OTTAWA — Training at Ottawa University, the East team is gearing up for Saturday’s Kansas Shrine Bowl in Dodge City.
Chanute’s Cade Small and Quinton Harding, as well as Humboldt’s Blake Ellis, are the area athletes that will represent the East.
Harding, who rushed for over 1,000 yards and was a critical part of the Blue Comets’ defense, was added to the East roster late last week.
“I made a call and Quinton was able to pull it off with his schedule,” Chanute head coach Clete Frazell said. “It’s an awesome deal to have two players here and I’m glad it worked out.”
Harding will take reps at safety in Saturday’s Shrine Bowl.
“His athleticism and explosiveness all around, he’s just a great athlete,” Frazell said. “He’s got great character and we knew he’d be a good fit for the East team. Some guys take offense to not being somebody’s first choice. But if you go through life like that, you won’t get far. Quiton was excited at the opportunity and didn’t have one thought other than coming to practice.”
Small finished his senior campaign at Chanute with 67 tackles, including 12 for a loss, seven sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Offensively, Small hauled in 15 catches for 261 yards and notched four total touchdowns.
“All the guys here are good players and they’re still figuring out the depth chart,” Frazell said. “We’ve had a few practices and we’re just making notes on players.”
Ellis was a dynamic playmaker for Humboldt, tallying 1,174 yards and 13 touchdowns through the air as well as 1,390 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground. On defense, Ellis notched a dozen tackles. He’ll line up at defensive back for the East.
“He’s a natural athlete so there’s not a whole lot of transition for him,” Humboldt head coach Logan Wyrick said. “He’s an athlete and you want him to play. He’ll get a good amount of reps as he competes for that job.”
Wyrick added that he feels Ellis will thrive on the defensive side of the ball.
“With the type of defense we’re going to run, his talents are really applicable,” Wyrick said. “The most surprising part has been how well he’s been able to transition. There’s a lot of guys moving around positions. But for him to go from quarterback to defensive back, it’s been fun to see. I knew he could do it, given the opportunity. And he didn’t pout one bit.”
Frazell and Wyrick are both on the coaching staff for the East.
Chanute’s coach will be coaching the wide receivers in his first ever appearance on a Shrine Bowl staff.
“It’s been amazing. Our head coach has done a fantastic job of getting the coaches here and understanding what we’re here for,” Frazell said. “We serve the youth through Shriners…we all see them at parades with their funny hats. But they do amazing things for people. Being able to raise money for kids to get the care they need is just incredible. That’s been just the greatest experience. And it’s great to be with players that play at a high level and make connections with kids that you battled against in the past.”
Wyrick is making his second appearance on the East coaching staff, with the first coming in 2019.
“In this state, there’s not a higher honor,” Wyrick said. “It says more about your program and what we’ve been able to accomplish. To have the opportunity to do it a second time — I didn’t think it’d happen the first time — it’s amazing. Hopefully we raise some funds and awareness for the Shriners Hospital.”
The 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl will be held in Dodge City on Saturday with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
(From left) Chanute’s Quinton Harding, Humboldt’s Blake Ellis and Chanute’s Cade Small will represent the East squad at the 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl in Dodge City on Saturday. Sean Frye | Tribune photos
