Kansas City Star, The (MO)
June 12, 2003
Edition: METROPOLITAN
Section: SPORTS
Page: D7

Players ready for Challenge Tonight's football game will be full of high school stars
Author: DEREK PRATER; The Kansas City Star

The Metro Challenge All-Star football game had to be rescheduled this year, but that didn't hurt the number or quality of the recently graduated high school standouts scheduled to take the field.

Chip Sherman, Platte County coach and president of the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association, said that nearly all the players selected for both the Kansas and Missouri rosters would be in action at 7 tonight at the Olathe District Activity Center.

"It's been a lot better than last year," Sherman said. "Last year when I coached (the Missouri team), we lost 27 of our original 45 guys."

The 2003 Metro Challenge originally was scheduled for June 5 at William Jewell, but the tornado that hit the campus May 4 changed those plans.

Despite the postponement, Sherman said only a few players were unable to make it for tonight's game.

Among the stars scheduled to represent Missouri are Raymore-Peculiar quarterback Derek Rasmussen, who passed for 2,502 yards and 36 touchdowns last year, and Blue Springs running back Andrew Tuggle.

Those players will try to help Missouri take its second straight victory in the series after losing five straight.

Scheduled to be standing in the way will be Kansas players such as Olathe North running back Jim Bouknight, who rushed for 2,700 yards last year, and Schlagle tight end Rashaad Norwood, who is headed to Kansas State.

Tickets for the game are $5.

Copyright 2003 The Kansas City Star Co.