East shuts out West in Shrine Bowl

HAYS -- Tony Barksdale, Jr. of Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights scored two first-half touchdowns to earn East team Most Valuable Player honors as he led his team to a 21-0 victory in the Kansas Shrine Bowl at Lewis Field here Saturday night.

Fort Scott High School graduate Alex Fink was on the East roster and FSHS head coach Bob Campbell was on the East coaching staff. No statistics were reported for Fink, who will play baseball at Independence Community College, in the game.

Barksdale, who has signed with Coffeyville Community College, gained 187 all-purpose yards in leading the East. East receiver Dalton Schoen, from Blue Valley Northwest, caught 5 passes for 169 yards and the game's only other touchdown.

The East has won two of the last three games after West teams had won the previous seven Shrine Bowls in a row. It was the first shutout in a Shrine Bowl since the West won 30-0 in 1990.

The East defense posted a goal-line stand in with 1:34 left to keep the shutout intact. The East defense held the West to 136 total yards.

The Shrine Bowl is an all-star game featuring the top seniors from the previous school year (2014-15 seniors this year). Proceeds to go help Shriners Childrens' Hospitals.