So many positive memories, such a positive experience and then a win too, really helped close the chapter of football.”

Doug Bettger

Former Powell Panther football players Trevon Abraham, Doug Bettger and Keona Wisniewski as well as assistant coach Waleryan Wisniewski shined during a week full of activities and competition that culminated at the 52nd Annual Shrine Bowl in Casper on June 14.

MORE THAN A GAME

Athletes chosen for the Shrine Bowl are selected to represent their schools one last time following graduation, helping raise money for the Shriners Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City while playing one last game as a high school player.

Athletes arrived for their first activities on June 8, taking part in practices and activities throughout the week that included meeting children receiving treatment at the hospital which led to a big impact on the players in attendance.

While it was the only time the former Panthers would be able to participate in the event, the athletes went in with varying levels of knowledge regarding the week and what it meant, with each event having an impact.

“I didn’t really know 100% what the Shrine Bowl was going into it. I just thought it was an All-Star game,” Keona Wisniewski said. “But then once we got down there and got to learn more about the history and then got to meet the kids it was cool to see, like we’re playing for a bigger cause than just playing football.”

Bettger noted that the Shriners planned out the week perfectly for the group, keeping them busy and planning everything out while making a big impact on the players.

“The Shriners did such an excellent job of keeping us busy and healthy,” Bettger said. “Then being able to meet the kids was really just so much fun and impactful I think for a lot of us. I think the whole week they planned very meticulously, it all went off without a hitch.”

Abraham went into the Shrine Bowl completing a strong family legacy, as the third in his family to compete in the annual event, joining his brothers Kadden and TJ who competed in 2021 and 2017 respectively.

“It meant a lot to me. Both my brothers had the opportunity to play in it. So I kind of always thought I knew what it was all about,” Abraham said. “But after actually playing in it and seeing the kids, the kids were a big part of it. It really hits you with what the game’s about and everything at that point.”

COMING TOGETHER

Heading into the Shrine Bowl the two teams are divided into the North and the South, with the North squad featuring a number of rivalries from every classification, a topic Bettger said North head coach Nicc Crosby of Lovell tackled right from the start.

“We talked about that a lot, especially the first night we got there,” Bettger said. “We kind of practiced, and then everybody came in and we talked about some things that could hurt the team and things that we needed to do to build the team up. Rivalries was one that came up. I mean when I first got there, I was a little worried about rivalries. You know, Powell-Cody, and then one of the first things that happened was the Cody guys came over and said hi, and we just all kind of clicked immediately. There wasn’t any ego or rivalries that stood in the way of all of us having a great time and playing really well together.”

Another way Abraham said the team came together was through the leadership of Crosby, who helped the team bond and find a way to have fun even through the grueling heat of two-a-days.

“He’s a really good coach, a lot of respect for him. He always had something going on where we can bond and everything,” Abraham said. “We did fun games during practice; he was always just trying to keep it fun and fresh for us which I really appreciated because no one looks forward to two-a-days whether it’s for the Shrine Bowl or not.”

One final way the Panthers were able to help the North team bond in their own way was through the Wisniewskis. 

Crosby approached the Wisniewskis as they arrived to teach the team the haka, a traditional Maori dance which has been brought to Panther football and performed before games — with Crosby hoping they could teach the meaning behind it to the team.

“It was just something where in Powell we do it united as one,” Keona Wisniewski said. “We just realized as a team we were united as one. We were a brotherhood.”

He said they were more than willing to teach the dance to the rest of the team.

“Just teaching all those guys that we did it against, they never really knew the meaning behind it,” Wisniewski said. “Being able to teach them the meaning, they were very grateful, and I was very grateful to teach them.”

FINAL GAME TOGETHER

In the game ending the week of practices and activities the Panthers were able to help the North squad continue its winning ways, finishing with a 34-28 win to extend its series lead to 28-20-3.

The Panthers shined for the North team on the defensive side of the ball, with Abraham even moving into a new position at safety following early week drills.

“We went down Sunday night, we had practice and we were just doing some one-on-one stuff. I was with the linebackers and coach Crosby came and talked to me the next day. He was like ‘hey, we liked what we saw with your coverage, so we’re going to move you to safety.’ I was like, ‘sounds good to me. As long as I’m playing, I don’t care,’” Abraham said. “It wasn’t too bad, just because playing in Powell I was always the coverage linebacker so I kind of knew how to run coverages and everything. I think the biggest switch for me was not that I didn’t have a job but my job was different.”

Having a number of Big Horn Basin coaches on the staff was impactful for Bettger, who said the group leading the North squad helped make the difference.

“Most of the coaches I feel like were Big Horn Basin coaches which was really nice, but they all worked together so well. You could just tell how much they cared for the game and cared for us as players,” Bettger said. “I think it made a huge difference on both our week and how we played on Saturday. On Friday night, we went and did a North tradition, and coach Crosby gave one of the best pregame speeches I think I’ve ever heard, just so much emotion. It was just really great to see the team come together around coaches that we all trusted and guys that we all trusted.”

Wisniewski earned one last honor alongside the final game with his dad coaching him, as he was named the defensive MVP while dedicating it to his teammates with his several impactful tackles and a blocked field goal.

“It was a great privilege to be able to play with my dad one more time, and be able to celebrate one more win with my dad on the sideline,” Wisniewski said. “I was a little shocked (to be named MVP). I knew I played well, but I didn’t know how well I guess … I felt like it was more of a team defensive MVP … I felt it was an all-around well played defensive game for the North.”

MOVING FORWARD

While the Panthers got one last chance to celebrate a win together on the field they will each head their separate ways this fall.

Wisniewski heads to Black Hills State to continue his football career, Abraham will head on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the fall and Bettger will head to the University of Wyoming to study.

With this being the last time all three got to share the field together, Bettger felt this was the way it should end.

“So many positive memories, such a positive experience and then a win too, really helped close the chapter of football,” Bettger said.