learned it was a pretty big deal.
“I truly didn’t understand how prestigious the game is,” Frank said. “To be honest, I had never really heard of it. But learning how it’s a pretty honorable achievement made me more excited to play and be able to connect with new guys.”
Frank is just the third Malcolm player to be selected to play in the game that has existed for 65 years.
The Shrine Bowl is one of four summer all-star games for which the future Concordia Bulldog was selected to participate. On May 22, Frank competed in the inagural Brolhorst-Fagler All-Star baseball game. He was also picked to play in two all-star basketball games this summer.
“Being able to represent Malcolm and myself in all of the games shows you can still be successful in multiple sports,” Frank said. “I enjoy it because I get to meet new guys. In a small sense, it also shows that my hard work has paid off.”
Frank’s week in Kearney began on a Sunday afternoon. They wasted no time getting to work as the teams hit the field twice the first day.
“We had two practices every day and a Saturday morning walk-through,” Frank said. “It took a toll on a lot of the guys on the team. It was difficult to adjust to football again. We really didn’t do drills. So, during live play you were trying to figure things out from last November.”
As evidence of the kind of leader Frank has been throughout his high school career, he was selected as a defensive captain for the South team.
“I guess I was communicating well at practice and nothing confused me so I felt like I was in a good spot to be selected,” Frank said. “Every single guy on the defense could have won it. There were some top level guys. The fact that I got selected just showed me I am one of them and can compete with the best.”
Stormy weather in the Kearney area almost prevented the game – being played at Cope Stadium on the UNK campus – from being completed. With just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter, the field was cleared due to lightning in the area. The delay lasted over two hours. When play resumed, it was with a running clock and the halftime intermission eliminated.
“There was a fair amount of complaining going on in the locker room,” Frank said. “We didn’t want to go through a whole week of practices and not have the game.”
When play eventually resumed, the South team came from down 7-0 to score 17 unanswered points to secure the win.
“We weren’t picked to win and so when we did our celebration looked like an underdog had won,” Frank said. “We were jumping and yelling. It meant a lot to us to prove people wrong.”
In addition to showcasing the best football players in the state, the Shrine Bowl has a bigger purpose. The game serves as a fundraiser for Shriner’s Hospital for Children. With that comes an opportunity for the players to get to know kids benefitting from what Shriner’s Hospitals offer.
For the South team, it meant playing for their honorary captain, Emberlyn Hemmer of Lincoln, a girl who has had multiple surgeries for Caudal Regression Syndrome. After the game, the South team gathered around her to chant, “Emmy! Emmy! Emmy!”
“She was so deserving of our time and even the chant,” Frank said. “She’s gone through so much and still acts like a little girl with so much energy. When Coach Mac (Mark McLaughlin of Platteview) broke down at our banquet when talking about Emmy, that’s when we knew it meant a lot to him and that it will feel that same way to us. She deserved a win.”
Frank will finish out his summer playing Legion baseball for Malcolm while participating in the Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star basketball game on July 24. In August, he enrolls at Concordia University where he will play basketball for the Bulldogs.
“I’ll miss football and being able to joke with Coach Amen and the other coaches,” Frank said. “They’ve been amazing and I couldn’t be more thankful. I’ll also miss being able to lead the huddle and the stupid stuff that gets said in there sometimes. It looks so serious, but half the time somebody is saying something to lighten the mood and get us rolling.”
