Golf course conversation led Olympic High School pair to Queen City Senior Bowl
So how exactly did a couple guys off the Olympic High golf team wind up playing in the first Queen City Senior Bowl football game?
The path that took Colby Schefers and Zane Zielinski to Mecklenburg County’s inaugural high school All-Star game, set for Saturday in Matthews, began last spring.
The two buddies were juniors on the Olympic golf team. Schefers also wrestled and was a placekicker on the football team. Zielinski was a swimmer, specializing in the 100-meter butterfly and 100-meter backstroke.
Schefers, a member of the Olympic football team since his freshman year, spent a part of last golf season talking Zielinski into going out for football in his senior year.
“I’d never played on the team before,” Zielinski said. “But Colby was persistent.”
Zielinski was pretty good at kicking the ball, so he showed up at practice earlier this year. After a couple of punts, coach Brandon Thompson was convinced.
“You’re our punter,” he told Zielinski.
Now they find themselves on the East team, preparing to meet the West in a showcase for some of Mecklenburg’s top senior football talent. The game is set for 12:05 p.m. at the Matthews SportsPlex.
Schefers, who made 27-of-30 conversions and 1-of-2 field-goal attempts this season, will be the placekicker. Zielinski, who punted 30 times this season for a 32.7-yard net average, will punt.
“For me, this is great,” Zielinski said. “When you consider that this is my first season of football, and I’m playing in an All-Star game?”
The two are probably typical of many players in this week’s game. They initially didn’t realize the game was taking place, and now they’re looking forward to using the contest as a showcase.
“I didn’t know there was going to be an All-Star game in the county,” Schefers said. “It was a nice surprise.”
Zielinski said he “couldn’t believe it” when he was asked to play. “It’s an honor.”
And now they want to make the most of it.
“I would like to walk on as a kicker at college somewhere,” Schefers said. “So this is a chance for me to show what I can do.”
“This game will give us some exposure,” Zielinski added. “It’s an opportunity.”
Coaches and game organizers say the Senior Bowl could be a lifeline for players who somehow didn’t get the attention of college coaches during the regular season.
East head coach Brian Hales of Butler High said organizing the All-Star team is something he and other coaches are “doing on the fly.”
“This is a first, so there’s no book to go by,” Hales said. “We’re organizing the way we would for any other game.”
And that will mean finding someone to hold for Schefers on extra-point and field-goal tries.
“I told him that I’d be willing to hold for him,” Zielinski said
When told that rules for Saturday’s game prohibit defenses from rushing the kicker or punter, both Zielinski’s and Scheffer’s faces lit up.
“Really?” Scheffers said. “That’s great!”
“I’m really looking forward to this now,” Zielinski added.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
WANT TO GO?
Saturday’s Queen City Senior Bowl kicks off at 12:05 p.m. at the Matthews SportsPlex. It will be broadcast on WAXN, Channel 64 and on ESPN3. For tickets, more information visit queencityseniorbowl.com
This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 2:30 PM.
