West coaches shoot for third straight
A special to the Gazette
Originally published 01:17 p.m., July 11, 2008
Updated 01:17 p.m., July 11, 2008
When you talk to Kansas Shrine Bowl West head coach Gary Guzman, two things immediately stand out — his enthusiasm for the coming game in Emporia and the organization that he’s already put into the game’s preparation.
Almost every comment he makes about the game includes the word “excited,” and there’s no doubt Guzman, who coaches at Wichita Southeast, is happy to take the reins of a West squad that will be trying to extend its winning streak to three in a row over the East. The West prevailed in 2007, winning 26-7 in Hays.
This will be Guzman’s second stint as a Shrine Bowl coach, having served as an assistant coach last year.
“It was a great experience for me,” he said. “I had a chance to work with some very good coaches. It was almost like going to a coaching clinic all week long. We also had a chance to work with some top-notch kids. I’ve heard stories about teams that didn’t quite gel like you’d like them to, but I felt our staff gelled well, and our kids got along.”
He said he picked up some helpful tips from last year’s coaching staff, one of which was setting up the team into offensive and defensive platoons.
“I had no idea last year that we would platoon, but we split up the coaches and split up the team, and everybody got plenty of playing time.” Guzman has already organized his coaching staff into offense and defense.
“We have very good coaches, and I’ve asked Randy Dreiling (Hutchinson) to handle the defense,” he said. “We played against Hutchinson in our last game of the season in the playoffs last year, and he’ll do well handling the defensive side of the ball.”
Guzman knows first-hand about Hutch’s defense, which helped knock Guzman’s Golden Buffalo out of the 6A playoffs last year, 56-6.
Bo Black of Great Bend and Dave Fennewald of Mulvane will assist Guzman on the offensive team. On defense, Jerry Mick of Minneapolis and George Lelin of Conway Springs will assist Dreiling.
Guzman is already putting together an offensive scheme for this year’s game.
“I’ll be meeting with the coaches this summer, and we’ll finalize what we want to do, so we’ll be ready to go when the players report.” He said he plans to let coach Dreiling handle all of the defensive chores.
In an all-star game like the Shrine Bowl, coaches sometimes have to ask players to play positions other than those they are used to playing, depending on their football knowledge and athletic ability to handle different responsibilities on the field. That’s where Guzman will employ a technique he learned last year.
“We’ll bring in each player individually and talk to them, and ask what positions they’ve played and what they are comfortable playing. Interviewing the kids last year turned out to be a good idea,” he said.
Guzman won’t be the first person in his family involved in the Kansas Shrine Bowl. His son, Garrett Guzman, played in the 2003 game, representing Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
About the Bowl
Proceeds from all Shrine Bowl events support the Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 hospitals that provide expert, no-cost orthopedic, burn and spinal care to children under 18. Children are admitted free to Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Advance reserved chairback tickets for the game cost $20. Adult general admission tickets are $9 in advance. Student tickets (K-12) are $5 in advance.
Other Shrine Bowl events scheduled in Emporia on July 26 include: an open 5K Road Race that includes 60 cross country all-star runners; a one-mile Fun Run/Walk; a giant Shrine parade; an arts and crafts fair; a kids’ fair; a high school combine; a poker run for bikes, autos and trucks; and a free fashion show.
For information or tickets, call the Shrine Bowl office at (800) 530-5524.
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