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Selected to play for Shrine Bowl, Cornwell to follow older brother
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · December 26, 2018
West Branch High School senior Beau Cornwell accepted an invitation to play in the 2019 Shrine Bowl in July.
Cornwell tweeted his invitation on Dec. 12 and said he expects to play quarterback for the South Team.
“It’s pretty cool,” Cornwell said.
The Bear quarterback is the second person in his family to play in the Shrine Bowl as his older brother, Drew, played for the 2014 South Team as a representative of Iowa City High School as a kicker.
“That’s pretty cool,” he said.
Beau said he and Drew exchanged text messages, and his brother’s advice was to “enjoy the experience and embrace it all.”
“It’s pretty special,” Beau said.
This year’s game will take place at the University of Northern Iowa Dome on Saturday, July 20. Cornwell and his teammates are to show up one week before for to start practice.
And the South Team’s head coach? West Branch Head Coach Butch Pedersen, who received his invitation in July.
“That’s pretty special,” the senior said.
According to IowaShrineBowl.com, the South Team has an edge over the North Team. In the last 47 matchups, South won 24 times to the North’s 22 times. The two tied once.
The Shriner have yet to post rosters, but Cornwell said he heard Durant’s Mason Compton and West Liberty’s Spencer Daufeldt, as well as “good friend” Keegan Simmons of Cedar Rapids-Prairie all got in as well.
The Shriners ask each player to raise $1,000 to donate toward the Shriner’s Hospitals.
Cornwell is still waiting for a packet of information from the Shriners with details on how to raise money and find sponsors.
“It’s a long process,” he said.
Those wishing to support Beau’s efforts to raise money for the Shriners may call him at 319-325-4538, or his mother, Kari, at 319-325-5981.
In the previous 47 years of the Shrine Bowl, West Branch players were selected for 30 of them, and one coach selected twice — Pedersen. Pedersen served as an assistant coach for the 1993 South Team, 25 years ago.
“The Iowa Shrine Bowl Game is an all-star football game between selected pre-college football athletes on each side of a north-south dividing line in Iowa,” according to IowaShrineBowl.org.
To date, players raised more than $2.6 million for Shriner’s Hospitals.
“For many, this will be the game of their life because when they line up, each and every one will also be stepping up to help a child who has been less fortunate in life than them and who desperately need their help,” reads the website.
Getting involved
Those wishing to help Beau Cornwell raise money for the Shriners Hospitals may call him at 319-325-4538, or his mother, Kari, at 319-325-5981.
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