Battle selected to participate in Kansas Shrine Bowl

By Andy Brown
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Updated: January 11, 2024

Louisburg senior Declan Battle was selected to play on the East squad for the 51st Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl later this summer.

Louisburg quarterback Declan Battle was already considered one of the top players in Class 4A this past season after receiving first team all-league and all-state honors.

However, there was more to come.

Battle was selected to participate in the 51st Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl later this summer. The teams were announced during a selection show on New Year’s Day.

“It means a ton,” Battle said of the honor. “Being selected as a top 44 player in the whole East side of Kansas is a huge thing. I am honored to be a part of it. This is something as a freshman I dreamed of being in. Without my teammates, coaches and community pushing me to be my best I would not be where I am at today, and for that I would like to thank them. It’s a huge honor.”

Battle received first-team all-state accolades last month from different media outlets and his Shrine Bowl selection is another honor added to a long list of accomplishments.

In 10 games for the Wildcats, Battle completed 105 passes for 1,364 yards and had 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He also did a lot of damage on the ground with 1,009 yards rushing and 16 more touchdowns.

As a defensive back, Battle finished with 36 tackles and also had an interception for a touchdown.

Louisburg is no stranger to the Shrine Bowl as several Wildcats have been selected participate in the past. That included last season as Jase Hovey and Nathan Vincent were both selected to play in the game.

The selections are the result of a combination of statewide media votes and Shrine Bowl coaching staff selections from a list of 457 nominees. The game itself will be played on Saturday, June 29 at Welch Stadium on the campus of Emporia State University.

In addition to playing in the annual East vs. West all-star football game, Kansas Shrine Bowl participants get the opportunity to meet and interact with the Patient Ambassadors from Shriners Children’s during the Hospital Experience Day.

During the Hospital Experience Day, players come to understand that these children have put in the same kind of hard work, dedication and sacrifices they have; only their work has resulted in allowing them to walk, run, play, and live a full life.

Since 1974, the Kansas Shrine Bowl along with the support from players’ local communities, has sent over $3.8 million to Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that produces annual events and related activities with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children’s. Kansas Shrine All-Star Events also include the Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band Camp, the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Cheer Camp, the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals and many other game week events.

Shriner’s Children’s, previously Shriners Hospitals for Children, is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.