CALGARY – Linebackers Charles Beach and Cole MacInnis are close friends. They are about to continue playing football together.
Beach and MacInnis are about to join an impressive list of Calgary high school players that have participated in the annual Montana East West Shrine All-Star High Football game. They will also join the University of Calgary Dinos this coming season.
This year's game - which makes the 79th running of the event - will be Saturday, June 20 at Naranche Stadium in Butte, Montana. Beach will play for the East team, while MacInnis will play for the West team.
Beach and MacInnis have impressive list of credentials beginning with the youth program of the Calgary Cowboys in the Calgary Minor Football Association and with their respective high schools - Beach at St. Francis and MacInnis at Ernest Manning.
Dinos head coach
Ryan Sheahan is elated that both have been chosen to participate in this prestigious event.
"Our program is so happy for Cole and Charles," stated Sheahan. "This is well-deserved recognition and a very cool opportunity for two great young athletes from the southern Alberta community. They are both excellent players who have worked very hard to put themselves in this position, and we are excited about their very bright futures with our program."
The history of players that have participated in this game is impressive, with none other than current Calgary Stampeders head coach/general manager Dave Dickenson, who was a standout in the 1991 game.
NFL players that played in this game include Colt Anderson (Philadelphia Eagles/Indianapolis Colts) and Kroy Biermann (Atlanta Falcons) both who suited up in the 2004 game, while NFL All-Pros Marc Mariani (Tennessee Titans/Chicago Bears), Dan Carpenter (Buffalo Bills), Dane Fletcher (New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers) also competed in the event.
Both future Dinos are honored and elated to participate in the event.
"This game is an opportunity to go all in. I am blessed and thankful to play in this event and represent St. Francis, Calgary, and Canada," stated the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Beach, who will study Communication and Media Studies at the University of Calgary.
"It is a true honor and I am super excited about to compete against the American players," stated the 6-foot-1, 210-pound MacInnis, who will either enter the Haskayne School of Business or the Schulich School of Engineering this fall.
Both were heavily recruited with offers by several U SPORTS schools, with Beach making an official visit to Saskatchewan and MacInnis to Alberta before committing to Calgary.
"I liked the people in the room, the overall environment and felt Calgary had my back," stated Beach in making his decision to become a Dino.
"Calgary is a very historical program. The coaching staff is one of the best and their alumni network is top notch," stated MacInnis, who played with Beach on two city and two provincial youth football championship teams, as well as playing on the U16 team for Alberta in the Canada Cup. MacInnis was also captain of the city & provincial champion Ernest Manning Griffins.
Cole MacInnis and Charles Beach - two very good friends now about to take their talents to the next level of football.
Previous Calgary players that have participated in the contest are as follows:
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