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| Windham senior Nick Garrison moves quickly to get by a defender during the annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic at Lewiston High School on Saturday, July 16. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA |
Being picked to play in the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic football game is an honor for any outgoing senior in the state. After two years of not having the traditional game, athletes from all over the state were anxious to get back on the field. Three Windham athletes, Will Ledbetter, Nick Garrison, and Tate Chork, were chosen for this game and played for the East team during the game at Lewiston High School on Saturday, July 16.
The 32nd Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic featured East versus West in a game that the West won, 40-35. Ledbetter, Garrison and Chork were chosen to play for the East after being recommended by their varsity football coach, Matt Perkins.
Windham quarterback Will Ledbetter said he couldn’t have asked for a better effort from the East team. They gave maximum effort and gave everything on the field.
The Shriners Hospitals for Children consists of 22 non-profit medical facilities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. All net proceeds from the Lobster Bowl go to helping the children within the Shriner’s hospitals.
Perkins and Windham assistant coach Don Ledbetter served as part of the East team’s coaching staff for the game.
Will Ledbetter, Garrison and Chork each said it was an honor to be chosen to play in this prestigious game.
For Garrison, it was a special moment to suit up one final time. He said it was a great experience to be able to play one more game with two close friends of his and two great coaches. He’s been playing since he was little, and his dad helped him progress and instill a real love of the game. Next year he will attend Keene State College in New Hampshire and play college basketball for the school.
Chork began playing after he saw friends of his playing. He has loved the game from the very beginning. It meant a lot for him to be handpicked by his coaches and this was a valuable experience he was glad he could share with everyone. Next year Chork will attend the University of Maine.
“Those three this whole season and ever since they came to Windham High School have really worked hard to be a huge part of this program and not just the Xs and Os,” said Perkins. “As leaders and influencers in our program, they have gone above and beyond to care about everybody in this program; they’ve all had vital parts in getting us to where we are.”
Perkins said he was not at all surprised these three were chosen to play. They each are the types of kids to represent the game and what it stands for as well as the idea that you are doing something greater than yourself for other people.
“It was surreal to play in this game,” said Ledbetter. “I’ve been wanting to play in this game since I was 10 years old, and I saw my first Lobster Bowl ... I want to say thank you to my community and my teammates for making this happen for me.”
Ledbetter said his father, Don Ledbetter, introduced him to football in elementary school and since then taught him everything about the game and he’s grateful that his dad did so. Will Ledbetter will attend the University of New England in the fall.
Regardless of the winner of this game, the true winners are the children being helped by the proceeds collected by the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic. <
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