On July 23, 2017, Iowa’s best high school football players will battle at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. For the second year in a row, Wahlert will send a player to represent the North team in the annual Iowa Shrine Bowl. Noah Sigwarth was selected from Wahlert this year.

Sigwarth, who played quarterback for the Eagles this season, is humbled by the opportunity. “When Coach Zajac told me that I had been selected, I couldn’t believe it,” Sigwarth said. “It’s such a great honor to have the opportunity to play in the game with such great players from so many different backgrounds.”

The process of selecting the players is a long and tedious one. First, football coaches from each high school nominate two seniors for consideration. Wahlert Head Football Coach Travis Zajac thought Sigwarth was worthy of a spot on the team. “Noah has been front and center in the senior class from a lot of different perspectives,” he said. “Noah is a tremendous leader who works really hard. He’s also obviously a great football player.”

Eliminating the players, however, was the hardest for the coaches. “The elimination process was difficult and time consuming,” Zajac said. “The meeting to select the players lasted around six hours.”

Although the game is centered around football, the game and week preceding it incorporate more than football. The Shrine Bowl’s motto is “Strong legs run that weak legs may walk.” During the week of practice preceding the game, children from the Shriner Hospital in Minnesota visit the teams. Each player has to raise $1,000 to play in the game, which is then donated to the Shriner Hospitals.

This is something Zajac also considered when nominating players. “The players also have to have good character and be service-oriented,” he said.

“As a Catholic, it’s really important for me to help out,” Sigwarth said. “The kids are struggling to live while we can play football. It feels great to make them feel special.”