Four years ago, senior Dagen Goodner and head coach Logan Wyrick arrived at Humboldt High School with dreams of what they could accomplish in their time at the school.
Things started slow. Four wins in year one, four wins in year two plus a playoff appearance, year three saw a jump to seven wins and another playoff appearance all leading to last seasons magical 11-1 run to the sub-state finals.
New ground was broken. In four straight years, the Cubs skyrocketed from mediocre to one of the best teams in the state.
Last week, it was announced that Wyrick was named an assistant coach for the 2019 Shrine Bowl, an honor reserved for the states top coaches
Several days later, Goodner found out that he, too, would be making his way to Dodge City on June 8 to compete amongst the states top seniors in the last hurrah for their high school football careers.
Now the coach and the player that he calls the greatest leader that hes ever been around, get to mark the end of an era that saw the turnaround of Humboldt football, the way they started it together.
Really thats what I was more excited about than anything, Goodner said. Its an honor to be chosen to compete in the Shrine Bowl, but Im just glad I have one final chance to work with Coach Wyrick again.
Goodner was selected as a quarterback and a linebacker but most likely hell play on the defensive side of the ball for the game even though he ended his high school career with over 900 yards passing and 13 touchdowns and 1,126 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns.
Defensively, he ended the year with 87 tackles and 7 tackles for loss despite the fact that he didnt play defense for the final part of the season to keep him healthy. He also forced one fumble and recovered three.
Goodner is one of four Humboldt players in school history to be invited to the game including Kyle Witherspoon in 1987, current assistant coach Jason Weilert in 1991 and Doug Onnen in 2005.
Goodner hopes that the game will give him a little more exposure as hes trying to find a home on a collegiate football roster for next season.
Ive gotten some offers from some NAIA schools but Id really like to go D-2 to somewhere like Pitt State or Emporia if I can, Goodner said.
WHEN Wyrick opened the email, he was expecting something quite different.
He had nominated several of Humboldts talented seniors to compete in the Shrine Bowl so he thought that the email that he could clearly tell was from Bowl officials was informing him that one of his kids had been chosen.
However, that news would come a couple weeks later. Instead, the email informed the fourth-year head coach that he had been chosen as an assistant coach for the East team. The bowl selects one coach from each class in addition to a head coach and Wyrick was one of two 2A coaches picked in the state.
It was kind of a weird feeling when I saw it because I was expecting to see that one of the players had been selected but once that passed, I was really happy, Wyrick said. The Shrine Bowl is kind of the pinnacle of high school sports so to be selected to coach in it is really something special.
