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Healthy Zimmerman excited for all-star contest
SHRINE BOWL
By Dale Miller
dale.miller@theindependent.com
LINCOLN – Kelly Zimmerman’s senior football season turned out to be a disappointment.
It wasn’t because of how Grand Island Central Catholic did. The Crusaders went 9-2 and qualified for the playoffs for the fourth-straight year for only the second time in school history.
It wasn’t because of how Zimmerman played. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker was a force to reckon with and piled up large tackle totals each game he played.
The reason the season was a disappointment was the number of games he played. A broken ankle in the season opener cost him six games and likely a host of postseason honors.
But it didn’t cost him a chance to play with 69 other top high school graduates in the 2009 Shrine Bowl next Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.
“It’s a great honor to play for this cause,” said Zimmerman, who is a member of the North team. “These are such great guys and I’m glad to do my part.”
Getting a chance at one more “high school” game before beginning his college career at Colorado School of Mines is something Zimmerman appreciates after being sidelined for so long last fall.
“It feels like closure,” he said. “I can redeem myself. I can go out and play and show what I can do.”
Zimmerman showed what he could do after returning to the field for GICC. He didn’t appear to miss a step during the season finale against Hastings St. Cecilia and in playoff games with Wood River and eventual Class C-1 state champion Pierce.
All that despite the fact that his ankle was still broken.
“After the season I could let it heal,” Zimmerman said. “I could play and it wouldn’t hurt it (more than it already was).”
Besides giving Zimmerman an all-star experience, the Shrine Bowl will also be a good transition for him to college.
“This will be beneficial to me,” he said. “Everybody (on the North team) is a different type of player. I’m watching and learning from everybody.”
He’s also getting a jump start at learning a new position – defensive end – which he’ll play in college.
Zimmerman is learning about it from the coach whose team ended his high school career, Pierce’s Mark Brahmer, who is the North’s head coach.
“I really like it,” Zimmerman said of defensive end. “I’ve never played it before. Coach Brahmer is teaching me a lot, and I look forward to it.”
One more new experience that the Shrine Bowl will bring to Zimmerman is playing at Memorial Stadium.
“It’ll be awesome playing on the Big Red’s field with all these guys,” he said.
Zimmerman is one of 11 area players who began practices Thursday for the Shrine Bowl. He’s joined on the North team by Grand Island Senior High’s Braden Taylor and Cole Kruger, Northwest’s Austan Pomajzl, Burwell’s Cody Gurney and Darcy Huffman, and Boone Central’s Kalvin Zoucha. Burwell’s Luke Gideon and Mike Max are assistant coaches.
Members of the South roster are Aurora’s Jerry Lobeda and Chris Boehle, Hastings St. Cecilia’s Matt Sterup and Adams Central’s Riley Larsen.
Shrine Bowl Rosters
SOUTH
Justin Coleman, Beatrice; Tyler Seals, Bellevue West; Matt Berry, McCook; Tyson Clark, Lincoln East; Nick Bell, Beatrice; Trevor Florendo, Crete; Brandon Hubert, Gretna; Drew Neville, Millard South; Jerry Lobeda, Aurora; Jordan Boston, Millard West; Kohlman Adema-Schulte, Millard West; Michael Burrus, Papillion-South; Jordan Hale, Millard South; Lynn King, Lincoln Southwest; Drew Carr, Overton; Devan Schmidt, Fairbury; Dillon Breinig, Arapaphoe; Garrett Schlicthtemeier, Ogallala; Brady Roeder, Kearney; Cody Karr, Blue Hill; Tyler Mertens, Waverly; Andrew Essman, Lincoln Southwest; Justin Wiles, Omaha Westside; Joe Vetrovsky, McCook; Adam Kerr, Lincoln Pius X; Thomas Volkmer, Syracuse; Matt Greve, Waverly; Brent Carper, Norris; Mike Scherer, Omaha Westside; Chris Boehle, Aurora; Sandi Stanback, Boys Town; Matt Sterup, Hastings St. Cecilia; Ty Branz, York; Greg Hardin, Bellevue West; Riley Larsen, Adams Central.
Coaches—Jeff Gross, McCook; Rick Nordhues, Syracuse; Glen Snodgrass, Overton; Matt Turman, Omaha Skutt; Craig Lathrop, Kearney; Chad Lyons, McCook.
NORTH
Jarrell Williams, Omaha North; Eric Koehlmoss, Pierce; Michel Mikaya, Lincoln North Star; Corey Serrano, North Platte; Austan Pomajzl, Northwest; Josh Beckman, Pope John; Lance Lawson, Norfolk; Michael Ziola, Columbus; Kelvin Johnson, Omaha Burke; Braden Taylor, Grand Island; Cody Gurney, Burwell; Matt Mimick, David City Aquinas; DeMont Simpson, Omaha North; Tyrone Lewis, Lincoln North Star; Drew Wagner, Madison; Ryan Maloley, Elkhorn; Mitch Hron, Schuyler; Darcy Huffman, Burwell; Kalvin Zoucha, Boone Central; Collin Lundgren, Millard North; Cole Kruger, Grand Island; Kelly Zimmerman, Grand Island Central Catholic; Gerrett Rockey, Norfolk Catholic; Matt Peitz, Crofton; Corey Kracl, Schuyler; Josh Ryba, Columbus Scotus; Jason Wilcox, Norfolk Catholic; Steve Nelson, Platteview; Eric Cummings, Omaha Burke; Lee Krohn, Pierce; Taylor Suess, Columbus Scotus; Brandon Chapek, Wahoo Neumann; John Melies Fremont Bergan; Joshua Beckmann, North Platte; Robert Barry, Battle Creek.
Coaches—Mark Brahmer, Pierce; Fred Doscher, Schuyler; Luke Gideon, Burwell; Todd Rice, North Platte; Greg Warneke, Pierce; Mike Max, Burwell.
It wasn’t because of how Grand Island Central Catholic did. The Crusaders went 9-2 and qualified for the playoffs for the fourth-straight year for only the second time in school history.
It wasn’t because of how Zimmerman played. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker was a force to reckon with and piled up large tackle totals each game he played.
The reason the season was a disappointment was the number of games he played. A broken ankle in the season opener cost him six games and likely a host of postseason honors.
“It’s a great honor to play for this cause,” said Zimmerman, who is a member of the North team. “These are such great guys and I’m glad to do my part.”
Getting a chance at one more “high school” game before beginning his college career at Colorado School of Mines is something Zimmerman appreciates after being sidelined for so long last fall.
“It feels like closure,” he said. “I can redeem myself. I can go out and play and show what I can do.”
Zimmerman showed what he could do after returning to the field for GICC. He didn’t appear to miss a step during the season finale against Hastings St. Cecilia and in playoff games with Wood River and eventual Class C-1 state champion Pierce.
All that despite the fact that his ankle was still broken.
“After the season I could let it heal,” Zimmerman said. “I could play and it wouldn’t hurt it (more than it already was).”
Besides giving Zimmerman an all-star experience, the Shrine Bowl will also be a good transition for him to college.
“This will be beneficial to me,” he said. “Everybody (on the North team) is a different type of player. I’m watching and learning from everybody.”
He’s also getting a jump start at learning a new position – defensive end – which he’ll play in college.
Zimmerman is learning about it from the coach whose team ended his high school career, Pierce’s Mark Brahmer, who is the North’s head coach.
“I really like it,” Zimmerman said of defensive end. “I’ve never played it before. Coach Brahmer is teaching me a lot, and I look forward to it.”
One more new experience that the Shrine Bowl will bring to Zimmerman is playing at Memorial Stadium.
“It’ll be awesome playing on the Big Red’s field with all these guys,” he said.
Zimmerman is one of 11 area players who began practices Thursday for the Shrine Bowl. He’s joined on the North team by Grand Island Senior High’s Braden Taylor and Cole Kruger, Northwest’s Austan Pomajzl, Burwell’s Cody Gurney and Darcy Huffman, and Boone Central’s Kalvin Zoucha. Burwell’s Luke Gideon and Mike Max are assistant coaches.
Members of the South roster are Aurora’s Jerry Lobeda and Chris Boehle, Hastings St. Cecilia’s Matt Sterup and Adams Central’s Riley Larsen.
Shrine Bowl Rosters
SOUTH
Justin Coleman, Beatrice; Tyler Seals, Bellevue West; Matt Berry, McCook; Tyson Clark, Lincoln East; Nick Bell, Beatrice; Trevor Florendo, Crete; Brandon Hubert, Gretna; Drew Neville, Millard South; Jerry Lobeda, Aurora; Jordan Boston, Millard West; Kohlman Adema-Schulte, Millard West; Michael Burrus, Papillion-South; Jordan Hale, Millard South; Lynn King, Lincoln Southwest; Drew Carr, Overton; Devan Schmidt, Fairbury; Dillon Breinig, Arapaphoe; Garrett Schlicthtemeier, Ogallala; Brady Roeder, Kearney; Cody Karr, Blue Hill; Tyler Mertens, Waverly; Andrew Essman, Lincoln Southwest; Justin Wiles, Omaha Westside; Joe Vetrovsky, McCook; Adam Kerr, Lincoln Pius X; Thomas Volkmer, Syracuse; Matt Greve, Waverly; Brent Carper, Norris; Mike Scherer, Omaha Westside; Chris Boehle, Aurora; Sandi Stanback, Boys Town; Matt Sterup, Hastings St. Cecilia; Ty Branz, York; Greg Hardin, Bellevue West; Riley Larsen, Adams Central.
Coaches—Jeff Gross, McCook; Rick Nordhues, Syracuse; Glen Snodgrass, Overton; Matt Turman, Omaha Skutt; Craig Lathrop, Kearney; Chad Lyons, McCook.
NORTH
Jarrell Williams, Omaha North; Eric Koehlmoss, Pierce; Michel Mikaya, Lincoln North Star; Corey Serrano, North Platte; Austan Pomajzl, Northwest; Josh Beckman, Pope John; Lance Lawson, Norfolk; Michael Ziola, Columbus; Kelvin Johnson, Omaha Burke; Braden Taylor, Grand Island; Cody Gurney, Burwell; Matt Mimick, David City Aquinas; DeMont Simpson, Omaha North; Tyrone Lewis, Lincoln North Star; Drew Wagner, Madison; Ryan Maloley, Elkhorn; Mitch Hron, Schuyler; Darcy Huffman, Burwell; Kalvin Zoucha, Boone Central; Collin Lundgren, Millard North; Cole Kruger, Grand Island; Kelly Zimmerman, Grand Island Central Catholic; Gerrett Rockey, Norfolk Catholic; Matt Peitz, Crofton; Corey Kracl, Schuyler; Josh Ryba, Columbus Scotus; Jason Wilcox, Norfolk Catholic; Steve Nelson, Platteview; Eric Cummings, Omaha Burke; Lee Krohn, Pierce; Taylor Suess, Columbus Scotus; Brandon Chapek, Wahoo Neumann; John Melies Fremont Bergan; Joshua Beckmann, North Platte; Robert Barry, Battle Creek.
Coaches—Mark Brahmer, Pierce; Fred Doscher, Schuyler; Luke Gideon, Burwell; Todd Rice, North Platte; Greg Warneke, Pierce; Mike Max, Burwell.
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