‘It was no surprise to us’

Saturday night had enough local flair to make it feel like an early fall evening on the Aurora turf. 
Carlos Collazo was running through people. Jack Allen had quarterbacks running for their lives. Coach Kyle Peterson was calling run plays. Coach Cole Ashby called for stout defensive pressure. 
It was all part of a 17-7 win for the South team in the 65th annual Shrine Bowl game at UNK, featuring everything from lightning to soaked t-shirts and a good time.
Coach Peterson was an assistant coach for Platteview’s Mark McLaughlin, the third time he’s participated as a coach in the Shrine Bowl. 
He said afterward that every experience there is unique, mostly because of the players. But also, the uniqueness of the week is something he looks forward to.
“Every group of kids is a little bit different, but I really appreciated the way this group came and learned the system we put in offensively,” he said. “They were so coachable and a team that really gelled.”
While Peterson can be considered a Shrine Bowl veteran, the same cannot be said for Ashby, who went through the experience for the first time. 
Ashby’s reactions were similar to the players throughout the week, seeing everything away from the field and garnering a newfound appreciation. 
“Hearing their stories was heart-wrenching, incredible and inspiring at the same time,” Ashby said. “It was fascinating how quickly our guys meshed well together, hearing everyone’s stories.”
Not only Peterson and Ashby, but former Husky player and coach Garret Johns was there. So was James ‘syrup bottle’ McCartney. Brandon Cool, too. 
Aurora had a lot to be proud of Saturday night. 
“This was an incredible experience,” Ashby said. “The entire week was filled with gratitude from our players and coaches, knowing the cause. It was easy because it was a good group of kids.”
Once kickoff neared, things went haywire in every sort of way. 
By the time I pulled up 30 minutes prior to the initial kick time, there was nobody on the field. 
Lightning delay. You’ll get used to that phrase.
Both teams agreed to a 20-minute warm-up with a new scheduled start time of 6:15. 
After almost six minutes of game time and a quick touchdown from the North team, the lightning returned. 
Back to the locker room.
Jack Allen was spotted several times throughout the delay, refusing to even think about sitting down. He just wanted to play football. 
He came over, offering a high five, saying “whatever happens, happens.”
He didn’t really mean that, though. The disappointment would have been evident had the game not restarted. 
For most of the near two-hour delay, it didn’t rain a drop. Five minutes before the game re-started, the skies opened up. 
It made for one heck of an experience. 
The game featured a running clock and no halftime. All smiles from the sports photographers on the sideline.
The South squad looked like a different team after the break, scoring 17 unanswered points, including one final high school TD from Carlos Collazo. 
“Our kids came back after the long delay and played with passion,” Peterson said. “That’s why they were successful tonight.”
Watching the South team offense operate, I couldn’t help but feel like I had seen this movie before. 
On the South’s opening drive of the second half, they ran 13 plays. Twelve of those were run plays. Five of those to Los, including a huge crash at the goal line for a touchdown. 
Peterson was more than happy to see his guy find pay dirt one last time. 
“Carlos had such a great career and he’s a special player,” Peterson said. “To see him score on this stage against the state’s best was a lot of fun.”
Then there was Allen on the defensive side, running around like he will never play another football game again. But having one heck of a time doing it. 
“Our defensive line gave us fits all week so I knew they would be tough for the North,” Peterson said. “They had to settle in but Jack played well. He was in our backfield all week long so I wasn’t surprised to see that at all.”
The accolades didn’t stop there, either. 
To no surprise for most of us, Jack and Los were chosen as team captains for the South. 
They both sport an infectious personality, two kids you want to be around. They have a strong will and desire to win, sure. But they also want to be your friend. 
Those two may have been surprised to be chosen as leaders, but Peterson, Ashby and BigRich weren’t. 
“Those guys came into camp and were favorites among their teammates right away,” Peterson said. “They both have contagious personalities and you want to be around them.”
“It was honestly no surprise,” Ashby said. “Carlos and Jack are incredible people raised by incredible people. They fit in and were magnetic personalities all week. It was kind of chilling. Jack and Carlos had an incredible amount of votes.”
Back in the fall, Los and Jack showed up to one of Aurora’s youth football games, interacting with those kids. 
Those kids know who Los is, who Jack is. Those future Huskies have dreams of being like Los and Jack when they get to high school. 
It’s a small part of what makes Aurora special. 
Fresh off winning a state wrestling title, Jack was there, officiating a night of youth wrestling matches. 
Why? Because he wants to. 
Los, doing a TV interview after breaking a couple school records, was excited about coaching his flag football team the next morning. 
Why? Because he wants to.
It’s been a pleasure watching these two play football. Can’t wait to watch Los continue to score touchdowns at Concordia and Jack win more wrestling matches at UNK. 
RICHARD RHODEN can be reached at sports@hamilton.net.