By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
While the season for the Great Bend High School football team came to a close last Friday with a playoff loss, there were still plenty of fans commending the players Monday for activities they do without their pads.
During his report at the Great Bend Recreation Commission Board meeting, Sports Director Shane Sandberg showed a picture of the flag football champions for the 4th – 6th grade division. With a team name of Panthers, the championship team is volunteer-coached by Great Bend High School football players Daxton Minton and Ian Premer.
"It means a lot to us," said Sandberg. "The kids love it. They see them out there on Friday nights. They didn't have a great year last year, but this year they were really competitive and ended up walking away with the trophy."
Sandberg said he has planned a special surprise for Minton and Premer, who are both juniors, if they come back to coach the grade school children for a third straight year next fall.
Great Bend Rec Board member Randy Goering was pleased to hear Minton’s mother ordered championship shirts for the team.
"My grandson played on a team with a couple of high school studs coaching in his town," said Goering. "It was exciting to see the boys get excited. I'm sure these two got just as excited when the little kids got a touchdown."
The youth flag football season through the Rec ended in October.