By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman product Cameron Brian, Rossville's Andre Johnson and Silver Lake's Dayne Johnson have put together memories that will last a lifetime over outstanding high school athletic careers.
But now the Shawnee County stars are ready to turn their focus on a future without competitive sports after experiencing one more highlight as members of the East team for Saturday's 7 p.m. Kansas Shrine Bowl all-star football game at Emporia State's Welch Stadium.
Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake
Dayne Johnson was a three-sport star in football, basketball and baseball, helping the Eagles post a 7-3 record in football as a senior before leading Silver Lake to a second straight third-place Class 3A state finish in basketball and a runnerup 3A finish in baseball.
But after considering his college options in football and basketball, Johnson opted to concentrate on academics at Kansas State while majoring in finance.
"I was mainly getting looks for football, but I'm just not as big of a fan for football,'' Johnson said. "I'm a basketball guy and I didn't have the looks I wanted in basketball.
"I'll definitely miss it a lot, but I knew sports have to end at some point so I'll go to school and hopefully have a good time there.''
But first, Johnson, who is playing wide receiver for the East, wants to take advantage of his opportunity to play in the state's premier all-star game.
"I think it's an honor to get invited and it's for a good cause and I just think being here will be a great time,'' he said. "I've enjoyed meeting all these guys and I'm excited to play in the game.''
And as Johnson, who ended his basketball career as Silver Lake's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, prepares to close his athletic career, he's proud of what he's been able to accomplish.
"Every day I tried to work as hard as I could and max out what my results could be and I'm pretty happy with the success I had in my high school career,'' said Johnson, who received All-Shawnee County recognition in all three of his sports.
Cameron Brian, Seaman (left) and Andre Johnson, Rossville.
Brian, an all-county linebacker and a starter for Seaman's basketball team that finished third in 5A, will also concentrate on academics in college, attending the University of Kansas.
"I'm just going to school,'' Brian said. "I had a few smaller (offers in football), but this is it for me. This is the last hurrah.
"It was definitely a tough decision, just growing up playing football. It's every young football player's dream to go play in the NFL, so it's definitely sad that I'm not going to play in college but at the end of the day I think it's a better decision for me.''
Brian feels like playing in the Shrine Bowl is a perfect way to say goodbye to sports.
"It definitely was important,'' he said. "I feel like every kid in high school wants to get to the Shrine Bowl. Everbody wants to be a star of their team and come out here and play and what the Shriners do is great work, so it's always good to come out here and put this on so people can come support them.''
Rossville's Andre Johnson, a linebacker for the East, plans to serve his country after helping the Bulldawgs finish second in 1A and earn all-county honors as a senior.
"My plan is go into the Marine Corps,'' Johnson said. "My family's really big into the military and I have two brothers in the Marines so that kind of interested me right there.
"My plan was to go to college and I decided I really didn't want to go to college, so I decided to go into the Marines and serve my country.''
But before going into the military, Johnson wanted to play one last game with Bulldawg teammate Conner Bush and Rossville coach Derick Hammes, an assistant for the East.
"Definitely being coached by Hammes and playing with Conner, I just wanted to do that one more time and experience that one more time,'' Andre said.
"This is the greatest way to say goodbye. I'm playing with all the best athletes in Kansas, so that's a dream come true right here.''
Also playing for the East are former Shawnee Heights stars AJ Gallegos and Aiden Scott and Washburn Rural product Brody Haas.
Gallegos is headed to Baker while Scott and Bush will play for Washburn and Haas is headed to Benedictine.
Kickoff for Saturday's game is 7 p.m.
