Kaden fires up Kos legacy at Shrine Bowl

WELLMAN

On a Friday football night last November, as the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks tried to chase down Van Meter in an Iowa 2A playoff game, Kaden Kos painfully watched his career evaporate in a foot injury.

Kos, the school’s leader in tackles and career touchdown catches, could barely walk, never mind run into the end zone for a 20th TD catch. When he jumped up to catch a pass, an opponent landed on his foot. Hard.

The Golden Hawks fell one touchdown short of a berth in the 2A semifinal round and a coveted date at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

The dream of the Dome ended.

Or did it?

On July 25, Kos, now recovered from his foot injury, will get his night in the UNI-Dome when he plays for the South team in the Shriners Bowl, an annual football game in its 54th year that benefits Shriners Hospitals for Children and has raised more than $4 million over the years.

“It means a lot, just being able to show what I put in obviously through my hard summers of all the camps and workouts,” Kos said. “Coming back from injury, I just want to see where I’m at, see if I’m able to compete at a high level again.”

But there is more to this story than even that one more game in the Dome.

Kaden is the fourth member of the Kos family, and a third-generation family member, to play in the Shriners Bowl.

“It’s a pretty big deal to me because I’ll be the fourth person in my family to ever play in it,” Kaden said.

His dad played in the game. His uncle, Adam, who is the father of rising Mid-Prairie junior Kendrick Kos, played in it. And so did a grand uncle.

“It means a lot to be able to carry on the legacy of my family and stuff,” Kaden said.

Take a look at the Mid-Prairie football record books and Kaden’s name is all over them. His 415 career tackles are a school record, topping Uncle Adam Kos by 146 tackles. Kaden’s 159 tackles in 2024 broke a 1991 record held by Aaron Kos. Kaden’s 19 career TD catches are number one on the Mid-Prairie list and his 10 TD catches last fall tied a 2008 record that was set by Colin Brenneman.

Kaden and Uncle Adam now rank one-two in Mid-Prairie career tackles with Dad Aaron sitting at number eight. Kaden and Aaron are one-two in season-best tackles with Kaden at 159 in 2024 and Aaron at 144 in 1991. In fact, the top four on the season tackles list are all members of the Kos football family.

Head coach Daren Lambert was a defensive coordinator in 2022 when Kaden Kos emerged as a freshman and had 9.5 tackles. A year later, he had 114. And then he also rose as an offensive weapon, catching 53 passes for more than 800 yards his final two seasons.

Yes, worthy of the Dome.

“It is a tremendous honor for Kaden and comes from his outstanding career as a player in our program,” Lambert said. “Kaden put in a lot of work to achieve success on the field and his individual success helped our team to three straight state playoff appearances and back-to-back district titles.

“It is great to see the Shrine Bowl recognize and honor Kaden with this experience, and it is a great way for him to end his career,” Lambert said.

The Shrine Bowl, which began in 1973 at Kinnick Stadium, is like no other. There is an Honors Banquet. There is a football camp and practices. There are activities with Shriners children. And each player participates in a fundraising effort (click on: iowashrinebowl.square.site, and mention Kaden’s name).

Kaden is on a South team that includes Regina Catholic’s Kyle Tracy and Andrew Greve, Wilton’s Gatlin Rogers and Washington’s Kael Williams.

You’ll catch the rest of the Kos family in the stands. No question.

“He knows how much work I’ve put in,” Kaden said of his dad. “He’s just excited  that I got the chance to go play.”

And maybe next up?

That’d be Kendrick Kos, two years from now. Family member five.

“I think it would be pretty cool if he could make it,” Kaden said.

News columnist Paul Bowker can be reached at bowkerpaul1@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bowkerpaul