Dutoit elected South captain

LINCOLN -- McCook High School graduate Rae Dutoit received a double honor at the Nebraska Shrine Bowl Football All-Star Game.

Not only will Dutoit start at quarterback for the South Team at the 45th annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl, he was elected as a captain, said McCook head football coach Jeff Gross, who is serving as an assistant coach for the South squad.

"Rae was elected captain by his teammates," said Gross, who will coach the South defense. "He was the leading vote-getter. This was a big deal for us."

Dutoit, a 5-foot-10, 165-pounder, will be joined in the backfield by teammate Stuart Frazier (5-11, 235) at fullback. Crete's Bryan Florendo and McCook's Ben Klug, who will start at corner back and return kicks, will split time at tailback.

The 35-player South team takes on the 35-player North team Saturday at the University of Nebraska's Memorial Stadium. Kick off is 6:30 CDT (5:30 p.m. MDT).

The game will be televised on Nebraska ETV.

Proceeds from the game benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Kids.

Gross, who guided the McCook Bison to a 13-0 record and the Class B state title, said the South team is fired up about playing the game.

The South squad practiced at Doane College's Simon Field in Crete.

"These 10 days of practice have gone great," he said. "We have super team camaraderie. Stuart will play 80-90 percent of the game at fullback. Rae will play two-thirds of the game at quarterback. Ben is going to start at cornerback. All three will be big contributors.

"We have (NCAA) Division I kids and Division II kids. Things have gone well. The kids have bonded really well. This is a tight-knit group. They developed trust in each other in a short time."

Frazier said the biggest drawback has been the heat. The team has practiced in 100-plus degree temperatures the past few days.

"It has been pretty warm for a couple days, but it's nothing we can't handle," Frazier said.

Frazier said the non-McCook players have adjusted to the Dutoit-led veer option offense.

Dutoit will split time at the signal-caller spot with Omaha Gross' Jordan Gaillard, a throwing quarterback who will attend Dana College.

"With Rae leading the offense, the guys have said he's the slickest they've seen," Frazier said.

Frazier said he is looking forward to finally lining up on the field against the North team.

"We have looked at some film and found some nooks and crannies in their defense. I think we can throw the ball deep.

"There's nothing to look over. It's still the top 70 football players in the state. They're All-Stars -- they're the best. It's going to be a fun time. I'm pumped and ready to go."

Klug said he cannot wait to get on the field again.

The game is a transition because it is both the last high school football games of these seniors careers, and for many like Slug it is their first college game.

"I'm definitely looking forward to it," he said. "It's been a fun week and it will be a fun game. It's definitely a step up."

Dutoit said the South squad will make final preparations today.

The team practiced this morning at Doane College and traveled to Lincoln to practice at 4 p.m. today at Memorial Stadium. Both teams will conduct "run-through" practices Saturday morning at Memorial Stadium.

"It's going really well -- we're making final plans for the game," Dutoit said. "Thursday was the final day for major adjustments.

"The other players came along really fast (learning the veer option offense). We have two different styles we're going to run.

"It has been an easy transition for most people. Almost all of the running plays are what we run at McCook."

Gross and the Bison players said the main purpose of the game -- to raise money for Shriners Hospitals -- put the matchup in perspective.

The 70 players plus coaching staffs of both teams visited children at the Shriners Hospital in Chicago earlier in the week.

"The hospital trip to Chicago was an eye-opening experience," Gross said. "They (the Shriners) don't charge a dime."

The McCook players agreed with Gross' sentiments.

"It was definitely interesting," Klug said. "You definitely realize what you take for granted."

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see who you're helping out and see what the Shrine Bowl experience is about," Dutoit said.