‘It means the world’: Northeast’s Gray, Wilbur relish chance to suit up together at Shrine Bowl

NATE THOMAS Lincoln Journal Star

KEARNEY — Dylan Gray and Gavin Wilbur have some memories over the years.

The two played together from elementary school through high school together at Lincoln Northeast and they are playing college football just under two hours from each other.

But the final one in their prep careers was sharing the field together on the South team at Nebraska-Kearney’s Cope Stadium in the Shrine Bowl.

“I wouldn’t even say best friends, we are brothers,” Wilbur said. “It means the world getting to suit up with him.”

Gray shared the same thoughts.

“I can go on and on talking about how amazing it is to play with him,” he said.

If there was one thing that they really shared on the football together, it was the way they played.

“I think the one thing that we both shared is that we play our hearts out, and we just give it our all,” Wilbur said.

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Despite the North winning 17-15, the two Rocket alums both had standout performances in the game on defense. They each made two tackles, but Wilbur came up with an interception while Gray recovered a fumble.

But the game and scoreboard were not the point of the day for them. It was about the cause.

“I’m just pleasured to be out here and playing again for the last time with my buddy right here,” Gray said. “We made mistakes, but we overcame that and fought from the beginning. To have this opportunity playing in this game is just amazing.”

For Wilbur, getting to play in a big game is great, but supporting the Shriner children was just as important.

“Playing in a game with stakes this high is always fun,” he said. “But, when you are playing for a great cause and something that inspires you as much as the Shriner children, it just means that much more.”

With Gray going to Central Missouri and Wilbur at Washburn, two conference foes, Saturday may not be the last time they share the field together.

“We are going to play against each other, and it is going to be bittersweet,” Gray said.

The duo from Lincoln Northeast were not the only big performers on the South defense.

Lincoln Southwest’s Jake Leader was named the defensive player of the game with 11 tackles.

“I made a lot of tackles on the edge,” Leader said. “My linebackers and my corners did a real nice job of setting the edge and kicking the running backs back outside which we were practicing all week. So, it made my job a lot easier.”

For Leader though, it was a little different playing in this game. His dad was a coach in 2013. And his brother also played in 2019.

“It was a real honor to carry on the legacy and then to come out here and compete,” Leader said. “I’ve been to two of these games now. It was really cool to watch that now and come in and really experience it myself.”

Briefly

* Dylan Mostek of Bennington took home offensive player of the game for the North team.

In his final football game, Mostek rushed for a game-high 156 yards. He also caught a 17-yard touchdown pass in the first half.

* The South defense was not the only side with big defensive performances.

North’s Will Huber of Papillion-La Vista came up with the go-ahead safety in the final two minutes of the game. It was one of the team’s seven sacks in the game. Omaha North’s Orlando Hernandez and Fremont’s Mason Limbach each had a sack and a half.

* Another Fremont Tiger, Drew Sellon, made a couple of huge catches for the North team. He hauled in a 47-yard touchdown in a four-catch, 96-yard game.

Photos: The view from Kearney for the 64th Shrine Bowl football game Shrine Bowl, 6.4

Clouds fills the sky as the first half of the Shrine Bowl comes to an end on Saturday at Nebraska-Kearney’s Cope Stadium.