Brady’s Shrine: Senior Brady Haughton was selected to play in the Kansas Shrine Bowl and hopes to use the skills he learns to continue his football career in college

Senior Brady Haughton’s heart was pounding, mind racing, as he stood on the SM North football field moments before kickoff against Olathe East. He glanced towards the stands, picturing a Brigham Young University football recruiter peering out over the turf, examining his every move.

He knows no one’s watching him, but this image helps him calm his nerves and play his best. He takes a ritualistic deep breath and starts the game.

Last month, East head football coach, Mark Simoneau, nominated him and a few other seniors to play in the Kansas Shrine Bowl. The Shrine Bowl is an annual football game between high school seniors in the Eastern and Western regions of Kansas and takes place on June 21 in Dodge City, Kansas. His decision to nominate Haughton was based on Haughton’s selection for the first-team all-state defensive back.

A Player Selection Show is released each year to reveal the top 88 players chosen for the game — voted for by sports media members — out of 447 players nominated.

When the Player Selection Show started, Haughton sat with his parents at home on Jan. 1, watching the two-hour-long YouTube livestream.

“Once it got towards the end, I was kind of losing hope because it was almost over, and so I didn’t think I’d be selected,” Haughton said.

Then, exactly one hour and 41 minutes in, he saw his name and picture pop up on the screen, along with his school, height, weight and position as a defensive back.

Haughton’s face lit up in excitement. He lifted his hand to dap up his dad and wrapped his arms around his mom for a hug.

“I’ve already started looking at my receivers, who I’m going to be going up against,” Haughton said. “They’re really good and so obviously I’m a little nervous, but I’m excited for the opportunity. I know that I can perform well. I trust my ability.”

Haughton is the first player to be selected from East in three years. In the livestream, Chet Kuplen, founder and CEO of Sports in Kansas, mentioned how he was a large reason for “why [East’s] defense was much improved over the last year.”

Haughton was also selected for first-team all-state defensive back KSHSAA, which — according to Simoneau — played an important role in him getting selected for the Kansas Shrine Bowl.

Simoneau, who also played in the Kansas Shrine Bowl his senior year of high school, describes Haughton as assertive and open-minded with a desire to be coached. 

“[It’s] just a matter of just giving him the direction to go, and after that he’s gonna take care of it,” Simoneau said.

Before the game, Haughton will attend a six-day training camp with his Shrine Bowl teammates, staying overnight at the Dodge City Community College dorms. The Shrine Bowl game will be held on the last day of camp.

Haughton and his teammate at East, senior Luke Bartalos, who plays the same position as him in the secondary, are always the first to congratulate each other after a win.

“I think he’s one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs in Kansas,” Bartalos said. “I kind of assumed it was gonna happen.”

From tossing the football back and forth with his three older brothers in their backyard, starting to play flag football in first grade, tackle football in second grade and making the varsity football team his sophomore year, Haughton wants to continue his football career in college at Brigham Young University where his older brothers attended.

As of now, Haughton hasn’t committed to a college. He hopes that college scouts will be at the Shrine Bowl on June 21 in Dodge City, Kansas so he will have more recruitment opportunities.

“[Haughton] was definitely one of those kids that really fully invested in [football] — strength training, working hard, trying to get faster [and] trying to get more explosive,” Simoneau said. “It’s just paid off for him with all the work that he’s done and he’s invested into it.”