Local graduating seniors to help represent West squad
For many of the football players the 7th Annual Sertoma Grin Iron Classic will be the last time they put on the helmet and pads.
For others, it is just being a stepping stone to playing college football.
Perhaps those two reasons is why this annual all-star football game pitting the best against the best in the area has grown each year.
The seventh edition of the game will feature a few changes as the event has outgrown its old playing field of John F. Kennedy Stadium, as more than 4,000 fans showed up last year’s game. This year, the game was moved to Plaster Sports Complex, the home of the Missouri State Bears.
Another change, perhaps the most noticeable, is moving the game from its traditional Friday night to Saturday night.
The game’s kickoff will remain at 7 p.m.
The West team will look to remain the king of this battle, as they enter with a 5-1 record in the six previous meetings.
This year’s coach will be Doug Buckmaster of Joplin, who will oversee a group of players from the Joplin area. The East will be coached by Cabool’s Vince McCrosky, who will coach players from the Springfield area all the way east to Rolla and south to West Plains.
The teams are selected by the Southwest Missouri High School Football Coaches Association.
The West team will features players from Joplin, Webb City, Carthage, Neosho, East Newton, McDonald County, Seneca, Aurora, Mount Vernon and Diamond to just name a few. There are 44 players on the team.
On a local level, between the five schools in The Carthage Press coverage area, eight players will take part in the game – the highest total in the last three years.
Representing Carthage will be Stephen Poston, a wide receiver, who has signed to play at Missouri Southern State University next year.
“Coach (Buckmaster) contacted me a few days ago,” said Poston. “Four months ago I got a letter in the mail inviting me.”
Poston went on to say he was excited to be given the opportunity to play with the best in the state of Missouri.
“It should be a great experience, to be able to show everyone what I’ve got,” he said.
Other graduating Carthage seniors invited to play include Austen Heidlage, a Lineman and tackle, and Hayden Cook, an offensive lineman.
Webb City and Sarcoxie will have a combined four players competing in the game.
The Cardinals will send wide receiver Landon Zerkel, another future MSSU Lion, Eric Thomason and Caleb Powell.
The Bears will send running back and linebacker Sam Edwards to compete.
This year there will be a tailgate starting at 3:30 p.m. and going up until kickoff at Bearfest Village, which will feature music, food and games. There is no entry fee.
Other notables for the game includes: A tent set up by Reckitt Benckiser, makers of French’s Mustard, will give away products while they last. There will be a raffle to win four front row box seats to a Springfield Cardinals game in June.
Ronald McDonald, Louie of the Springfield Cardinals and the Mustard Man will all make an appearance.
All proceeds from the game will benefit the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, known as the “Tooth Truck.” In the first six years, the Grin Iron Classic has provided over $200,000 in support of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a mobile dental office for at-risk children who do not have access to dental treatment. Since July of 2002, the “Tooth Truck” has helped nearly 7,000 children with $4.2 million in dental treatment and over 20,000 dental appointments.
Tickets are $6 each, while children six and under are free.
Editor’s note: Cody Dyer of The Carthage Press contributed to this story
