By Rich Winter

605 Sports

Amidst the Pierre Governors run to a perfect season, and a sixth consecutive Class 11AA state football championship, senior wide receiver Jack Merkwan received the text of a lifetime. 

‘Would you be interested in playing in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl game at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 12?’ the text said. 

Yes was Merkwan’s reply and in just over a month he will join some of the top high school football players in the country selected from a pool of over 7,000 applicants. 

“It shows me that all the work that I’ve put in is starting to pay off,” Merkwan said. “I’m going to do my own thing down there but I think it’s going to be a super good time. One of my friends played in it and he told me about the skills he learned while there and said it was one of the best experiences of his life.” 

Merkwan led the Governors in receiving yards (1,058) and touchdown receptions (11). In the state championship game, Merkwan set the Class 11AA title-game record with 234 receiving yards on eight receptions and scored two touchdown passes. 

He broke the Class 11AA all-time record for most career receiving yards with 2,706 on 123 receptions and hauled in 28 touchdowns. Merkwan also earned all-state honors and was named the Class 11AA championship game’s most outstanding back. 

But his senior year wasn’t exactly picture perfect. 

This fall Merkwan was having a lot of headaches, experiencing night sweats and was super tired all the time. Even his love of football wasn’t quite the same. 

“I was having a hard time staying awake in school,” he said. “My energy was low, I didn’t want to practice and after a few games we decided to go to the doctor.”

The diagnosis was mono and after the doctors told the 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior the effects could last as long as four-to-six months Merkwan simply replied, ‘That doesn’t work for me.’ 

“I was quite sick but I wasn’t going to let that keep me out of the game,” he said. 

One thing Merkwan did have to do this fall was wear some extra padding for protection for his spleen. 

“Me taking a hit the wrong way could rupture my spleen but I wasn’t going to let that keep me out of the game,” he said. 

So, Merkwan soldiered on despite not feeling well all day, every day. He refused to not play until a groin injury sidelined him for a single Friday night. 

“I pulled my groin right before the game and coach Steve Steele told me to take the night off,” he said. “I have never missed a game in my life so it was kinda tough to sit and watch the boys play without me.” 

Merkwan says he is all good and feeling back to normal. That’s just in time for the next sport (basketball) on this multi-sport athletes senior schedule. In the spring he’ll run track where he finished fourth in the 300 meter hurdles at the 2022 Class AA state track meet. Next summer he’ll put on a glove and a hat to play baseball. 

“Being a multi-sport athlete is one of the best things you can do,” he said. “Basketball is side-to-side and using the momentum from the ground, football is more about me reacting, track is a straight line just go as fast as you can go and baseball is all about hand-eye coordination.” 

A standout on multiple athletic platforms, Merkwan maintains a 4.0 GPA. 

“I’ve never gotten a B in my whole life,” he said. “I put myself in the hardest classes and I’m getting ready for the next level.”

The choice for that next level will come soon but Merkwan says he plans on majoring in Biology or Biochemistry with long range plans of becoming a dentist. Merkwan said he’ll make that college decision shortly after the Dec. 12 Blue-Grey All-American Bowl on Dec. 12. 

“There are a bunch of different people on the coaching staff at this game,” Merkwan said. “A lot of guys associated with the NFL and some top college teams.” 

Tea Area’s Reis Kirschenman also selected for All-American Bowl

The Blue-Grey All-American Bowl has three total games as part of its series.

In addition to the Dec. 12 edition, there will be bowl games in Dallas, Texas (Dec. 19) and Tampa Bay, Florida (Jan. 30). The Blue-Grey All-American Bowls have become must-see events with college coaches from all over the country interested in the results.

Tea Area’s Reis Kirschenman will play for the West Team in the Dec. 19 contest in Dallas.