CEDAR FALLS – Montezuma’s Cole Watts had a few special moments during his appearance in the 2021 Iowa Shrine Bowl Classic football game – and the events leading up to it.
The contest was played Saturday afternoon, July 24, in the UNIDome.
The highlight reel play came late in the third quarter. Wide receiver Watts ran a post pattern, and under a football thrown into tight coverage.
Watts went up first, got his hands on the football first, then won a mid-air arm wrestling match with his defender to secure possession.
“It was a 50-50 ball,” Watts said. “His (the defender’s) arms went right through mine. We both grabbed for the ball,” Watts said. “But, I had the ball secured to my chest.”
The play covered 42 yards, and it set up a South All-Stars touchdown which cut the North’s lead to 38-24 at the time. Braves fans have seen Watts make plays like that before.
Earlier, Watts gathered in a 13-yard pass on a crossing route to pick up a first down. The two Watts catches totaled 55 yards, third-highest for a team that gained 391 yards through the air.
The North went on to score a 52-24 victory in a game that featured a lot of offense from gifted players on both teams.
Watts didn’t lead in receptions or yards, but he found another way to break through to the top. Players were asked to sell advertising into the game program.
Watts sold $4,000 worth, tops on the South team. For that, he received a football signed by all 96 players on the two rosters. “A nice keepsake,” Cole said.
The game is a fund raiser for Shrine Children’s Hospitals across America. It brings together graduated seniors from all parts of the state.
This year, organizers wanted to raise a record $100,000. Last year’s game was canceled because of COVID.
Oh and yes, they made it. “The players’ goal was $96,000,” Cole said. Added to what the cheerleaders sold, we made it to $136,000.”
TV announcers covering the game said an ad-laden program had more than 500 pages.
This was the 49th Shrine All-Star Classic in Iowa. The previous games have produced $2.7 million for the hospitals.
“I met a lot of amazing people and had a good time,” Watts said about the several-days experience. “The coaches were all great. They knew what they were doing and simplified things for us.”
Watts wasn’t targeted for a reception until the second half, but said he was in on alternating possessions the entire game.
Would he like to have seen the football thrown his way more often?Yes, “but I’m competitive,” Watts said. “There was a lot of offensive talent playing in this game.”
Cole called activities associated with the game – including a cook-out, a trip to a water park, a banquet, and meeting with kids from a Shriner’s hospital, “eventful and well-planned.”
“There were a lot of team bonding moments,” he said.
Cole said the kids they met from a Shriner’s hospital in Minneapolis “were real good. There was seven or eight girls, and they tended to spend more time with the cheerleaders.” There were just several boys, “but they were good, too,” he said.
NOTES – It was plenty hot outside, so players and fans were happy to be inside the air conditioned UNIDome during a hot late afternoon and early evening. This game in some years had been played in Ames, which would have been most uncomfortable this year . . .
Speaking of air conditioning, there was none in the dorms where the players stayed. Except for a few, and Cole’s room was one of those that had AC. “Just seven or eight rooms had it,” Watts said. “But just having all my teammates around made it easier to get through the week.”
Cole is headed to Simpson College this fall, “but not until Aug. 28. That gives me some time to relax,” he said.
He’ll be playing basketball at Simpson.