Cole Keller and Malik Benson shine in cross-town all-star high school football game

Rowdy fans filling the stadium, cross-town rivalry trash talking, playing under the lights after sunset. All the best parts of high school football were present Thursday night in the BeYOUnion Kansas vs. Missouri All-Star Game at North Kansas City High School.

It was the 28th annual all-star game put on by the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association, and Team Missouri took back their momentum in the rivalry with a 20-12 win against Team Kansas. Kansas had won the previous two matchups, but in the seven years before that, it was Missouri that came out on top in the annual showdown.

North Kansas City football coach and Team Missouri head coach Leon Douglas said after having to cancel last year’s all-star game due to COVID-19, the community was looking forward to the chance to host it this year.

“North Kansas City, our school really takes pride in the opportunity to showcase what Kansas City has to offer,” Douglas said. “And I think you see that tonight: great crowd, great energy on both sides, great contest. It felt normal, I mean I think this is a great sign of things to come.”

Grain Valley senior quarterback Cole Keller won MVP of the game. Keller completed 8 of 13 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown to Park Hill South senior wide receiver Eric Avery, a TD that put Missouri up 13-12 at the end of the third quarter.

“I just try to do whatever I can to ... help any way ... and I’m glad I can step up in a moment,” Keller said. “To go out on this is huge. It’s a great time. I couldn’t ask for a better send-off, I’m just blessed to be where I am.”

Keller, who is headed to Division-II Washburn University in two weeks, was Missouri Class 5 all-state last season and threw for 1,308 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 1,232 yards, scoring 20 touchdowns on the ground.

After receiving his MVP award, Keller jogged to the sideline, where his quarterback coach Skip Stitzell was waiting. Keller held up four fingers, as he ran up to shake Stitzell’s hand. He was Stitzell’s fourth quarterback in a row to play in the all-star game and win MVP.

“So he told me before the game, ‘Okay, last three, no pressure,’” Keller said. “So I’m just glad I got to do that for him, and I mean, I love the dude.”

For Stitzell, seeing the last four years of Keller’s hard work pay off was a gift to see.

“I’m just really proud of him,” Stitzell said. “He’s a great kid, works hard, takes loss as hard as they all do, and so this was fun.”

The cross-town rivalry was one that Douglas likened to a sibling rivalry, with players that know each other and run with the opportunity to showcase themselves. At the end of the day, though, Douglas said it’s nothing but respect between both the players and the coaches.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a little of players getting in each other’s’ ears the whole game.

“I mean, it’s great,” Keller said. “Personally, I tried to stay level-headed not get involved in that, but some of the rest of the players were really getting into it ... and then pull out the win and (Kansas was) very silent when we were in victory formation.”

Though tensions ran high at the start, there wasn’t much scoring to back up the banter on the field. Kansas led 9-6 at halftime.

But the game had its exciting plays, and two of the biggest were kick returns that brought the crowd to a roar. Lansing’s Malik Benson and Staley’s Rajon Hill both injected some life into the game in the nearly 90 degree Missouri heat.

Benson found the end zone on his 80-yard run. Hill’s 79-yard run put Missouri in scoring position on the 8-yard line that led to a touchdown that gave Missouri a one-point lead at the end of the third quarter.

Benson was happy to get the chance to play in the all-star game, even though Kansas didn’t bring home the win.

“So the first kick, I got it and I fumbled. I was very disappointed,” Benson said. “And then the other one, they kicked it to me, it rolled, and I let my block set up, and I just saw grass. I was like ‘yep, we’re going to the crib.’ And that’s what we did.”

Benson won the MVP for Team Kansas, with 104 yards on kick returns and a touchdown. In his senior season, Benson had 700 receiving yards in 28 catches and 11 touchdowns. He was Kansas Class 4 all-state and is committed to Hutchinson Community College to play football this fall.

It was the last game in high school for all 90 of the players, and Douglas said that’s part of the beauty of being involved in the program. High schoolers get 40 to 50 games in their careers, but none of them are quite like this one.

“None of them really have the purity that this game really has,” Douglas said. “This is a game you get to really go out and compete … to take the moment in and not even just judge it on a win or a loss, but judging as knowing that you really got a chance to compete, and give your all, play with your brothers and play against your brothers.”